Check for Us: Micro Cash Grants

Check for Us: Micro Cash Grants is sponsored by Think of Us. Provides one-time $500 cash grants to young adults aged 18–26 with current or former foster care experience in Texas.

Check for Us: Micro Cash Grant CHECK FOR US: Micro Cash Grants APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN! Apply for the Opportunity to Receive a $500 Micro Cash Grant Think of Us invites young adults ages 18–26 who currently live in Texas and have current or former foster care experience to apply for a chance to receive a one-time $500 cash grant.

The grant can be used in whatever way best supports your needs, including housing, education, transportation, bills, or other personal expenses. Applications are open through November 23, 2026 . To get started, complete the application.

Completing the application does not guarantee a grant. LINK TO APPLY : https://tx. thinkofusconnectme.

org/micro-cash-grant/tay-tx2026? ref=WEBSTE. Questions?

Email: microcashgrant@thinkofus. org. What Are Micro Cash Grants?

Micro Cash Grants are small, flexible, no-strings-attached cash awards for transition-age youth and kinship caregivers through CheckForUs. To apply, you’ll complete a survey about your needs, experiences, and interactions with systems. Your responses help Think of Us better understand what support people need.

We value the time and trust it takes to share them. There are 20 grants available in this round. Completing the survey does not guarantee a $500 grant.

If other paid opportunities to share your expertise become available, we’ll explain what they involve and how compensation works before you decide whether to participate. Current Focus: Transitional Age Youth (TAY) & Kinship Givers Think of Us deploys Micro Cash Grants nationally through CheckForUs to transition-age youth and kinship caregivers across participating communities.

Participants complete a survey about their current needs and circumstances — a process designed to capture the nuances of their experiences navigating local systems. In return, they receive flexible, no-strings-attached funding and, where desired, tailored resource recommendations based on what they have shared.

In one example, our deployment in Texas Region 7 (Greater Austin and surrounding communities) has already disbursed $12,000+ in direct cash assistance to young people. Every application generates data that helps Think of Us understand where systems are falling short — and what to build next.

Surface Real-Time Signals Capture data directly from the people navigating systems — revealing where services fail, what is missing, and what is needed most. Use what participants share to connect them to relevant services, supports, and follow-up — beyond the grant itself. Aggregate insights from grant applications to identify systemic gaps, barriers, and patterns that drive policy and practice improvements.

No-strings-attached funding — selected recipients decide how to use the money based on their own priorities A data and engagement tool — surfacing real-time signals about where systems fail and what people actually need A gateway to connection — participants who want additional support are connected to resources Trauma-informed and youth-centered — designed with dignity, transparency, and respect at every step Charity or emergency aid — they are a reciprocal exchange that values participants' time and knowledge The primary intervention — they are one component within a broader systems change strategy Conditional funding — there are no requirements for how the money is spent A one-way data extraction — insights are used to improve services for the very communities who provided them Our Commitment to Participants Full transparency about how shared data is used and protected Trauma-informed communication at every touchpoint — from application to follow-up Tailored resource recommendations for participants who want additional support Respect for participant autonomy — no conditions, no judgment, no strings Aggregated insights shared back with the field to improve systems for everyone Kinship Caregivers Micro Cash Grant - July 2026 Transitional Age Youth (TAY) Micro Cash Grant - December 2025 COVID-19 Impact on Current and Former Foster Youth - January 2021