Texas Arts Grants

This funding opportunity supports arts education programs that nurture and develop the artistic talents of children throughout Texas.

This program provides cash grants to animation and visual effects projects in Texas that meet specific spending and local employment criteria, promoting economic growth in the state's creative industry.

This program provides financial support to nonprofit organizations in specific areas to promote children's well-being, cultural enrichment, and essential community services.

This grant provides funding for historical markers that celebrate local legends and folklore, aimed at nonprofit organizations and government entities in select U.S. states to promote cultural heritage and tourism.

This funding opportunity supports projects that improve the quality of life for low-income and rural communities in East Texas by addressing poverty through initiatives in education, health, economic opportunity, human services, arts and culture, and environmental conservation.

This grant provides financial support to 501(c)(3) organizations in College Station, Texas, focusing on education, arts, health, and community service initiatives.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations in Bryan, Texas, supporting a wide range of charitable activities including arts, education, health, and community services.

This grant provides funding to nonprofit organizations in five Ohio counties to strengthen their infrastructure and enhance their capacity to serve underserved populations in health, education, and social services.

This program provides funding to U.S.-based nonprofits and local governments to improve public spaces through community-driven projects that promote inclusivity and accessibility.

This grant provides funding to U.S.-based non-profit organizations to support projects that promote Japanese arts and culture, particularly in areas with limited access to such events.

The City of Kemah has opened the application for organizations to apply for a portion of the City’s Hotel/Motel Tax funds. Donor Name: City of Kemah State: County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: (mm/dd/yyyy) 08/30/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Through the Hotel Occupancy Tax Sponsorship Program, qualified events can apply for funds from the City of Kemah. The mission of the Hotel Occupancy Tax Grant Program is to provide funding to directly enhance and promote tourism and the convention and hotel industry in Kemah. Applications for a HOT sponsorship must be able to pass a two-part test to be eligible for funding.  The first part is the ‘heads in beds’ test. What this means is that every funded project or event must attract overnight tourists to the city’s hotels and motels, thus promoting the city’s hotel industry.  The second part is that the project or event must fit into one of these nine statutorily authorized categories: convention and visitor centers convention registration.  advertising the city promotion of the arts historical restoration and preservation sporting events in a county under one million in population enhancing or upgrading existing sports facilities or sports fields (only in certain cities tourist transportation systems signage directing the public to sights and attractions that are visited frequently by hotel guests in the city. For more information, visit City of Kemah.

The Lola Wright Foundation provides grants to support children and youth, public health and human services, education and community development, and arts and culture. Donor Name: The Lola Wright Foundation State: Texas County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 08/31/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Lola Wright Foundation is a private, non-profit charitable foundation which supports community-based organizations granted tax exemption under the Internal Revenue Code, Section 501(c)(3). The Foundation’s grant making activities are limited to organizations operating primarily within a 50-mile radius of Austin, Texas. Funding emphases include, but are not limited to, social, health and human services; early childhood, youth and adult development services; arts and culture; and services for minorities, the homeless, and the elderly. Field of Interest Children and Youth Public Health and Human Services Education and Community Development Arts and Culture Geographic Restrictions The organization must be located and operating primarily within a 50-mile radius of Austin, Texas. Eligibility Criteria Organizations considered for funding must be classified as qualified public charities under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The Foundation does not make grants to individuals. In addition, the Foundation generally does not provide funding to organizations for day-to-day operating costs or expenses. An organization receiving a grant from the Foundation may not apply for another grant for at least twelve (12) months. For more information, visit The Lola Wright Foundation.

