First responders, museums and other nonprofits can apply for the special grants in July 2025 and Jan. 2026
AUSTIN The Lower Colo - rado River Authority is increas - ing the amount of money avail - able for community grants over the next fiscal year and plans to award two $100,000 grants to commemorate the grant pro - gram's 30th anniversary.
The new $100,000 grants will be in addition to the grants of up to $50,000 LCRA awards twice a year for projects such as improving community centers, fire stations and sports fields, and providing new gear to first responders. The two $100,000 grants will be offered only during LCRA's 2026 fiscal year, which runs from July 2025 to June 2026.
LCRA established its commu - nity grants program in October 1995 and awarded its first grants in March 1996. Since then, the grant program has awarded 2,137 grants totaling more than $54 million.
"We are so proud to support projects in communities through -
out our service territory with our grant program," LCRA Gener - al Manager Phil Wilson said. "These two $100,000 grants are to celebrate the thousands of grants we've awarded over the years and help with two substan - tial community projects." One $100,000 grant will be awarded after the July applica - tion period, and 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, volun - teer fire departments across the area have new trucks, museums have roofs that don't leak and community centers have com - mercial-grade kitchens that can enable them to host events and serve as emergency shelters. The grants assist with lights for ball fields, safety equipment for first responders and so much more, and we look forward to the next 30 years of supporting commu - nities." LCRA awards community grants twice a year to tax-exempt nonprofits such as volunteer fire departments, emergency re - sponders, museums, civic groups and libraries, as well as local governments, schools and hospi - tals. 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 begin - ning July 1 and must be sub - mitted by midnight July 31. The second grant application period of the fiscal year will open in January.
Applicants requesting more than $5,000 in grant funding must supply matching funds of at least 20 percent of the total project cost. The projects must benefit or be available to an en - tire community and improve the value of a capital asset through building, renovating or purchas - ing equipment.
Projects located in all or part of the following counties are el -
igible for the community grants: Aransas, Austin, Bandera, Bas - trop, Blanco, Brown, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Callahan, Cameron, Coke, Coleman, Col - orado, Comal, Concho, Cory -
ell, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, DeWitt, Dimmit, Eastland, Ec - tor, Edwards, Fayette, Gillespie, Goliad, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Harris, Hays, Hidal - go, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kim - ble, Kinney, Lampasas, Lavaca, Lee, Llano, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick, McCulloch, Medina, Menard, Midland, Mills, Nolan, Nueces, Pecos, Real, San Patri - cio, San Saba, Schleicher, Starr, Sterling, Sutton, Taylor, Terrell, Tom Green, Travis, Upton, Uval - de, Val Verde, Waller, Washing - ton, Wharton, Williamson and Zavala.
Visit www.lcra.org/grants for information on eligibility re - quirements and to submit an ap - plication. For more information, email [email protected] or call 800-776-5272, ext. 3140 or ext. 1627.
