Here for Good.
The Dallas Foundation typically hosts three grant cycles per year: Field of Interest, Racial Equity, and Community Impact.
Field of Interest Funds are endowed funds that can be customized to align with a donor’s interest in a specific cause. They are then entrusted to the Foundation to award grants that both meet the purpose of the fund and make an impact in our community. Field of Interest Funds cover a range of issues, including the arts, critical needs, low-income clients, and animal welfare.
Through our Community Impact Fund, The Dallas Foundation focuses on driving meaningful results for children and families. Building on our legacy of nurturing early childhood programs, our strategic priorities have evolved to include investments in the ages of birth to three that ensure a strong and healthy start, as well as programs that ensure community and economic resiliency, and those that enhance the nonprofit ecosystem.
The Racial Equity Fund of The Dallas Foundation seeks to address the ongoing disparities that directly impact Dallas’ Black and Hispanic residents, which start before birth and are seen at nearly every step of life. Grant investments focus on data-informed areas, including housing/infrastructure, economic, education, criminal justice/government, and health.
Access TDF's Online Grant Portal
Field of Interest Funds
Established by donors to support the issues area(s) they care most about, Field of Interest Funds are managed and disbursed by The Dallas Foundation to meet the community’s current needs within the areas below.
The Foundation is no longer accepting Letters of Inquiry for our 2023 Field of Interest Funds grant cycle. Please check back in early 2024 for submission dates and deadlines.
Applicants selected to submit a full grant application in 2023 will be notified in late March. Applicants will have three weeks to complete the application (March 27 – April 17). Final grant decisions will be made by the Foundation’s Board of Directors in mid-June. All nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply for a Field of Interest grant regardless of when the organization last received a grant from the foundation. Please note, however, that if you receive a grant from a Field of Interest Fund in 2023, you will not be able to submit another grant request to The Dallas Foundation until 2024.
To see the list of 2022 grant recipients, click here.Animal Welfare
Promotes the health and welfare of companion animals, including prevention of cruelty to animals; provision of veterinary care to animals whose owners cannot otherwise pay for their care; funding of spay and neuter programs; support of feral cat protection projects; creation and operation of sanctuaries for companion animals; promotion of responsible pet ownership; support of animal shelters; and promotion of the adoption of stray and unwanted animals; $300,000 available to grant annually.
To assist animals; $800 available to grant annually.
Promotes animal welfare and wildlife conservation and protection; $1,000 available to grant annually.
Arts
Supports the arts in Dallas County. Grants from this fund tend to be for the performing and visual arts to honor the spirit of Mr. Adoue’s gift. Grants for arts education are typically not considered. $165,000 available to grant annually.
Support for arts, entertainment and education in Dallas County. $9,000 available to grant annually.
Children and Families
Assists low-income older adults or disabled, abused, neglected, or economically disadvantaged children; $265,000 available to grant annually.
Assists abused children in Collin County (Nonprofit agencies applying for funds must be located in and serving Collin County); $5,000 available to grant annually.
Assists children in need and older adults; $25,000 available to grant annually.
Assists disabled, blind, deaf, or economically disadvantaged children; $25,000 available to grant annually.
Assists children and adult victims of domestic violence; $81,000 available to grant annually.
Assists with the education of mentally handicapped and developmentally disabled children, to enable them to lead productive lives; $81,000 available to grant annually.
To support social services, healthcare and education projects/programs; $14,800 available to grant annually.
Assists low-income children who are suffering from debilitating diseases such as diabetes or cancer; $110,000 available to grant annually.
To assist African American citizens; $15,000 available to grant annually.
To support innovative programs for youth and education; $10,000 available to grant.
Community Development
Construction, improvement and maintenance of the Cottonwood Trail in and around Richardson and Dallas. $16,000 available to grant annually.
Critical Needs
Helps provide basic necessities of life, including food, clothing, emergency and transitional shelter, and medical care, to persons, particularly families, who are low-income, indigent, homeless, or ill. $300,000 available to grant annually.
Helps faith-based organizations providing assistance to disadvantaged children with food, clothing, shelter, or healthcare needs; $7,800 available to grant annually.
Health
Assists agencies that provide medical care and supportive programs for low-income persons with breast cancer; $81,000 available to grant annually.
For the research and cure of Parkinson’s disease; $9,000 available to grant annually.
Grant Funding Cycle
Racial Equity Fund
The Dallas Foundation’s Racial Equity Fund will help advance equity for Dallas’ BIPOC residents by strategically and purposefully directing philanthropic dollars to support organizations that combat systemic inequities.
The 2022 Funding Cycle received 258 applications, and our team awarded 25 grants totaling $2.5 million. To see the list of 2022 grant recipients, click here.
The Foundation’s Racial Equity Fund grant cycle will be accepting Letters of Inquiry (LOI) between Monday, July 10 and 5pm, Monday, August 7. Please note, only one LOI per organization is allowed.
Applicants selected to submit a full grant application will be notified in late August. Applicants will have three weeks to complete the application (August 28 – September 18). Final grant decisions will be made by the Foundation’s Board of Directors in early December. Please note, if you received a 2022 Field of Interest grant you are not eligible to submit a Racial Equity grant request.
The 2023 grant cycle will focus on the following areas:
- Housing/Infrastructure
- Economic
- Education
- Criminal Justice/Government
- Health
Grant Funding Cycle
Community Impact Fund
The Foundation does not anticipate hosting a competitive grant application for the Community Impact Fund in 2023. Typically, the Community Impact Fund focuses on the following areas in Dallas County:
Funding will be considered for projects and initiatives that are specifically focused on the following areas:
- prenatal to age 3 care,
- family homelessness,
- and child & youth mental health.
Grant applications addressing the following areas:
- affordable housing and property support,
- transportation,
- infrastructure (i.e., broadband, utility access, sidewalks, etc.),
- and access to parks & recreation.
Grant applications focused on economic opportunity including:
- entrepreneurship,
- and employment.
Funding will be considered for projects and initiatives specifically focused on the following areas:
- pre-K-12 education, including out-of-school time programs,
- post-secondary access,
- workforce development and training.
Click here to read about organizations selected for Community Impact Fund grants in 2022.
How to Apply for a Grant
The Foundation accepts letters of inquiry (LOIs) and grant applications through our online portal. To access an existing account or create a new account, please click on the link below. Once logged in, available LOI’s and grant applications are accessible by clicking on the “Apply” button.
Questions? Please contact Brittani Trusty, Director of Community Impact, at btrusty@dallasfoundation.org.
Access TDF's Online Grant Portal
Grant Restrictions
Funds are generally not available for:
Programs or services that do not serve Dallas County residents
Annual Fund campaigns, underwriting of fundraising events, and marketing campaigns
Religious purposes (although we do support educational and social service programs offered by faith-based organizations)
Endowments
Individuals
Non-discrimination Statement
The Dallas Foundation (the “Foundation”) is an equal opportunity provider and funder of services and respects, celebrates, and encourages diversity, equity, and inclusion. It is the policy of the Foundation to support organizations, projects and programs that do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, national origin, citizenship status, age, genetic information, physical or mental disability of an otherwise qualified individual, membership or application for membership in a uniformed service, engaging in legally protected activity, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.
The Foundation encourages its grantee and partner organizations to adhere to these principles. The Foundation does not knowingly award grants to organizations that discriminate in their hiring, those they accept as volunteers, or the clients they serve.