Grant FAQ

Organizations applying for funding must meet the following requirements:

• Must be an eligible grant recipient, which means an organization that is either:
  • a registered tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization classified as a public charity,
  • a governmental or public entity (e.g., a municipality, health department, or university/school),
  • certain types of supporting organizations under Section 509(a)(3), or
  • a private operating foundation.
• All grant funds must be expended within the state of Texas. Organizations formed in another jurisdiction must be registered with and authorized to do business in Texas through the Texas Secretary of State.

The Foundation will not consider grants to the following types of organizations or for the following purposes:

• Private foundations that are not private operating foundations, or
• Political organizations, political candidates, lobbyists or related organizations.

The Moody Foundation proudly supports organizations of all sizes—from large-scale institutions and universities to small community-based groups. In short, the Foundation aims to support organizations who are dedicated to making a deep and sustained impact in their communities. While the Foundation prefers to make grants for specific programs or projects, the Foundation will consider most types of funding requests (including general operating, program, and capital).

The Foundation is currently focusing on grants that are in line with the following key areas of giving: education, social services and family well-being, health and wellness, and the arts. However, the Foundation maintains broad flexibility in grantmaking, both geographically and categorically within Texas, which allows timely responses to community needs and concerns.

You can find the Foundation’s recently awarded grants here, to review past approved applications.

The Moody Foundation funds projects state-wide, with a key focus on Galveston, Austin, and Dallas. The Foundation also focuses on rural areas that have less access to philanthropic funding.

The Moody Foundation welcomes inquiries throughout the year. Eligible applications are presented to the Foundation’s trustees for consideration at one of four regular meetings held each year. The exact timetable for an application’s progress is dependent on several factors and the process does not begin until receipt of all application materials. It is common for the grant application process from inquiry to funding decision to take up to six months, so please consider this timeframe in determining what projects you propose.

The Foundation is currently focusing on grants that are in line with following key areas of giving: education, social services and family well-being, health and wellness, and the arts. However, the Foundation maintains broad flexibility in grantmaking, both geographically and categorically within Texas, which allows timely responses to community needs and concerns.

The Foundation will not consider grants to the following types of organizations or for the following purposes:

• Private foundations that are not private operating foundations, or
• Political organizations, political candidates, lobbyists or related organizations.

On occasion, the Foundation may award multi-year grant support for a project, or make multi-year payments on awards. Generally, however, grants are awarded for one year at a time.

Grants are considered individually and no grant award should be construed as a precedent for subsequent gifts.

Eligible organizations may apply via the ‘Letter of Inquiry’ form on the Moody Foundation website. You may submit up to three projects for consideration. Each project should be outlined on the form with a brief description, estimated total budget, and amount requested of the Moody Foundation. Generally, no more than one project per applicant will be selected for further review, so please list projects in order of highest priority first.

If a project is to receive further consideration, you will be sent a grant application guideline. You will be notified in writing if none of the proposed projects fit into the present funding interests of the Foundation.

If you would like to apply for the M-Pact Fund, visit the dedicated webpage here.

Many factors influence the size of grant awards, including the size and scale of the organization and its budget; the age and maturity of the organization; prior relationship with the organization; program area, etc. To identify an appropriate request level, The Moody Foundation recommends that you review our Annual Report for data on past grants.

It will be beneficial for the applicant to identify additional funding sources and/or how the project is and will be sustainable post-Moody funding.

No. It is a good idea to submit applications to multiple sources of funding to improve your overall chances of success.

After submitting a request for funding on the Moody Foundation website, you will be contacted by a member of the team. You will either receive a note that funding is not approved at this time or a link to the formal application requesting additional information about your organization and proposal.

You will be able to log in to the Moody Foundation portal with the link shared by the Foundation’s grants team. Follow the instructions for the application. Once your application has been submitted, it will be reviewed by the grants team and, once the application is complete, presented to the Trustees at one of the four regular meetings during the year. You will receive a letter shortly after the meeting notifying you of the Trustee’s decision. If approved, funding will be awarded shortly after receipt of a fully-executed grant contract.

Requirements to submit as part of your application include, but are not limited to:

• Cover Letter
• IRS Determination Letter
• Form 990
• Current Operating Budget
• Projected Operating Budget
• Audited Financial Statement *if relevant
• Board of Directors List
• Support Letters
• Project Budget

The Moody Foundation requires that all funded organizations and projects submit a program report 12-months after funding. The report will be shared with you in advance by your contact at the Foundation’s grants department along with instructions. The report is meant to showcase the impact of Foundation funding through your work.

The Moody Foundation funds scholarships through the Moody Scholars program. You can find more information here.

The Moody Foundation considers support of operating expenses, if a group is able to demonstrate how operations will be sustained post-funding.

The Foundation occasionally supports capital campaigns, but prefers to award grants for specific programs or projects.

Large-scale gifts for capital campaigns or construction projects are typically initiated directly by the Foundation trustees.

The Moody Foundation grants team does not typically meet with first-time prospective grantees before an application is submitted. After reviewing your pre-application, the grants team will determine if a meeting or site visit would be beneficial to the process.