Available Grants

The Tyler Library Foundation Fund supports the public libraries in Smith County and Smith County Area Libraries Together (SALT). The purpose of this grant is to add to the collection, develop new projects, or enhance existing projects that benefit the areas served by the libraries. Grant requests for facility maintenance and furniture are discouraged.

Application for this grant is by invitation only. The link to the application will be emailed on April 1, 2024. The grant deadline is April 30, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Recipients will be announced in June.

Through their generosity, Edwin A. “Blue” and Janice Owen Miller established a charitable fund at East Texas Communities Foundation to provide annual grants to support charities benefitting Henderson County. The Foundation seeks strong projects based on good ideas and compelling needs which have the potential to improve the Henderson County community and the lives of its people.

Funding requests to support new projects and programs or expand existing ones are eligible. Grant requests for general operating support are discouraged. Organizations should submit only one application.

Applicants are limited to non-profits with 501(c)(3) status or governmental entities providing services in Henderson County, Texas. Requests for support in the areas of education, health, human services, environment, and the arts are welcome. The grant committee encourages requests not to exceed $10,000. There is no minimum for a request.

Applications open May 1, 2025. This grant deadline is May 31, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Recipients will be announced in July.

This application will open on May 1, 2025.
Note: If you have not already created an account in our new grant software, you will need to in order to access the application.

Mr. and Mrs. Stewart desired to make a lasting contribution to their community. They most valued their faith and the role of education which led them to serve as positive role models to people of all ages. In addition to establishing a scholarship fund and donating historic property to the City of Tyler, this community education fund was established to provide financial support for public charities in Smith County offering educational programs and materials. Examples may include, but are not limited to: computer and other job skills training, financial literacy programs, academic tutoring for school children, adult literacy programs, healthy lifestyle classes, community education events and materials. Based on available funding and the desire to support multiple organizations, individual grant requests should be limited to a maximum of $2,000.

Applications open June 1, 2025. The grant deadline is June 30, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Recipients will be announced in August.

This application is currently closed.

Note: If you have not already created an account in our new grant software, you will need to in order to access the application.

Betty and Roy Erickson established this fund to support the field of nursing in East Texas. To have the most impact on the field, grants will be awarded to support nursing education. Requests may be for special projects, equipment, technology, supplies, etc. Grants for administrative costs are discouraged. Applicants may be public colleges or universities or private institutions with nonprofit 501(c)(3) status. Institutions must be located in one of the following East Texas counties: Anderson, Angelina, Bowie, Camp, Cass, Cherokee, Delta, Franklin, Freestone, Gregg, Harrison, Henderson, Hopkins, Houston, Lamar, Leon, Marion, Morris, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rains, Red River, Rusk, Sabine, San Augustine, Shelby, Smith, Titus, Trinity, Upshur, Van Zandt, and Wood.

Applications open on June 15, 2025. The grant deadline is July 15, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Recipients will be announced in August.

This application is currently closed.

Note: If you have not already created an account in our new grant software, you will need to in order to access the application.

The purpose of the Evans-Merrick Music Grants Fund is to support and encourage traditional and/or classical music activities in the East Texas region. Programs must be offered without a required admission fee and be publicly available. Eligible expenses may include production costs, music purchases, equipment and supplies, travel, musicians fees, venue rental, etc. All other things being equal, preference is given to offerings by small groups who have limited means of financial support. Applicants must be non-profits with 501(c)(3) status serving the East Texas region.

Grant requests up to $1,000 will be considered.

Applications open July 1, 2025. The grant deadline is July 31, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. Recipients will be announced in September.

This application is currently closed.

Note: If you have not already created an account in our new grant software, you will need to in order to access the application.

The Mrs. A. D. Francis Endowment Fund was created to support and build the capacity of public charities in the Winnsboro, Texas area. Funds may be used to develop new projects or enhance existing projects and programs.

The Mrs. A. D. Francis Endowment Fund Grant application will open on July 1, 2025. The grant deadline is July 31, 2025, at 5:00 p.m. Recipients will be announced in September.

This application is currently closed.

The Minton Family Community Fund is the legacy of a family devoted to the community of Sabine County, Texas.

This application is currently not accepting applications. 

.Lifelong residents of Rusk County, T.J. and LaVerne Plunkett loved their community and were committed to improving lives throughout the region. Organizations applying to the T.J. and LaVerne Plunkett Foundation Grant at East Texas Communities Foundation must align with the conservative, Christian values exemplified by T.J. and LaVerne Plunkett and their family. Such values include integrity, honesty, stewardship, and respect for all life. Applicants must be tax-exempt, nonprofit organizations with 501/c/3 status and programs serving the counties of: Cherokee, Gregg, Harrison, Nacogdoches, Panola, Rusk, Shelby, Smith, Upshur – with a preference on Rusk County. Requests for support in the areas of arts and culture, education and job training, health and human services, Christian ministries, children and youth programs, animal welfare, or environmental concerns are welcome. Requests should not to exceed $10,000.

Applications will open on September 1, 2024. The deadline is September 30, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. CST. Recipients will be announced in November.

Click Here to Access Application

Note: If you have not already created an account in our new grant software, you will need to in order to access the application.

Born and raised in small rural communities in East Texas, Dr. Reube Franklin Shaw and his wife Jessie Lewis Shaw knew the value of education and hard work. They were both motivated to improve themselves by any means available. After finishing high school in Troup, Texas, Dr. Shaw went to Tyler Commercial College and studied bookkeeping. Using this skill, he paid his way through Sam Houston State College, where he met his future wife Jessie, and then went to Baylor College of Medicine. He excelled there, graduating with the highest grades attained at that time.

After Dr. Shaw married Jessie Lewis in 1920, they moved to Henderson, Texas, in 1923 where Dr. Shaw began practicing medicine. There was no hospital in Rusk County at the time, and after four years of office practice and making house calls in his Model T Ford, Dr. Shaw decided the practice of modern medicine needed a hospital. He and Jessie borrowed the money from a local businessman and purchased a large house in town known as Wettermark Place. Henderson Hospital opened with eight beds soon after. Open to all physicians, the hospital ultimately transitioned to a nonprofit hospital and today is part of the UT Health East Texas System.

In 1985, Dr. and Jessie Shaw’s daughters, Reube Gene Shaw Richardson and Marilyn Shaw Bonner, established a nonprofit private foundation in their parents’ memory. The foundation’s purpose is to promote, foster, and enhance charities primarily in Rusk County, Texas, which focus on wellness, healthcare, and education. In April 2010, East Texas Communities Foundation began administering the Foundation to ensure its mission will continue for generations to come.

Application for this grant is by invitation only. The link to the application will be emailed on October 1, 2024. The grant deadline is October 31, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. Recipients will be announced in December.