The Nexus Grant offers $5,000 grants for new and emerging local small organizations, individual artists, and small arts businesses to produce creative public projects. Donor Name: City of Austin State: Texas City: Austin Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/14/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Nexus grant is designed to nurture new and emerging applicants in the creative community. Funds support creative public activities for the city and its tourists through community-centered arts activities and collaboration. Grant funds may cover administrative costs, equipment and space rentals, marketing, and other eligible expenditures. Collaborations might include activities that involve: Artists Culturally specific groups Groups representing LGBTQIA and disability communities Nonprofits Social advocacy organizations. Priority will be given to: Applicants that are representative of, serve and are accountable to communities that are at immediate risk of cultural erasure and displacement within Austin and/or have been institutionally marginalized and under-funded by the City of Austin Cultural Arts Division. This may include applicants that directly serve Black/African American, Native American, Asian, Hispanic/Latino, Middle Eastern, and Pacific Islander communities or LGBTQIA+ and/or disability communities. Applicants who have never received City of Austin Cultural Funding awards in the last five years. Funding Information The Nexus award is $5,000. Eligible Activities Exhibitions Performances Workshops and classes that include a performance or exhibition Public art projects that are installed on public or private property and accessible by the public. Eligible Expenses Payments to administrators and artists Space rentals Equipment rentals (not purchases) Supplies and materials Marketing and promotion expenses Insurance costs Fiscal sponsor fee, if applicable. Eligible Applicants  501(c) nonprofit arts organization: Maximum Annual Expenses: $150,000. Maximum Request Amount: $5,000. An individual aged 18 or older: Maximum Annual Expenses: $150,000. Maximum Request Amount: $5,000. Creative Business: Maximum Annual Expenses: $150,000. Maximum Request Amount: $5,000. For more information, visit City of Austin.

The Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) has issued the 2025 Improvement Grant Request for Applications (RFA) for programs that improve indigent defense services in Texas. Donor Name: Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) State: Texas County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/10/2024 Size of the Grant: $10,000 to $100,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: Improvement Grants help counties develop new programs or processes to improve indigent defense. Improvement Grants are competitive, dependent on available funding, and usually require county matching funds. Priority Program Areas Applications for the following program types shall be given funding priority: Managed indigent defense programs structured to ensure quality representation. This includes, but is not limited to, managed assigned counsel and public defender programs. Specialized indigent defense programs representing clients with mental health challenges. Regional indigent defense services. Programs that serve rural areas. Programs that measure the quality of representation for indigent defendants. Indigent defense process management software systems supporting compliance with indigent defense laws. Other programs that implement cost containment initiatives designed to limit local indigent defense cost increases or reduce county operating costs with respect to indigent defense. Improvement Grant Categories Multi-Year Improvement Grants Funding for programs providing indigent defense representation, including public defender offices, managed assigned counsel programs, and indigent defense coordinator programs. Provides funding over four years. Requires a cash match. Grants typically reimburse up to 80% of total approved project costs for the first year; 60% for the second year; 40% for the third year; and 20% for the fourth year. Awards for multi-year grants are made each fiscal year, with funding of eligible expenses provided on a reimbursement basis. Grantees will be required to submit a brief Continued Multi-Year Improvement Grant application form and submit a new Improvement Grant Resolution for continued funding for each subsequent year of eligibility. Minimum $50,000 project budget per application. Rural Regional Public Defender Sustainability Grants Regional programs must cover three or more counties. Counties with populations less than 100,000 are eligible. (Counties that exceed this threshold may request a variance based on special considerations.) Provides reimbursement of 80% of approved program costs in the initial year, transitioning to ongoing sustainability funding covering 2/3 of eligible costs in subsequent years. May be operated directly by counties or contracted to eligible nonprofit public defender organizations. Single-Year Improvement Grants Funding for indigent defense process improvement projects including technology projects. These projects require a cash match as detailed in Section II below. Minimum program budget of $5,000 per application. Routine equipment replacements or upgrades are not eligible. Technical Support Grants Special projects including indigent defense research, program assessments, or pilot projects that build the knowledge base about indigent defense and test processes that can be applied in other counties. All technical support projects require a project paper that describes the implementation, the benefits the county may have received, a brief commentary from participants, and a brief discussion on implications or suggestions for other similar projects. Continued Multi-Year Improvement Grants Counties with current Multi-Year Improvement Grant awards and Rural Regional Public Defender Sustainability Grants must submit a brief online Continued Multi-Year Improvement Grant form for each subsequent year of eligible funding. A new Commissioners Court or governing board resolution must be submitted with the application each year. Requests for scope changes, amendments or budget adjustments may be submitted with Continued Multi-Year applications. Funding Priorities  Funding priorities include the following: New public defender offices. New managed assigned counsel systems. Mental health, juvenile, or other specialty defender offices. Indigent defense coordinators. Grant Period Period for Funding and Program Operation: October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025. Eligibility Criteria  The following entities are eligible for Improvement Grants: Texas counties. Counties may apply jointly for funding but must designate one county as the grant recipient. A law school’s legal clinic or program that provides indigent defense services for Texas counties as described in Section 79.037, Texas Gov’t Code. A regional public defender formed under Article 26.044, Code of Criminal Procedure that provides indigent defense services for Texas counties and meets the requirements of Texas Gov’t Code Section 79.037. An entity described by Section 791.013, Texas Gov’t Code that provides to a county administrative services under an interlocal contract entered for the purpose of providing or improving the provision of indigent defense services in the county. A nonprofit corporation that provides indigent defense services or indigent defense support services in a county. Nonprofit applicants must document support from and coordination with the county or counties and courts served. Nonprofit applications should contact TIDC staff early in the application process to provide online grant application account setup and for guidance on documentation of county support and coordination. For more information, visit TIDC.

