Nonprofits can snag one of two $100K grants from LCRA
Lower Colorado River Authority representatives present a $25,000 grant to the Kingsland/Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce for renovations to the hall at Kingsland Community Park. Pictured (from left) are chamber Director Andy Virdell (left), Treasurer Mason King, office manager Darlene Zubkus, Director Gregg Miller, President Melody Yanniell, Director Mary Ann Atwood, LCRA board member Margaret Voelter, Llano County Precinct 3 Commissioner Mike Sandoval, chamber Director Cynthia Green, LCRA Regional Affairs representative Susan Patten, chamber Chief Ambassador Cheri Finkelstein, and chamber Secretary Barbara Rosenberger. Photo courtesy of LCRA
The Lower Colorado River Authority is awarding two $100,000 grants this upcoming fiscal year in celebration of its community grants program’s 30th anniversary. Applications from nonprofits will be accepted July 1-31.
LCRA’s next fiscal year runs from July 2025 to June 2026.
The $100,000 grants are in addition to grants of up to $50,000 each that the LCRA awards twice a year for projects such as improving community centers, fire stations, and sports fields and providing new gear to first responders, according to an LCRA media release. Local nonprofits in Blanco, Burnet, Gillespie, Lampasas, and Llano counties are eligible.
The LCRA established its community grants program in October 1995 and awarded its first grants in March 1996. Since then, the program has given out 2,137 grants totaling more than $54 million.
“We are so proud to support projects in communities throughout our service territory with our grant program,” said LCRA General Manager Phil Wilson in the media release. “These two $100,000 grants are to celebrate the thousands of grants we’ve awarded over the years and help with two substantial community projects.”
One $100,000 grant will be handed out after the July application period; the second will be awarded next year after the January application period.
“Our goal is to support the Texans we serve,” Wilson said. “Thanks to this program, volunteer fire departments across the area have new trucks, museums have roofs that don’t leak, and community centers have commercial-grade kitchens that can enable them to host events and serve as emergency shelters. The grants assist with lights for ballfields, safety equipment for first responders, and so much more, and we look forward to the next 30 years of supporting communities.”
The river authority awards community grants twice a year to tax-exempt nonprofits, including volunteer fire departments, emergency responders, museums, civic groups, and libraries as well as local governments, schools, and hospitals. The grants are not available to individuals, for-profit entities, professional associations, social service projects, or limited-use facilities.
Applications for the next round of grants will be accepted online at www.lcra.org/grants beginning July 1 and ending at midnight July 31. The second grant application period of the fiscal year opens in January 2026.
Applicants requesting more than $5,000 must supply matching funds of at least 20 percent of the project’s total cost. Projects must benefit or be available to an entire community and improve the value of a capital asset through building, renovating, or purchasing equipment.
Visit www.lcra.org/grants for information on eligibility requirements and to submit an application. For more information, contact grants@lcra.org or 800-776-5272 ext. 3140 or ext. 1627.