Three Things Texas Nonprofits Should Know About the Community Foundation of Brazoria County
/
Grantees include the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory. Photo: Agami Photo Agency/shutterstock
Part of the greater Houston metropolitan area, Brazoria County in Texas is home to over 300,000 people and encompasses just about as many unincorporated communities as it does cities. While the Greater Houston Community Foundation is a huge grantmaking force in the region, there are other local funders worth learning about.
Among them is the Community Foundation of Brazoria County (CFBC), based in Angleton, Texas. Though it’s a modest community foundation, awarding less than $500,000 in annual grants in recent years, it works for the common good of county residents in a variety of ways. Here are three things grantseekers should know.
1. There are three main categories of grants
As a community foundation, CFBC typically awards grants to a wide palette of local organizations. However, there are three main grant categories local nonprofits should be aware of. First, CFBC administers Lowrey Community Service Grants, which are available to health and human service organizations that offer local projects and programs. In the past, the application deadline for this program has been March 15.
CFBC also awards Women Building Community Grants, which go to programs and projects for women and children in Brazoria County. These grant applications are usually due by the first of June. There are also the more general Community Foundation Grants, which are broader in nature and simply must benefit Brazoria County citizens in some way. Funding requests for these grants do not typically have a specific deadline.
2. Types of grants and geographical focus areas
Although CFBC’s website only offers limited information about its grantmaking processes and past grantees, tax records indicate that most of its recent grants have been between $5,000 and $25,000 and address issues like education, health and human services. Other recent grants have gone toward animal shelters and adoptions, religious causes and adult-specific education.
Grantees are most commonly based in the Texas cities of Houston, Angleton, Pearland and Lake Jackson. Organizations in Freeport, Richwood and Austin also receive a few CFBC grants. Examples of local grantees include the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, Special Olympics Texas and True to Life Ministries. In addition to grants, CFBC also awards scholarships to local students.
3. The application process is accessible
The good news for Brazoria County nonprofits is that this community foundation is accessible and welcomes contact by email. The foundation encourages grantseekers to email staff to request an application or for more information about current grant opportunities. CFBC’s small staff includes an executive director, Barbara Franklin, and an administrative assistant, Abby Bundick.
Since publicly available information about CFBC is limited, local nonprofits should also check out IP’s full profile of the Community Foundation of Brazoria Country in our Southwest funding guide.
