Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation
/OVERVIEW: The Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation supports 13 counties in Texas and four border counties in Oklahoma. Broad interests are arts and culture, education, environment, historic preservation, health, and human services.
IP TAKE: The annual community unrestricted grant cycle is the best place for first-time grant seekers. Pretty much any nonprofit need is worth pitching.
PROFILE: Established in 1999, the Wichita Falls Area Community Foundation is based in Wichita Falls, Texas. It is a collection of charitable funds benefiting the local area. The foundation seeks to “promote philanthropy, to provide charitable opportunities, to facilitate donors’ interests, and to leave a legacy for future generations.” Its broad grantmaking interests include arts, culture, education, environment, historic preservation, health, and human services.
Grants for Arts and Culture, Education, Environment, and Public Health and Access
There is a community unrestricted grant program here on an annual cycle with letters of intent due November 15 and grant applications due December 15. There is only one unrestricted grant cycle per year, and a letter of intent is required and accessible online. These grant awards are distributed in April. There is a one-year waiting period between the date of receiving a grant before a subsequent request may be considered. WFACF also manages the Burkburnett Legacy Foundation, a family of charitable funds that awards scholarships to Burkburnett students, and grants to nonprofits in Burkburnett, and surrounding community causes. The annual grant cycle deadline for nonprofits is January 31, and the deadline for teachers is October 1. Meanwhile, the Royal B. Kinder Fund supports nonprofits in Archer County and has an application deadline of May 1. Texoma Gives is an online giving day that includes nonprofits in a 24-county service area. WFACF fund holders make recommendations for donor-advised grants; grant seekers cannot directly apply for them. A list of current funds held at WFACF is here. Community funds accept donations for animals, arts, disaster, education, environment, health, seniors, youth and volunteer fire departments. The foundation awards a volunteer fire department grant and scholarships to local students. View all grant programs here.
Recent recipients include the Floral Heights Community Food Pantry, Child Care Inc., Clay County Senior Citizens and the Wichita Falls Ballet Theatre. Previous awards information is shared on the funder’s news page. Its geographic focus in Texas are the counties of Archer, Baylor, Clay, Foard, Hardeman, Haskell, Jack, Knox, Montague, Throckmorton, Wichita, Wilbarger and Young. It also serves the Oklahoma border counties of Jackson, Tillman, Cotton and Jefferson.
Important Grant Details
Typically, the foundation distributes $50,000 to $100,000 in unrestricted grants each year. This community foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications for select opportunities and unrestricted grants. The foundation phone number is 940-766-0829 and the general email address is wfacf@wfacf.org to contact the staff with general questions.
PEOPLE:
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