Better Together Fund Grants

Better Together Fund Grants is sponsored by Dallas Foundation A Tx Nonprofit Corporation. Aims to foster social change by supporting collaborations among nonprofits, focusing on formal partnerships that enhance efficiency and impact. Encourages diverse partnerships, including mergers and shared services, to tackle community challenges.

How To Apply — Better Together Fund Grant types are designed to meet organizations wherever they are. Each funding request will be considered independently. Application Process - NEW FORMS COMING SOON 1.

Submit preliminary consultation request form Timing: Submit at any time; expect a response within 10 business days Who’s involved? A representative of a prospective grantee submits the form to the best of their knowledge 2. Preliminary Consultation Format: 20-30 minute phone call Timing: Scheduled if consultation request form meets BTF funding criteria Who’s involved?

A BTF steering committee member and a representative from a minimum of two collaborating organizations Format: Online LOI form administered by the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Timing: Submit at any time following approval from the BTF Steering Committee Member who conducted your preliminary consultation. Expect a response ~5-7 business days. Who’s involved?

LOI form will ask the prospective grantee representative to certify that the Executive Directors AND Board Chairs (or comparable leadership positions) of the entities of at least two of the proposed collaborating organizations have read and approved the answers being submitted on the LOI form. LOI is reviewed by all BTF steering committee members.

Format: Online application administered by the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas Timing: Submit at any time following approval from the BTF steering committee member who conducted your preliminary consultation. Applications are reviewed quarterly following deadlines noted below. 2026 Application Deadlines: Who’s involved?

Prospective grantees work jointly to respond to the application. Application is reviewed by all BTF steering committee members. 5.

Receive funding notification & execute grant agreement Format: Notification by email or phone call. Agreement administered by The Dallas Foundation via DocuSign. Timing: Expect a response up to ~6 weeks following the application deadline.

Grant agreement may be executed immediately following funding approval. Who’s involved? BTF steering committee member will contact the prospective grantee.

The Dallas Foundation will contact the grantee representative regarding the grant agreement. Applicants must be in pursuit of exploring, actively planning or implementing one of the four integrated organization types . Better Together Fund manages a competitive application process, and not all requests for funding will be awarded .

For your proposed collaboration to be eligible for any of the grant types, at least one of the partnering organizations must: 1. Be a nonprofit based in and/or serving the North Texas community. Preference will be given to collaborations that serve constituents in Dallas County.

2. Meet financial criteria including: a complete annual independent audit, an annual tax return (990/990EZ), an active board of directors and an IRS determination letter verifying non-profit status. New Initiatives and Nonprofits must present equivalent financial documentation such as audited financial statements or a board-approved budget.

1. Meets BTF’s definition of integrated organization and has the potential to meaningfully preserve, expand or improve efficiency or services to constituents 2. Alignment of purpose among the partners 3.

Demonstrated commitment to the success of the collaboration among the partners at ED/Board Chair level (or equivalent leadership) 4. The degree to which Better Together Fund funds can play a catalytic role in the process 5.

Thoughtful pre-planning among partners as demonstrated in well-conceived application responses, with clearly articulated costs, goals, timeline and benchmarks as appropriate All applications must be submitted jointly by participating entities of proposed collaboration. For administrative purposes, one contact person must be designated to steward the grant application process.

The size of funding allocations for each grant type will be determined on a case-by-case basis depending on the complexity of the proposed collaboration. Better Together Fund anticipates some collaborations will face unexpected and unintended expenses that are outside the framework of the support types described and withholds the right to deploy additional capital at the Better Together Fund's discretion.

Through an open RFQ process, Better Together Fund retains and seeks to grow an active list of technical assistance providers and consultants with demonstrated experience, but will not require you to use any given firm. Learn more about the Better Together Fund Technical Assistance Provider List here .

Better Together Fund does not consider any transaction involving only one organization (e.g., internal reorganization/repositioning), or any short-term activity (e.g., organizing a conference in partnership, co-branding a one-time advocacy campaign).

Better Together Fund does not support: landscape analyses, programmatic collaborations, coalitions, collective impact movements, co-location, shared staffing, back office consolidation or fiscal sponsorship. 2026 Application Deadlines “ If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.