Simmons First Foundation (Simmons Bank)
Mini Grants, Make a Difference Grants and Environmental Grants for K-12 youth (Texas)
A bank foundation that funds K-12 youth programs in counties with a Simmons Bank, now including Texas. Mini Grants for education or health care are open until October 31.
- Amount
- Mini Grants $1,000 to $2,500; Make a Difference and Environmental Grants $2,500 to $50,000
- Can a for-profit school apply?
- No: for-profit schools excluded
- Deadline
- Oct 31, 2026 (17 days left)
- Who this fits
- Private school · Homeschool co‑op · Microschool501(c)(3)s, including religious organizations, in a Texas county with a Simmons Bank location. Fits a nonprofit private school, Christian school or co-op with 501(c)(3) status. Not for a for-profit school.Religious schools: yes
- New schools
- Not stated for new schools
- Where
- Texas only
- Last checked
- Oct 14, 2026on simmonsfirstfoundation.com
Unconfirmed: check with the funder
We couldn’t confirm these on an official page. Treat them as open questions, not facts.
- Which Texas counties have a Simmons Bank location (not listed on the foundation page)
- Whether a brand-new school can apply
- The exact year of the next letter-of-intent window (the page labels it the 2027 cycle)
How to apply
- Step 1: Check that Simmons Bank has a location in your Texas county (simmonsbank.com/locations)
- Step 2: Have your 501(c)(3) letter ready
- Step 3: For a Mini Grant, email grants@simmonsfirstfoundation.com for the form before October 31
- Step 4: For a Make a Difference or Environmental Grant (disability or prevention programs only), send a two-page letter of intent in the next April 6 to June 30 window (confirm the year)
Funders change their requirements. Check the official page before you apply. Getting ready? See what funders usually ask for.
Who can apply
“We strive to empower 501c3, religious or governmental organizations across a six-state footprint (Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas)”
Same program already listed for Arkansas; Texas is in the six-state footprint. The entity must be in a county with a Simmons Bank facility; you don't have to bank there. It won't pay for salaries, rent, utilities, buildings, sponsorships or one-time giveaways, and you must show you can keep the program going two years after the grant. The bigger 2027 grants are narrow: Make a Difference funds only special education (youth with disabilities) or substance-abuse and violence prevention, and Environmental grants only serve K-12 youth with disabilities. The open opportunity right now is the Mini Grant.
- 501(c)(3) status (religious organizations included)
- In a Texas county with a Simmons Bank location
- Program serves K-12 youth; Mini Grants must be about education or health care
- Must keep the program running two years after the grant
- No salaries, rent, utilities, buildings or sponsorships
- Mini Grants: not open to groups that got a Mini Grant in 2025
Timing
Mini Grants (2026 cycle) are open April 6 to October 31; email for the form, no letter of intent. Bigger grants (2027 cycle): two-page letter of intent April 6 to June 30, then full applications by invitation July 1 to 31.