The Laura Jane Musser Fund offers grants up to $25,000 for collaborative rural community projects in selected states and counties, prioritizing initiatives that involve diverse community participation, demonstrate local support, and aim for positive change within 18 months.

Arts Respond - Cultural District Project Eligibility: TCA Cultural Districts; VERIFIED College Arts Institution, Established Arts Organizations, Established Arts Organizations of Color, Government Local Arts Agencies, Local Arts Agencies, Rural Arts Providers located within a TCA Designated Cultural District Intent: Projects that use the arts to diversify local economies, generate revenue, and attract visitors and investment. This competitive grant program provides project assistance grants on a short-term basis and may include administrative costs directly related to the project. This program is designed for projects that focus on significant cultural tourism projects. These projects should serve at least one of the following: High quality arts programming that will attract a significant number of visitors from 50 miles or more outside the community (i.e., blockbuster art exhibitions, national or regional premieres, major festivals) Enhancements to the cultural district to make it more accessible, attractive, cohesive-looking, and safe for visitors Improved signage and wayfinding for the district Promotion of the district; this may include the district’s website, branding, and marketing Organizational support for the management and operations of the district (TCA Cultural District only) These grants may include capital improvements. Grant Type: Annual Application Limit: Organizations may submit one application per deadline. Minimum Request: $3,000 Maximum Request: 50% of project budget, not to exceed $250,000 Match Requirement: dollar for dollar (1:1) Application Deadline: June 15 for projects beginning September 1 through Aug. 31 Attachments Deadline: June15 Criteria: see Application Review Criteria Click here for ineligible requests Click here for attachments checklist

The City of Houston Department of Neighborhoods is seeking applications for its Matching Grant Program to improve Houston neighborhoods. Donor Name: City of Houston State: Texas County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant | Reimbursement Deadline: 08/31/2024 Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: This program is administered in partnership through the City of Houston Department of Neighborhoods and the City of Houston Council Member’s Offices. It is designed to build solid relationships among neighbors, cultivate the spirit of volunteerism, and to develop projects that build a sustainable and stronger community. The goal is simple. They want to improve the quality of life for Houston communities and partner with active residents to: Improve neighborhood organization and pride. Improve community appearance and beautification. Enlist and increase community participation. Funding Information  The Matching Grants reimbursement is between $500 to $5,000. Eligible Projects The program helps pay for physical improvements or projects that are accessible and beneficial to the community. The program will not pay for ongoing operation or maintenance such as upkeep of landscaping or a community garden. Proposed projects must meet the following requirements: Improve a neighborhood through a physical improvement. Involve neighborhood residents, have long-standing benefits.  Accessible to the public. Letter of permission from property owners and/or government agencies of the proposed site at the time of submittal. The property owner may be a government agency, the owner of private property, or an association if the property is a common area. Proof of ownership of proposed site (Ex: Copy of Deed, HCAD record, etc.) Photo of proposed site. Three letters of support for your project (Ex: Neighborhood or area organizations, businesses, elected officials, schools, super neighborhood council, etc.) If the proposed projects require approval and/or permitting from a City of Houston department, pre-approval from the appropriate city department is required. (Ex: Pre-approvals must be issued by, Parks & Recreation Department for the Adopt-An-Esplanade Program, Public Works & Engineering Department for Subdivision Markers, etc.) The application is ineligible without the pre-approval from the appropriate city department (s). Examples of approved projects include, but are not limited to, street sign toppers, entryway signage, entryway columns, esplanade landscaping and irrigation, park benches, electrical signage, walkways with pavers, murals, etc. Eligibility Criteria  Eligible organizations must meet the following criteria: Applicants must be a neighborhood-based organization and/or civic club incorporated as a 501 (c) (3) or 501 (c) (4) non-profit organization through the State of Texas. If the applying neighborhood-based organization is not 501 (c) (3) or 501 (c) (4), they must secure a 501 (c) (3) or 501 (c) (4) organization to partner with for this project. Applicant organizations must represent a specific geographic area located in the Houston city limits. Applicants must Identify how the organization will fund and support the project in the future. Political organizations and individuals are not eligible. For more information, visit City of Houston.

