Cooper Foundation Grant Program

Cooper Foundation Grant Program

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Madison Alexander Cooper and Martha Roane Cooper Foundation
Last Updated: February 23, 2026

Summary

The Cooper Foundation Grant Program aims to enhance the quality of life in Waco, Texas, by providing funding to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Potential applicants are encouraged to submit a Grant Inquiry and consult with Foundation staff to ensure their proposals align with funding priorities. The Foundation supports projects in education, health, arts, culture, and social services, emphasizing community impact and collaboration.

Overview

NOTE: Grant inquiries are accepted by the foundation on an ongoing basis and then an organization must be invited to submit a full proposal. The deadlines listed above are for full invited proposals only. The steps below outline the Grant Inquiry process: Submit a GRANT INQUIRY form.Discuss your potential application with Cooper staff. Submit a full proposal through the online system (by invitation) after discussing application with staff. Apply for a Grant Madison Cooper created the Cooper Foundation with a mission to make Waco, Texas a better or more desirable city in which to live. This is realized through grant awards to qualifying nonprofits in Waco, Texas. We are proud to fund projects that impact all aspects of life in Waco – education, health, arts and culture, community building and social services, and senior citizens. Nonprofit organizations seeking funding from the Cooper Foundation are highly encouraged to discuss their grant application with Foundation staff before and during its preparation. This can be a time-saver in determining whether a proposal fits within foundation guidelines, interests, and current priorities. Additionally, we can often help clarify plans and ideas and can offer advice on the preparation of a request. We know how precious time and resources are to nonprofit organizations, and we want to ensure that your time developing a proposal is well-spent. In other words – we don’t want to waste anyone’s time!

Eligibility

We've imported the main document for this grant to give you an overview. You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. Cooper Foundation only makes grants to 501(c)(3) public charities with a 509(a)(1) or (2) designation or to governmental agenciesApplicants must be able to answer yes to 80% of the questions in each category of the Readiness Checklist.

Ineligibility

We do not make grants to churches.Cooper Foundation does not fund individuals, scholarship programs, fundraising drives, or religious activities.We also do not sponsor events. We very rarely fund seed grants.With limited funds to award, we ask organizations to only apply one time within a 12-month period.