Moody Foundation — Standard/Regional Grants (Rolling Inquiries)

What the funder says

Year-round inquiries for charitable projects in Texas, with a key focus on Galveston, Austin and Dallas and attention to underserved rural areas. General operating, program and capital requests may be considered; operating support requires demonstrating post-funding sustainability. Full applications follow inquiry review. Award amounts are not specified. Official pages differ on decision timing: up to six months versus up to twelve months. This is the standard/regional process, not M-Pact or scholarships.

Eligibility

All grant funds must be expended within Texas. Organizations formed elsewhere must be registered with and authorized to do business in Texas through the Texas Secretary of State. Eligible recipient categories include registered 501(c)(3) public charities, governmental/public entities, certain Section 509(a)(3) supporting organizations and private operating foundations. Non-operating private foundations and political organizations, candidates, lobbyists or related organizations are excluded. Both large institutions and small community groups are considered. No fiscal-sponsor alternative or hard minimum budget, staffing or operating-history threshold is established in the reviewed guidance. Organization size, budget, maturity, program area and prior relationship influence request size. Operating support requires a plan for sustainability after funding.

Application requirements

Initial inquiry through the online Grants Portal; an account is required for first-time applicants and existing grantees making a new proposal after April 1, 2025. The process describes a brief eligibility quiz and project description, total budget and amount requested. Full application is sent only if the inquiry advances. Listed full-stage documents include cover letter, IRS determination letter, Form 990, current/projected operating budgets, audited financial statement if relevant, board list, support letters and project budget; list is not exhaustive. Sources conflict: the process says one inquiry with a priority identified if multiple projects are proposed, while the FAQ says one project at a time. They also differ on inquiry-to-decision timing: up to six months on the process page versus up to twelve months in the FAQ. No guaranteed timetable. Incomplete inquiries are deleted after three months; this is not an application deadline. Normally one active grant at a time and no new request until the prior final report is submitted, subject to staff-discussed exceptions. Four annual trustee meetings are not application deadlines. Funding follows an executed grant agreement and requested instructions. Usually one-year grants, with occasional multiyear awards or payments; no renewal promise. Generally annual reporting approximately twelve months after funding, subject to contract and additional reporting. First-time pre-inquiry meetings are not typical. Large construction/capital gifts are typically trustee-initiated, not a restriction on all general inquiries.