Community Grants

LCRA awards grants of up to $50,000 to worthy community projects in the LCRA wholesale power, water and transmission service territories through the Community Development Partnership Program, or CDPP.

The CDPP was established in 1996 to provide funds to rural, economically challenged communities that have difficulty fundraising for their needed projects.

CDPP grants support economic diversification in local communities; contribute to the health, safety and development of a community; or improve the quality or quantity of services essential for the development of viable communities and economic growth.

CDPP grants are awarded twice a year for capital projects for volunteer fire departments, emergency responders, cities and counties, schools, libraries, civic groups, museums and other tax-exempt nonprofit organizations. The projects must benefit or be available to an entire community and must improve the value of a capital asset by building, renovating or purchasing equipment.

The CDPP provides grants to tax-exempt nonprofit organizations, such as:

• Museums.
• Civic groups.
• Historical associations.
• Emergency responders.
• Volunteer fire departments.
• Cities, counties and economic development corporations.
• Special districts such as libraries, schools, hospitals, emergency services and municipal utilities.

The proposed grant project must have a physical address located within LCRA’s service areas. Organizations in all or part of the following counties are eligible for CDPP grants: Aransas, Austin, Bandera, Bastrop, Blanco, Brown, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Callahan, Cameron, Coke, Coleman, Colorado, Comal, Concho, Coryell, Crane, Crockett, Culberson, DeWitt, Dimmit, Eastland, Ector, Edwards, Fayette, Gillespie, Goliad, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Harris, Hays, Hidalgo, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Kinney, Lampasas, Lavaca, Lee, Llano, Mason, Matagorda, Maverick, McCulloch, Medina, Menard, Midland, Mills, Nolan, Nueces, Pecos, Real, San Patricio, San Saba, Schleicher, Starr, Sterling, Sutton, Taylor, Terrell, Tom Green, Travis, Upton, Uvalde, Val Verde, Waller, Washington, Wharton, Williamson and Zavala.

Grants are not available to individuals, for-profit entities, professional associations, social service projects or limited-use facilities.

• The proposed grant project must have a physical address located within LCRA’s service areas.
• Projects must benefit or be available to an entire community.
• Projects should, at a minimum, have a 10-year useful life.
• Projects must be completed within 12 months of the date the grant is funded. Failure to complete the project on schedule or to abide by the terms of the agreement may result in LCRA requiring the recipient to return the grant.
• An applicant must not have received a CDPP grant within 24 months.
• Projects must be maintained for the public purpose for which the grant was awarded.

Under CDPP rules, 70% of the funds available in any given grant cycle must be awarded for grants of $25,000 or less. The remaining 30% may be awarded for larger grants of up to $50,000. The larger grants are intended for projects with a far-reaching impact on a broad community. Applications in this category should be for particularly impressive and noteworthy projects.

Projects should encourage economic diversification in local communities; contribute to the health, safety and development of a community; or improve the quality or quantity of services essential for the development of viable communities and economic growth.

The projects must benefit or be available to an entire community and must improve the value of a capital asset by building, renovating or purchasing equipment.

CDPP places emphasis on projects for volunteer fire departments, projects that include public safety lifesaving equipment and/or public education, demonstration components and projects that address needs caused by natural disasters.

Favorable attention also is given to projects that have a positive impact on natural resources and include:

• Water conservation components such as:
  • Xeriscaping.
  • Low-flow toilets and fixtures.
  • Rainwater catchment systems.
• Energy conservation components such as:
  • Solar panels.
  • Windows or insulation.
  • LED lighting and energy efficient bulbs.

Review recent CDPP grants.

• Religious sanctuaries.
• Projects that are not available to an entire community.
• Projects that already are complete or in fundraising mode.
• Land acquisition, debt-reduction campaigns and capital campaigns projects.
• Program operating costs, administrative and/or indirect costs, such as personnel and overhead expenses.
• Social service projects and limited use facilities such as food pantries, transitional housing and substance abuse facilities.
• Appliances, unless they are part of a renovation project and are commercial in nature or built-in and would be conveyed with the property if sold.
• Planning or consultant fees, grant writing fees, training, workshops or seminars (except for public firefighting organizations, including volunteer fire departments).

Additional items that are not eligible:

• Drones.
• Software.
• Office equipment.
• Tree trimming or removal.
• Animal kennels or enclosures.
• Computer and/or video equipment.
• Furniture (including chairs and tables).
• Two-way radios, repeaters, base units and pagers.

LCRA requires applicants to supply at least 20% of the total cost of projects greater than $5,000.

Matching funds must be available at the time of application submittal and documented in the grant application with financial or bank statements and/or letters of credit or monetary support.

Matching funds can include pledged donations and/or awarded funds reserved for the project. (Application must include documentation to substantiate the value and availability.) Funding awards in pending status at the time of grant submittal are not eligible as matching funds.

In-kind volunteer labor and/or donations of materials or equipment use may be used as matching contributions and must be identified and explained in the application and values calculated at current prevailing rates.

See more about the matching requirements.

• A detailed description of the proposed project.
• An IRS determination letter or Form 990, if a nonprofit.
• A detailed project cost summary, including itemized costs and funding sources.
• A current financial or bank statement.
• Vendor quotes or estimates.
• A list of key staff and members of the applicant organizations’ Board of Directors.
• Photos of the project, if applicable.

See tips for completing the CDPP grant application.

You will receive update emails during the review process informing you of the status of your proposal. All applicants will be notified by email of the final status of their application.

Apply

Online beginning Jan. 1 and July 1

Deadline

• Midnight on Jan. 31 and July 31
• Will not be extended

Review process

• Takes up to eight weeks after deadline
• Update emails provide proposal status

Award notice

• Delivered by email
• Funding takes six to eight weeks after award notice

Project completion

• Required within 12 months of the funding date
• Failure to complete the grant project on schedule or abide by the terms of the letter agreement may result in LCRA requiring the recipient to return the grant

Eligible to reapply

• 24 months after grant funds are received and the prior grant-funded project is completed

Twice a year, LCRA awards grants up to $50,000 for capital improvement projects that serve an entire community. Most grants are for $25,000 or less, but several grants of up to $50,000 are awarded every grant cycle. Over $1.5 million is awarded in CDPP grants every year.

Fiscal Year 2024

• Number of applications received: 261
• Total number of grants awarded: 89
• Number of grants between $25,001-$50,000 awarded: 12
• Funding awarded: $1,998,703

Fiscal Year 2023

• Number of applications received: 228
• Total number of grants awarded: 80
• Number of grants between $25,001-$50,000 awarded: 11
• Funding awarded: $1,800,982

Fiscal Year 2022

• Number of applications received: 230
• Total number of grants awarded: 68
• Number of grants between $25,001-$50,000 awarded: 9
• Funding awarded: $1,549,541