Forever Austin Fund - Closing Wealth Gaps for Youth

Forever Austin Fund - Closing Wealth Gaps for Youth is sponsored by Austin Community Foundation. The Forever Austin Fund supports programs that prepare historically marginalized youth, ages 8–25, to build wealth through financial literacy, college and career readiness, and workforce development.

Forever Austin Fund Grants Economic mobility, health & humanities, nurturing our region The Forever Austin Fund is a permanent community resource that enables ACF to invest in Austin’s most pressing needs and greatest opportunities. The Forever Austin Fund supports the giving of a collection of field-of-interest funds, unrestricted funds, and donor advised funds at the Foundation.

The ACF team manages grantmaking from these funds, thoughtfully balancing the intent of each fund with the evolving needs of Central Texas. Every year, ACF will make Forever Austin Fund grants to address urgent and systemic needs in Central Texas. The issues prioritized in Forever Austin Fund grantmaking will shift over time to reflect the evolving needs of our region and the interests of our legacy donors.

In 2026, the grants will focus on the following areas: Economic Mobility: Ensuring paths to economic mobility for Central Texans is a critical strategy in ACF’s focus on closing the opportunity gap. By partnering with and funding organizations that tackle immediate and systemic economic challenges, we aim to eliminate wealth disparities and create lasting change.

Grants in this category will focus on four key areas: Housing Stability: Stable housing is the anchor of economic mobility. When individuals and families have access to safe, affordable housing—whether renting or owning—they can build assets and work toward long-term economic mobility. ACF will invest in strategies that support housing stability and/or create asset-building opportunities through homeownership.

Career Pathways & Resources: For many Central Texans, limited job opportunities, lack of affordable childcare, senior care, and unreliable transportation make finding and keeping stable employment difficult. Earning a living wage is essential for building financial security and weathering economic ups and downs. ACF will invest in programs that support access, sustainability, and mobility among living-wage careers.

Small Business & Entrepreneurship: Owning a business can offer a strong path to financial security and upward mobility. Entrepreneurship is a critical way to build personal wealth and assets that can benefit future generations. ACF will support programs and investment vehicles that give undercapitalized entrepreneurs and small business owners the support they need to achieve their goals.

(New) Closing Wealth Gaps for Youth: Generational wealth gaps and systemic inequities continue to limit opportunities for young people to achieve economic mobility. Investing in their potential helps close these gaps, improve individual lives, and strengthen our region’s economy.

ACF will support programs that prepare historically marginalized youth, ages 8–25, to build wealth through financial literacy, college and career readiness, and workforce development . Health and Humanities: The future of our region is inextricably linked to the health of our people and the growth of our creative community.

Grants in this category will focus on: Health Care Services: Improving mental and physical health outcomes by connecting people to quality, culturally competent, direct health care services that reduce health disparities. Arts & Culture: Sustaining work that champions the diversity of our community, expands access to arts and cultural experiences for residents, and/or supports the economic security of our creative community.

Nurturing Our Region: Preserving and protecting our rich ecosystem ensures generations of Central Texans can live and thrive. Grants in this category will focus on: Environmental Sustainability: Bolstering environmental efforts that support a healthier, cleaner, and more resilient region. Green Spaces: Encouraging the preservation and enjoyment of green spaces (e.g. parks, trails, preserves) in Central Texas.

Animal Welfare: Promoting the well-being of animals and/or defend against abuse or neglect. Through the Forever Austin Fund Grant Cycle, we anticipate awarding 75-100 grants between $5,000 – $50,000 each. Award amounts will be determined by a combination of application scores, donor priorities, and individual endowment budgets.

Grants may be approved for full or partial funding of the requested amount. Requested amount cannot exceed 30% of the organization’s budget.

Additional information per funding area: Economic Mobility: 20-30 grants, up to $1,250,000 Health and Humanities: 20-25 grants up to $650,000 Nurturing Our Region: 10-15 grants up to $200,000 All awards will be considered general operating support, with the intention of building organizational capacity and sustainability to execute an organization’s mission.

Grants submitted through a partnership application will be restricted to the specific project outlined in that proposal. The Letter of Intent (LOI) phase for this grant cycle is now complete. All organizations that submitted an LOI have been notified of their status.

Due to the volume of applications received, we are unable to offer individual feedback on LOI decisions. We are committed to transparency and shared learning and will host a webinar in July to share insights from this year’s grant cycle, including common strengths, areas for growth, and tips for future applicants. Details will be shared on this page when available.

Organizations invited to move forward have been asked to submit a full application (RFP) by 11:59 p. m. CT on March 6.

For Organizations Invited to Submit a Full Application Organizations approved through the LOI review process have been invited by email to submit a full application. Eligible organizations will find the application in the Grant Portal upon logging in. All instructions and required details are included in the email invitation, and additional resources can be found below.

Overview and FAQ Document RFP Questions: Download the questions that appear in the application below. Please note that these are Word documents intended only for drafting responses. All applicants must submit a formal proposal in the Grant Portal.

Partnership RFP Questions Rubric: Download the rubric that community volunteers will use to score each application below. Application release webinar: Watch the recording for an overview of the Forever Austin Fund, including strategic focus areas, eligibility criteria, LOI and application process, and tips for applicants.

Note for partnership applications: We will continue to accept collaborative grant requests this year to support organizations working together toward shared goals in our funding categories. To better capture the unique nature of these partnerships, a separate application has been created specifically for collaborative projects.

This approach will ensure that each organization’s role, responsibilities, and intended outcomes are clearly defined and reviewed within the context of the partnership. The application and funding decision timeline will be the same as all other Forever Austin Fund grants.

Eligibility considerations Eligible applicants include 501(c)(3) public charities in good standing with the IRS, religious organizations, and governmental entities that are serving the Central Texas region. Projects with an established IRS 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor are also eligible to apply.

We welcome proposals from organizations from across the spectrum including those providing direct services, advocacy, community organizing, partnerships, and other approaches as appropriate.

Location: The proposed work must serve the Central Texas region, defined to include the following counties: Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, or Williamson Budget and tenure: Organizations must have a total organizational budget equal to or greater than $50,000 and have been actively operating as a nonprofit (or fiscally sponsored project) for at least 2 full years.

Compliance: If you have a current grant through any ACF program, you must be in compliance with that grant to apply. Contact us if you have questions about this. Note: 2025 Forever Austin Fund grant partners are eligible to apply in 2026.

Number of applications: Each applicant may submit only one application to only one category. Partnership applications: For collaborations between two or more nonprofits, the partners should select one nonprofit to serve as the lead applicant. Any awarded funds are to be used for the sole purpose of the partnership work, and the lead applicant will be responsible for managing the funds on behalf of the partners.

The lead applicant organization, and any partner organizations, may also submit a separate individual application.

In general, the Forever Austin Fund does not award grants for: Fundraising activities or events Political lobbying or legislative activities Privately owned business or for-profit entity Religious organizations for religious purposes Umbrella funding organizations that intend to distribute funds at their own discretion Key dates for the 2026 grant cycle Eligibility quiz and Letter of Intent (LOI) opens January 8, from 12-1 p. m.

CT Application release webinar Office hours with ACF staff Eligibility quiz and Letter of Intent (LOI) closes February 9, by 12 p. m. CT Request for proposal opens (by invitation only) Technical writing assistance with consultant RFP closes (by invitation only) Award decisions announced Browse all grant opportunities.