Open Call Funding Opportunity

Communities across Central Texas are navigating significant pressure: public funding cuts, political division, higher cost of living, and threats to basic services that affect daily life and ability to thrive. At the same time, residents have demonstrated remarkable ability to organize, advocate, and step in where systems have fallen short.  

St. David’s Foundation is committed to advancing health and well-being across Central Texas by investing in strategies that center community voice and grow resident leadership. Through the Foundation’s work across the region, we have learned that residents are a cornerstone of healthier communities, progress moves at the speed of trust, and systems change takes time and investment. We have also learned about the need to shift power so community members lead efforts to improve health and well-being in their communities. We believe that lasting change is driven by communities themselves, and that community-led networks with strong resident leadership is foundational to improving health and well-being.

Through the Catalyzing Community-Led Change funding opportunity, the Foundation seeks to: 

• Advance community-driven health priorities by: 
  • Strengthening locally rooted networks in communities with the greatest health needs in Central Texas 
  • Increasing the number of individuals from historically marginalized communities trained as resident leaders. 
• Support a coordinated and connected ecosystem, or “network of networks” required for sustained, community-driven impact in health and well-being. 

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible, organizations must:

• Operate in one or more of the following Central Texas counties: Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, or Williamson. 
• Demonstrate a track record of resident organizing and leadership development to achieve meaningful, community-driven improvements to health and well-being. 
• Be one of the following:
  • A tax-exempt organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code (with a valid determination letter at the time of LOI Submission)
  • A public or government entity (county, municipality, public health department, public university, public school)
  • A religious organization
  • An organization applying through an eligible fiscal sponsor that meets these criteria 
• Have an annual operating budget of at least $150,000.   

Note: Organizations with an existing St. David’s Foundation grant are eligible to apply.  

The Foundation expects to award up to $10M for this three-year funding opportunity. Each awardee will receive a one-time, 36-month grant. 

Award amounts will be determined based on:

• The scale and potential impact of the proposed work
• The organization’s annual operating budget
• The potential for long-term impact and durability
• The organization’s capacity to translate funding into positive community impact in a timely way

How to Apply

This funding opportunity includes a two-step application process: 

• Letter of Intent (LOI): A brief screening narrative describing your organization, community geography, and focus area of community work being done which will be scored using both the Potential for Impact and Of and By Community sections of the rubric. The LOI portal opens on May 27, 2026; submissions are due no later than June 11, 2026, at 5pm CT. 
• Invitation to Submit Full Application: By invitation only, extended to applicants that demonstrate strong alignment with the intent and priorities of this funding opportunity  (see Potential for Impact, Of and By Community in the scoring rubric below). Invited organizations will have until July 23, 2026, at 5pm CT to submit their full application materials. Funding decisions will be announced in October 2026.    

Step 1: Letter of Intent (LOI)

Applicants must submit a brief screening narrative describing:

• Organization
• Community geography
• Focus area of the community-led work  

LOIs will be evaluated using the Potential for Impact and Of and By Community sections of the scoring rubric. 

LOI portal opens on May 27, 2026; Submissions are due no later than June 11, 2026, at 5:00 PM CT. Organizations are encouraged to submit early to allow sufficient time to prepare a full application if invited.

Step 2: Invitation to Submit a Full Application

Organizations that demonstrate strong alignment with the intent and priorities of this funding opportunity will be invited to submit a full application. 

Invited organizations will have until July 23, 2026, at 5:00pm CT to submit application materials. Funding decisions will be announced in October 2026. 

All Letters of Intent and applications must be submitted through the Foundation’s online Grants Portal. Paper applications and emailed submissions will not be accepted.

Contact Information

For programmatic questions, please email [email protected].

For technical questions, please email [email protected].

Informational Webinar