Getting to Know the Amon G. Carter Foundation and Its Texas Giving

The Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas is a prime place for big philanthropy, sporting numerous private foundations, community foundations and giving circles with a consistent local focus. Yet one foundation some nonprofits may not be familiar with is the Amon G. Carter Foundation, an accessible funder that almost always keeps its grants close to home.

Here are some main points to know about the Amon G. Carter Foundation and how to secure support from this Fort Worth funder.

Centered on Forth Worth

During his lifetime, Amon Carter’s mission was to make sure everyone across the country knew how great of a place Fort Worth was to be. He was a newspaper executive who built the Fort Worth Star into an influential regional newspaper in the Southwest. The foundation is still dedicated to Fort Worth today, as well as the broader Tarrant County region of Texas.

Most of this funder’s grants go towards local programs and projects, making Carter a key foundation to know in the area. Recent Texas grantees are based in Dallas, Arlington, Austin, Keller, Denton, Colleyville, Grapevine and Bedford.

The Many Interests of the Carter Foundation

One of the top interests of the Carter Foundation is arts and culture, reflecting its founder, who was an acclaimed art collector and loved Western art. In fact, he left millions of dollars to the foundation upon his death to create a museum to house his collection. Many other arts and humanities grants have gone to local theaters, music groups, performing arts organizations and efforts to involve youth in the arts.

Aside from art, the Carter Foundation regularly funds social services organizations, health and medicine groups and education-related causes. It often gives priority to groups that serve children and the elderly, as well as civic and community projects that enhance local quality of life.

Large and Small Grant Opportunities

Carter Foundation grantmaking varies widely with regard to grant and organization sizes. It regularly awards grants around $1,000 while at the same time giving out at least several grants exceeding the million-dollar mark each year. Carter grants go to well-established and famous names in the region, as well as much smaller and lesser-known groups that other foundations overlook.

An Easy Application Process

Fort Worth-area nonprofits might be pleased to find out that the Carter Foundation does not have any standard application forms to adhere to or any deadlines to meet. It accepts unsolicited grant applications throughout the year when they’re submitted to the executive vice president by mail. The board meets in February, May and November to review new requests, and the foundation actually posts upcoming scheduled board meeting dates on its website.

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