Forever Austin Fund

Funding areas

Every year, ACF will make Forever Austin Fund grants to address both 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 2025, 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.
• Addressing Systemic Barriers: Systemic inequities have led to ongoing wealth disparities, disproportionately affecting women and people of color. Closing these wealth gaps is vital to improving individual lives and boosting our regional economy. ACF will support initiatives that increase savings or reduce debt for communities that have experienced historic wealth inequality to build generational wealth.

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 & Wellness: Improving health outcomes by connecting people to quality health resources, culturally competent health education and reducing health disparities. Health is broadly defined to include mental and physical health and wellness.
• Arts & Culture: Catalyzing work that champions the diversity of our community, expands access to arts and cultural experiences for residents, and/or increases opportunities for artistic expression.

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.

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

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.

Number of applications: Each applicant may submit only one application to only one category.

Partnership applications: We encourage collaboration. 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’s 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:

• Endowment funds
• Fundraising activities or events
• Individuals
• Political lobbying or legislative activities
• Religious organizations for religious purposes
• Scholarships
• Umbrella funding organizations that intend to distribute funds at their own discretion