Grant Seekers
Guidelines
Eligibility
To be eligible for a grant from The Brown Foundation, Inc., your organization must be a tax-exempt charitable organization, as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. We do not support 509(a)(3) organizations, Type III, or Private Operating Foundations.
Geographic Focus
The Foundation primarily makes grants in the Greater Houston area.
Grantmaking Areas
The Foundation considers submissions from a broad range of organizations seeking program, general operating, and capital support. New grant seekers have the ability to self-select a program area in our application system. Please select the one you feel best represents your organization’s mission and work.
Process
1 Pre-Application
The first step in our process is a brief pre-application form. The pre-application helps our team evaluate your organization’s eligibility as well as fit with our mission, geographic focus, and priorities. All new applicants must complete the pre-application.
2 Deadlines
We accept and review pre-applications in four annual cycles, listed below If you submit your pre-application outside of these cycles, your application will be reviewed during the next open cycle window. Expect to receive an update on the status of your request two to four weeks after the close of that application cycle.
3 Pre-Approval
After review, our staff will notify you of the status of your pre-application. Please note that if your pre-application has been declined, we cannot offer individual feedback due to the volume of applications received. Organizations whose pre-applications have been declined may only apply once during the Foundation’s fiscal year: July 1 – June 30.
4 Proposal Submission
If you have been invited to submit a full proposal, you will receive instructions about how to access our online Grantee Community. Invited applicants will be notified of the final deadline for the full proposal and will have approximately one month to submit a proposal.
5 Proposal Review
Once we receive your full proposal, we begin our review process. During review, our team may request follow-up conversations, site visits, or supplemental data to learn more about your organization, its mission, and its impact.
6 Final Decision
If you have been awarded a grant, you will receive a grant agreement via DocuSign for review and signature. Once the signed agreement is received, we will process payment of the grant, typically within 30 days.
Timeline
We accept and review pre-applications in four annual cycles, listed below.
- Cycle 1
- May 1, 2025 – May 31, 2025
- Cycle 2
- July 1, 2025 – July 31, 2025
- Cycle 3
- Oct 1, 2025 – Oct 31, 2025
- Cycle 4
- Jan 1, 2026 – Jan 31, 2026
If you submit your pre-application outside of these cycles, your application will be reviewed but remain pending until the next cycle is opened.
FAQs
While best to reach out to your organization’s grants officer with any questions, below are our most frequently asked questions.
Types of Grant Request
Do you support organizations outside of Houston? Outside of Texas?
The Brown Foundation Inc., focuses primarily on the greater Houston area. Unsolicited requests from beyond greater Houston are rarely approved. For more information, please refer to the ‘Guidelines’ section of our website.
What kinds of grant requests are considered?
The Brown Foundation Inc., will consider most types of funding requests (general operating support; program support; and capital projects and campaigns). We do not accept requests for endowments, endowment campaigns, or debt retirement. We do not accept requests for any type of event sponsorships, galas, or similar. For more information about the types of requests we will or will not consider, please refer to the Who We Support section of our website.
What is an appropriate request amount?
Many factors influence the size of grant awards, including the scale of the organization and its budget; the age and maturity of the organization; prior relationship with the organization; program area; and more. To identify an appropriate request level, we recommend that you review our past grants for information. Foundation staff will share feedback on the rare occasion that a request amount needs to be revised.
Application Process
Do you accept meetings with prospective grantees?
Occasionally. For new organizations, we recommend that you begin by submitting your pre-application. After reviewing your pre-application, we will determine if we would like to arrange a meeting to learn more.
Can I download and/or print the pre-application and application?
Yes. You may choose to download a Word document to draft your responses, and then copy into the online form when ready to submit. After you submit, the system will send you a PDF version of your responses which you may save or print as desired.
How long after I submit the pre-application will I get a decision?
If you apply during the specified cycle times, you should receive an update approximately 30 days after the close date for the pre-application window. For example, if you apply by July 31, you should expect an update by the end of August. This update will indicate whether your pre-application has been approved, declined, or is still under consideration.
Can I upload a video, brochure, or weblink as part of my application?
In the pre-application, you have the option to upload one link. However, this is optional, and organizations that choose not to will still receive the same consideration.
Technology & Systems
Do I have to create a login?
A login is NOT required to complete a pre-application. If you are invited to submit a full application, you will need to create a login and password.
Can I edit my pre-application after it has been submitted?
No; once a pre-application has been submitted, it cannot be edited.
Which browsers work best for the pre-application and application?
We recommend using Chrome, Safari, Microsoft Edge, or Firefox. Internet Explorer is not recommended.
Declined Requests
If my organization has been declined, may I reapply?
Yes, although you can only apply once during the Foundation’s fiscal year: July 1 – June 30.
Will we receive feedback if our proposal is declined?
Most proposals are declined simply due to lack of alignment with our priorities or core geography. Due to the volume of applications received, we cannot offer individual feedback. If we have specific feedback to offer that might help your organization in the future, we commit to sharing that with you proactively.
Ready to Begin?
Submit A Pre-Application
If you read through our guidelines and your organization meets our requirements, you may apply for a grant from The Brown Foundation Inc.
