Waco Foundation promotes solutions to community challenges, strengthens nonprofits, engages philanthropists, and manages charitable assets to improve quality of life in our community.
A bequest-based scholarship program sits alongside Waco Foundation’s broader community grantmaking. Through the Duncan Scholars program, the foundation supports local students with financial aid, academic support, and success coaching, with the stated goal of helping them graduate from college debt free. That education work sits within a larger local portfolio tied to quality of life in McLennan County. Recent grants show a foundation that funds both institutions and immediate needs. Start Up Waco received a $1,110,411 undesignated grant in 2025, while Heart of Texas Community Health Center Inc Dba Waco Family Medicine received major capital support in 2024, including $488,216 for a capital campaign. The foundation also backs nonprofit organizations through operating, program, and undesignated support, and it makes room for emergency assistance when organizations face urgent challenges. Its stated focus areas include education, nonprofit capacity building, community development and quality of life, and emergency and critical needs funding. The grantmaking pattern includes scholarships, capital projects, operating support, and flexible support for local nonprofits. It also reaches into arts and cultural institutions, immigrant support services, and leadership-related nonprofit expenses. Across the portfolio, the foundation appears to use multiple grant types to address both ongoing community infrastructure and short-term organizational needs.
Education is a visible part of Waco Foundation’s work. The Duncan Scholars program supports local students with financial aid, academic support, and success coaching, and the foundation also runs scholarship access through its scholarship portal. Nonprofit capacity building is another clear theme. In 2024, Texas Rural Funders received $777,283 for operating support, and in 2023 Connected Nation Inc received $685,333 for operating support. Those awards show that the foundation funds organizations beyond a single service line when they are tied to local quality of life. Community development and critical response also appear in the portfolio. City of Mart received $425,000 for building and renovation in 2024, while Baylor Scott & White Central Texas Foundation received $131,570 for emergency funds in 2025. The foundation also supports arts and culture; Waco Creative Art Center received $107,600 in 2023.
$7.8M
$148.4M
$16.8M
$12.5M
Most grants fall between $10K and $45K, with a median of $19K.
25th Percentile
$10K
Median
$19K
75th Percentile
$45K
ASHLEY ALLISON
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Waco Foundation’s typical grant size is moderate, with a p25 of $10,000, a median of $19,268, and a p75 of $44,905. The recent-grants list also shows a wide upper range, including seven-figure support for selected projects. Its giving includes recurring support to the same organizations across years, such as Start Up Waco, Caritas of Waco, Transformation Waco, and Waco Family Medicine Foundation. The foundation is structured as a foundation rather than an operating charity making program-related investments, and the active grant programs include both unsolicited options and competitive grants, including scholarship portals and discretionary operating or program support.
Waco Foundation gives locally, and 87% of grants go to recipients in Texas. The bulk of activity is concentrated in McLennan County and Waco, with repeated awards to Waco-based organizations such as Start Up Waco, Caritas of Waco, and Waco Family Medicine Foundation. Outside Texas, the recent-grants list includes recipients in Austin, Temple, Mart, Bowling Green, Kentucky, and South Bend / Notre Dame, Indiana. The country distribution is entirely U.S.-based, with 252 grants in the United States.
The foundation funds scholarships, nonprofit operating and program support, capital projects, emergency funding, and undesignated support. Its active programs also include scholarship access, critical needs grants, competitive grants, and large capital grants for McLennan County organizations.
Yes for several programs. The MAC College Money Program, Critical Needs Grant Program, Waco Foundation Scholarships portal, general grantmaking, and Program/Operating Support Grants all indicate unsolicited or online application access. Large Capital Grants and some competitive support grants are not open to unsolicited applications.
The typical grant size is $10,000 at the 25th percentile, $19,268 at the median, and $44,905 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes much larger awards, including a $1,110,411 grant in 2025.
The stated focus areas are education, nonprofit capacity building, community development and quality of life, and emergency and critical needs funding. Recent grants also show support for arts and cultural institutions, immigrant support services, capital projects, and leadership compensation support.
The foundation gives primarily in Texas, with 87% of grants going to recipients in the state. Most activity centers on McLennan County and Waco, but the recent-grants list also includes recipients in Austin, Temple, Mart, Bowling Green, Kentucky, and South Bend, Indiana.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Current and upcoming funding from Waco Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: McLennan County-based nonprofits. Small capital grants give highest priority to human services, youth-serving, and arts/cultural organizations needing capital assistance. Large capital grant applicants must have secured 60% of necessary funding before approaching the Foundation.
Deadline: June 15 and January 1
Who can apply: Open to area nonprofits; supports civic-grassroots groups and nonprofits serving marginalized or under-invested communities, vulnerable residents, and inclusive community efforts. Under special circumstances, requests may be accepted from taxing entities such as school districts.
