Houston Arts Alliance (HAA) is a local arts and culture non-profit agency whose principal work is to implement the City of Houston’s vision, values, and goals for its arts grantmaking and civic art investments. HAA’s work is conducted through contracts with the City of Houston and it also executes privately funded programs and projects to meet the needs of the arts community, including disaster preparation, public art, grants, and research.
Houston Arts Alliance’s recent grantmaking is dominated by large general-support awards to Houston’s major cultural institutions, including a $1,000,000 grant to Museum of Fine Arts Houston in 2023 and a $978,759 grant in 2024. That pattern sits alongside repeated support for organizations such as Houston Grand Opera Association Inc, Houston Ballet Foundation, and Houston Symphony Society across multiple years, showing sustained backing for the city’s core arts infrastructure. The foundation also supports museums, theaters, zoos, and other civic arts and culture organizations through grants that are largely unrestricted at the organizational level. Beyond institutional support, Houston Arts Alliance administers city-funded programs for artists, creative projects, festivals, public art, and disaster recovery. Its work includes support for artists and creative individuals, public-art commissions and opportunities, and relief funding for arts organizations and artists affected by disasters in Houston and the Greater Houston area. The mix of operating support and program administration makes the foundation a central intermediary for arts funding in Houston.
General support is a major theme in the recent grants list. Houston Arts Alliance awarded $755,710 to Museum of Fine Arts Houston in 2025 for general support and $727,641 to The Hobby Center Foundation in 2025 for the same purpose, pointing to flexible funding for established cultural organizations. The foundation also funds performing arts and presentations. It gave $703,582 to Houston Symphony Society in 2025 for general support and $717,690 to Alley Theatre in 2025 for general support, alongside similar support for Houston Ballet Foundation and Houston Grand Opera Association Inc across prior years. In public-facing arts work, Houston Arts Alliance administers grant programs for creative projects, festivals, and civic art. Its active programs include Let Creativity Happen, Festival Support, and City of Houston Civic Art Program, each tied to Houston-based artists, events, or public art opportunities. Disaster resilience is another clear area. HAA runs disaster relief services and relief funds for artists and arts organizations impacted by disasters in Houston, Harris County, and the Greater Houston area.
Typical grant size clusters around a median of $42,148, with a lower quartile of $19,046 and an upper quartile of $71,268. The recent grant list shows many awards well above that range, indicating that a smaller set of large institutional grants sits alongside broader program funding. Multiple recipients appear in more than one year, including Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Houston Grand Opera Association Inc, Houston Ballet Foundation, Houston Symphony Society, Alley Theatre, Menil Foundation Inc, and Houston Zoo Inc, which points to recurring support rather than one-time awards. Houston Arts Alliance is a local funder, and the data shows a 100% grant share to recipients in Texas.
$12.4M
$39.7M
$25.5M
$22M
Most grants fall between $19K and $71K, with a median of $42K.
25th Percentile
$19K
Median
$42K
75th Percentile
$71K
About 100% of grants go to recipients in TX.
John Abodeely
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Houston Arts Alliance gives locally, and every grant in the recipient-country distribution went to U.S. organizations. The recent grants list is concentrated in Houston, TX, with repeated awards to institutions such as Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Houston Symphony Society, and Alley Theatre. Some active programs narrow even further to the City of Houston, while disaster-relief programs extend to Harris County and the Greater Houston 9-county area. The foundation’s giving pattern is entirely Texas-based in the data provided.
The recent grants list centers on Houston cultural institutions: museums, performing arts groups, a zoo, and theater organizations. Examples include general support to Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Houston Symphony Society, Houston Ballet Foundation, Houston Grand Opera Association Inc, Alley Theatre, Menil Foundation Inc, and Houston Zoo Inc.
Yes. Its active programs include Support for Artists and Creative Individuals, Let Creativity Happen, and public art opportunities, which are aimed at Houston artists, creative practitioners, residents, and visitors. The disaster-relief programs also provide assistance to individual artists affected by disasters.
The typical grant size is $19,046 at the 25th percentile, $42,148 at the median, and $71,268 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes much larger institutional awards, such as seven-figure and high six-figure general-support grants.
It is local. The geographic scope of giving is listed as local, and 100% of grants in the provided recipient distribution went to Texas recipients. The recent grant list also shows all named recipients in Houston, TX.