Grant Name: Regional Touring Program Grants Donor: Mid-America Arts Alliance Location: Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas Grant Type: Grant Deadline: Ongoing Grant Size: Up to $5,000 Details: The Regional Touring Program grants by Mid-America Arts Alliance support presenting organizations in showcasing the work of artists from within the M-AAA region. Presenters can receive up to 50% of the artist's fee for booking an artist listed on a state touring roster and up to 25% for booking an artist from the region not listed on a touring roster. Rural presenters may receive an additional 10% of the artist's fee. Projects must engage regional audiences through exposure, interaction, and outreach engagement. Eligible projects must feature in-region artists from outside the presenter's home state and include public-facing events between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024. The grant does not cover indirect project costs or expenses associated with benefits or fundraiser events. Eligibility Criteria: Applicant organizations must be tax-exempt non-profit organizations or federally recognized tribal communities incorporated in one or more states in the M-AAA region. They must have a valid EIN and UEI ID and commit to M-AAA's Grantee Assurance of Compliance and Federal Suspension and Disbarment Policy. Organizations may submit a maximum of three applications per fiscal year. For more information, visit M-AAA's website.

The Arts Create-2 grant is part of the Texas Arts Plan aimed at fostering the creative economy by supporting established Arts Organizations of Color in Texas. This competitive grant program offers multi-year operational support to organizations with annual budgets over $50,000. Grant applicants are required to submit for one-year operational support, with a potential renewal for a second year based on performance and fund availability. This program requires a dollar-for-dollar match and accepts one application per organization during odd numbered years.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2024-2025 Apache Corporation Tree Grant Program. Donor Name: Apache Corporation State: Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, Wyoming County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 07/12/2024 Size of the Grant: Not Available Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: Since 2005, the Apache Corporation Tree Grant Program has provided more than 5 million trees to over 1,000 nonprofit charitable partners and government agencies in the U.S. They donate trees to a wide variety of organizations, including cities, counties, schools, parks, universities, youth associations, wildlife refuges and charitable service groups. In addition to the development and improvement of public parks and greenspaces, community partners often request trees to support a broad range of conservation efforts, including preservation of natural habitats and reforestation. Application Guidelines Applicant organizations must be a charitable nonprofit organization, or municipal, state or federal government agency or institution with 501(c)(3) federal tax exemption status to qualify. Individuals, private landowners, for-profit organizations, or political/trade/civic membership-based organizations (including 501(c)(4) or 501(c)(6) federal exemption status) are not eligible. Applicant organizations in states where Apache Corporation has operations in the United States are eligible to apply. Areas of operations include Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana or Wyoming. Requests can be made for sizes varying from bare root seedlings up to five gallon containers. Grant recipients must request a minimum of 50 one gallon, three gallon or five gallon trees per project or a minimum of 1,000 bareroot seedlings. Grantees must work directly with Apache’s partner arborist. Grantees will not be granted funds directly. The Apache Corporation Tree Grant Program is designed to provide native/indigenous species to the applicant’s local geographical area. Apache Corporation reserves the right, based on economic and environmental conditions, to make substitutions as necessary and/or required. Apache Corporation will assume the cost of the trees and freight delivery to the recipient’s designated location. Applicants must agree to receive any and all trees granted to their organization in a single delivery. All trees granted must be distributed by May 15, 2025. It is the responsibility of the grant recipient to plant and care for the trees. You agree to Apache Corporation’s brand standards and guidelines for the use of the Apache logo and name within your organization’s media and communications (newsletter, event flyer, web site, social media), and you agree to coordinate any press releases and/or public announcements regarding your grant award with Apache Corporation, as listed in the grant award letter. For more information, visit Apache Corporation.