Deadline: June 15 and January 1
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start Up Waco | Waco, TX | $2,006,984 | 2026 | — |
| Waco Family Medicine Fndn | Waco, TX | $975,650 | 2026 | — |
| Texas Rural Funders | Austin, TX | $750,000 | 2026 | — |
| Cameron ParkZoo&Botanical | Waco, TX | $543,500 | 2026 | — |
| Transformation Waco | Waco, TX | $417,018 | 2026 | — |
| Mission Waco MissionWorld | Waco, TX | $260,050 | 2026 | Large Capital Expense |
| Baylor Scott&WhiteCTX Fdn | Temple, TX | $250,250 | 2026 | — |
| Grassroots Community Dev | Waco, TX | $148,930 | 2026 | Immediate Impact / Program Support |
| Talitha Koum Institute | Waco, TX | $140,200 | 2026 | — |
| Caritas of Waco | Waco, TX | $133,433 | 2026 | — |
| Waco Civic Theatre Inc | Waco, TX | $106,000 | 2026 | — |
| Planned Parenthood Gr TX | Dallas, TX | $95,132 | 2026 | Program / Operating Support |
| Baylor University | Waco, TX | $88,325 | 2026 | — |
| Midway Little League | Waco, TX | $85,000 | 2026 | — |
| Historic Waco | Waco, TX | $82,001 | 2026 | — |
| Texas Tribune Inc | Austin, TX | $69,396 | 2026 | — |
| Vanguard College Preparatory | Waco, TX | $67,993 | 2026 | — |
| Nature Conservancy | Arlington, VA | $61,000 | 2026 | — |
| World Hunger Relief Inc | Waco, TX | $59,600 | 2026 | — |
| Waco Creative Art Center | Waco, TX | $55,400 | 2026 | — |
| Scott & White Healthcare Fdn | Temple, TX | $50,000 | 2026 | Program / Operating Support |
| Waco Habitat for Humanity | Waco, TX | $47,457 | 2026 | — |
| KWBU - Brazos Valley PB Fdn | Waco, TX | $43,960 | 2026 | — |
| Waco Family Medicine | Waco, TX | $43,700 | 2026 | — |
| The Salvation Army Waco Corps | Waco, TX | $41,750 | 2026 | — |
| Jobs for the Future | Austin, TX | $38,847 | 2026 | — |
| Jewish Federation of Waco | Waco, TX | $38,776 | 2026 | — |
| Neighborworks Waco | Waco, TX | $38,350 | 2026 | — |
| Family Abuse Center | Waco, TX | $35,350 | 2026 | — |
| YMCA of the Rockies | Estes Park, CO | $35,000 | 2026 | — |
| Meals on Wheels Waco | Waco, TX | $33,955 | 2026 | — |
| St Albans Episcopal Church | Waco, TX | $33,700 | 2026 | — |
| 1st Presbt Church of Waco | Waco, TX | $33,506 | 2026 | — |
| Cntrl Presbyterian Church | Waco, TX | $30,519 | 2026 | — |
| Hope Pregnancy Centers | Fort Lauderdale, FL | $30,000 | 2026 | — |
| St Pauls Episcopal Church | Waco, TX | $29,936 | 2026 | — |
| Lake Shore Baptist Church | Waco, TX | $28,211 | 2026 | — |
| Creative Waco | Waco, TX | $25,750 | 2026 | Program / Operating Support |
| High Spirit East Comm | Wellesley, MA | $25,000 | 2026 | — |
| Dr Pepper Museum | Waco, TX | $25,000 | 2026 | Small Capital Expense |
| McLennan CommunityCollege | Waco, TX | $24,027 | 2026 | — |
| Humane Society CTX | Waco, TX | $22,117 | 2026 | — |
| Congregation AgudathJacob | Waco, TX | $21,441 | 2026 | — |
| First Presbyterian Church | Clifton, TX | $20,000 | 2026 | — |
| Brown Univ Sports Fndn | Providence, RI | $20,000 | 2026 | — |
| Univ of Denver Womens Tennis | Denver, CO | $20,000 | 2026 | — |
| Angelo State Univ | San Angelo, TX | $20,000 | 2026 | — |
| McMurray Univ | Abilene, TX | $20,000 | 2026 | — |
| Fellowship Christian Athletes | Waco, TX | $20,000 | 2026 | — |
| MCC Foundation | Waco, TX | $19,296 | 2026 | — |
Cameron ParkZoo&Botanical
$543,500Transformation Waco
$417,018Waco Civic Theatre Inc
$106,000Midway Little League
$85,000Historic Waco
$82,001Vanguard College Preparatory
$67,993World Hunger Relief Inc
$59,600Waco Creative Art Center
$55,400Waco Habitat for Humanity
$47,457The Salvation Army Waco Corps
$41,750Jewish Federation of Waco
$38,776Neighborworks Waco
$38,350Family Abuse Center
$35,350YMCA of the Rockies
$35,000Meals on Wheels Waco
$33,955St Albans Episcopal Church
$33,7001st Presbt Church of Waco
$33,506Cntrl Presbyterian Church
$30,519St Pauls Episcopal Church
$29,936Lake Shore Baptist Church
$28,211Creative Waco
$25,750Program / Operating Support
High Spirit East Comm
$25,000McLennan CommunityCollege
$24,027Humane Society CTX
$22,117Congregation AgudathJacob
$21,441First Presbyterian Church
$20,000Angelo State Univ
$20,000MCC Foundation
$19,296