The active program list includes disaster relief, artist support, civic art commissions and acquisitions, festival support, public art opportunities, and city-funded grants for arts organizations and community arts. These programs show a mix of emergency aid, public art, and support for creative projects and events.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Museum of Fine Arts Houston | Houston, TX | $755,710 | 2025 | General support |
| Houston Ballet Foundation | Houston, TX | $734,979 | 2025 | General support |
| Houston Zoo Inc | Houston, TX | $730,327 | 2025 | General support |
| The Hobby Center Foundation | Houston, TX | $727,641 | 2025 | General support |
| Alley Theatre | Houston, TX | $717,690 | 2025 | General support |
| Houston Grand Opera Association Inc | Houston, TX | $704,263 | 2025 | General support |
| Houston Symphony Society | Houston, TX | $703,582 | 2025 | General support |
| Menil Foundation Inc | Houston, TX | $698,249 | 2025 | General support |
| The Houston Museum Of Natural Science | Houston, TX | $690,870 | 2025 | General support |
| Theatre Under The Stars Inc | Houston, TX | $608,772 | 2025 | General support |
| Childrens Museum Inc | Houston, TX | $423,416 | 2025 | General support |
| Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment | Houston, TX | $135,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Art League of Houston | Houston, TX | $128,750 | 2025 | General support |
| Asia Society Texas Center | Houston, TX | $125,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Young Audiences Inc of Houston | Houston, TX | $108,750 | 2025 | General support |
| Orange Show Center for Visionary Art | Houston, TX | $102,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Open Dance Project | Houston, TX | $101,420 | 2025 | General support |
| The Catastrophic Theatre Inc | Houston, TX | $96,250 | 2025 | General support |
| C G Jung Educational Center of Houston Texas | Houston, TX | $96,250 | 2025 | General support |
| Performing Arts Houston | Houston, TX | $88,750 | 2025 | General support |
| Apollo Chamber Players | Houston, TX | $85,645 | 2025 | General support |
| Inprint Inc | Houston, TX | $85,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Center African American Military History (Dba Buffalo Soldiers National Mus | Houston, TX | $82,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Oca-Greater Houston | Houston, TX | $82,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Project Row Houses | Houston, TX | $82,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Multicultural Education and Counseling Through The Arts | Houston, TX | $82,500 | 2025 | General support |
| John P McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science | Houston, TX | $76,250 | 2025 | General support |
| Contemporary Arts Museum Houston | Houston, TX | $71,250 | 2025 | General support |
| 4Th Wall Theatre Company | Houston, TX | $71,250 | 2025 | General support |
| Houston Freedmens Town Conservancy Inc | Houston, TX | $70,593 | 2025 | General support |
| Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre | Houston, TX | $70,128 | 2025 | General support |
| Spacetakers Dba Fresh Arts | Houston, TX | $68,125 | 2025 | General support |
| Art Colony Association Inc | Houston, TX | $65,000 | 2025 | General support |
| Indo-American Association | Houston, TX | $64,944 | 2025 | General support |
| Main Street Theater | Houston, TX | $63,750 | 2025 | General support |
| American Festival for the Arts | Houston, TX | $62,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Stages | Houston, TX | $62,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Da Camera Society of Texas | Houston, TX | $62,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Diverse Works Inc | Houston, TX | $62,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Houston Center for Contemporary Craft | Houston, TX | $62,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Mercury Chamber Orchestra | Houston, TX | $62,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Houston Youth Symphony | Houston, TX | $62,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Hits Theatre | Houston, TX | $62,500 | 2025 | General support |
| River Oaks Chamber Orchestra | Houston, TX | $62,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Houston Revision | Houston, TX | $62,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Houston Youth Symphony | Houston, TX | $62,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Writers in the Schools | Houston, TX | $62,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Holocaust Museum Houston | Houston, TX | $62,500 | 2025 | General support |
| Italian Cultural & Community Center of Houston | Houston, TX | $59,523 | 2025 | General support |
| Ars Lyrica Houston | Houston, TX | $58,646 | 2025 | General support |
Museum of Fine Arts Houston
$755,710General support
Houston Ballet Foundation
$734,979General support
Houston Zoo Inc
$730,327General support
The Hobby Center Foundation
$727,641General support
Alley Theatre
$717,690General support
Houston Grand Opera Association Inc
$704,263General support
Current and upcoming funding from Houston Arts Alliance that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Available to individual artists and creatives, organizations, and fiscally sponsored projects for arts festivals or arts components of cultural festivals.
Deadline: SACI/FG/SO 2027 application period: June 15, 2026 9:00 AM – July 24, 2026 11:59 PM CST.
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Houston Symphony Society
General support
Menil Foundation Inc
$698,249General support
The Houston Museum Of Natural Science
$690,870General support
Theatre Under The Stars Inc
$608,772General support
Childrens Museum Inc
$423,416General support
Fifth Ward Community Redevelopment
$135,000General support
Art League of Houston
$128,750General support
Asia Society Texas Center
$125,000General support
Young Audiences Inc of Houston
$108,750General support
Orange Show Center for Visionary Art
$102,500General support
Open Dance Project
$101,420General support
The Catastrophic Theatre Inc
$96,250General support
C G Jung Educational Center of Houston Texas
$96,250General support
Performing Arts Houston
$88,750General support
Apollo Chamber Players
$85,645General support
Inprint Inc
$85,000General support
Center African American Military History (Dba Buffalo Soldiers National Mus
$82,500General support
Oca-Greater Houston
$82,500General support
Project Row Houses
$82,500General support
Multicultural Education and Counseling Through The Arts
$82,500General support
John P McGovern Museum of Health & Medical Science
$76,250General support
Contemporary Arts Museum Houston
$71,250General support
4Th Wall Theatre Company
$71,250General support
Houston Freedmens Town Conservancy Inc
$70,593General support
Bay Area Houston Ballet & Theatre
$70,128General support
Spacetakers Dba Fresh Arts
$68,125General support
Art Colony Association Inc
$65,000General support
Indo-American Association
$64,944General support
Main Street Theater
$63,750General support
American Festival for the Arts
$62,500General support
Stages
$62,500General support
Da Camera Society of Texas
$62,500General support
Diverse Works Inc
$62,500General support
Houston Center for Contemporary Craft
$62,500General support
Mercury Chamber Orchestra
$62,500General support
Houston Youth Symphony
$62,500General support
Hits Theatre
$62,500General support
River Oaks Chamber Orchestra
$62,500General support
Houston Revision
$62,500General support
Houston Youth Symphony
$62,500General support
Writers in the Schools
$62,500General support
Holocaust Museum Houston
$62,500General support
Italian Cultural & Community Center of Houston
$59,523General support
Ars Lyrica Houston
$58,646General support
