Waco Foundation: Immediate Impact Grants

The Waco Foundation offers Immediate Impact Grants to support nonprofit organizations in McLennan County, Texas. These grants aim to strengthen community engagement and address local challenges, particularly for marginalized populations. Funding focuses on improving quality of life through initiatives that enhance neighborhood vitality, foster inclusivity, and provide assistance to vulnerable residents. Established in 1958, the Foundation manages over $100 million in charitable assets to ensure lasting community benefits.

Mission & History
Promote solutions to community challenges: We lead, follow and collaborate as needed to provide solutions to community challenges, often partnering with other foundations, nonprofits, individual donors, government, educational and healthcare institutions and the private sector.Strengthen our local nonprofits:We support nonprofits through grants, guidance and fund management, strengthening their ability to make an impact on critical issues in our community both today and in the future.
Manage charitable assets:We accept, prudently manage and preserve the value of long-term charitable resources entrusted to our care.
Waco Foundation was established in 1958 with a $30,000 gift from R.B. and Edith Heinze Parrot to ensure the vitality and longevity of the Waco community. Today the Foundation manages more $100 million in charitable assets in the form of agency endowments, scholarships and community and donor advised funds, all for the benefit of the community.
Waco Foundation Grant-Making
Waco Foundation engages in both proactive and responsive grantmaking activities. The proactive grantmaking is largely implemented through staff-led initiatives and the work of select community partners. All grantmaking decisions are based on community-wide impact of improving local quality of life.
The competitive grants process was designed to help ensure the Foundation remains inclusive with regard to the causes, concerns and perspectives of area nonprofits, and responsive to the financial challenges they face.
Funding Priorities
Fostering more racially equitable experiences and outcomes for area residents
Helping people leave poverty permanently. As an example, priority will be given to supporting the most focused, cost-effective methods of:Significantly reducing teen pregnancy
Significantly increasing graduation rates from high school, technical school, community college and collegeSupporting valuable projects that are:Interesting, unique, and energizing; and which seek to make Waco a vibrant, inclusive and attractive community
Considered to be critical components and high priorities of the entire communityIncreasing the capacity of McLennan County’s nonprofit sector and the ability of the community-at-large, to address challenges:Strengthening nonprofit sustainability
Helping local organizations collaborate
Increasing leadership capacity and pathwaysFunding organizations that provide support and service to our most vulnerable residents – people in poverty, people with disabilities, the elderly, children and youth.
These grants are intended to provide program, operating or capital support to a wide range of area nonprofits. The Foundation offers support in three primary areas:
To civic-grassroots groups and nonprofits working to provide support to traditionally marginalized or under-invested communities (in keeping with recognized CDBG recipient areas) through efforts that help enhance the attractiveness and vitality of targeted neighborhoods, and foster community engagement and development among those population groups.To nonprofits that provide support and service to our most vulnerable residents, including people in poverty, people with disabilities, the elderly, children, and youth.To nonprofits that work to help foster an inclusive, attractive community for residents and visitors alike. Under special circumstances, the Foundation will accept requests from Taxing Entities (e.g. school districts).
The types of project the foundation would be willing to consider include but are not limited to the following:

• Facilitated neighborhood planning/visioning and (community participatory) research process;
• Facilitated neighborhood gatherings designed to build community and networking among neighbors;

Training/workshop/services that facilitate building the capacity of residents to plan, organize, and implement community-led projects that enhance a neighborhood's image, safety, and/or it's access to services;
Small neighborhood improvements that are not usually eligible for coverage by government funds (e.g. sidewalk number paintings, banners, and other services that lend to visibility, branding, and /or identification);
Establishment and promotion of neighborhood gardens and other efforts that aid in the healthy food access and food distribution by/to area residents;
Funds that further the collaborative work being done to address poverty issues, particularly as it relates to health, education and financial security;
Projects that help build the capacity of neighborhood residents to create, support and/or strengthen entrepreneurial, and/or innovative services in their immediate community.

Eligibility

Waco Foundation only grants awards to 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organizations that are physically located in and provide services to McLennan County, Texas. Recognizing that the needs and work of our community partners differ, the immediate impact Grant program has been divided into 2 categories:
Grants to Civic/Community Groups and NonprofitsGrants to Eligible Taxing Entities (i.e., McLennan County school districts, community & technical colleges, CPS & Juvenile programs)

Ineligibility

The Foundation considers the following to be low giving priorities:

• Annual operating expenses of established agencies including debt reduction or

retirement, deficit financing, reducing operating deficits or replenishing resources used to pay for such purposes.Historic preservation.Individuals, except through our educational scholarships.Local, state or national fundraising or awareness activities (including annual fund
drives, benefit tickets, event sponsoring and telephone solicitations); Maintenance expenses or maintenance issues created due to deferred
maintenance.Medical or scholarly research.Membership fees.Organizations located outside the Waco/McLennan County area even though
their project may benefit local residents and communities.Political lobbying or legislative activities.Publications, videos, etc.Religious activities or programs that serve, or appear to serve specific religious
groups or denominations. Projects that will serve a broad segment of the general population will be considered on the same basis as proposals from other agencies.Retroactive funding for current projects, programs or equipment.Start-up funding for new organizations.Tax supported entities (e.g. cities, schools).The use of and payment for services of a fiscal agent.

Nonprofit organizations based in and serving McLennan County, Texas.