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Amarillo Area Foundation Inc

Annual Giving
$17.2M
Grant Range
$3K - $0.3M

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $17,242,529 (2023)
  • Total Assets: $277 million
  • Grants Awarded: 232 grants (2023)
  • Grant Range: $2,500 - $300,000+ (depending on program)
  • Geographic Focus: 26 northernmost counties of Texas Panhandle
  • Application Cycles: 3-4 times annually (discretionary grants)

Contact Details

Amarillo Area Foundation 919 S Polk St Amarillo, TX 79101

Phone: 806-376-4521 Email for Grant Seekers: grants@aaf-hf.org Website: amarilloareafoundation.org

Grants Team:

  • Sarah Griffin, Director of Grants & Community Investment (oversees discretionary grants for mental health and food security, Louise Bowers Slentz program, Pattern Panhandle Wind program, and others)
  • Raul Rodarte-Suto, Grants Program Officer (joined June 2024)

Note: The Foundation highly recommends contacting their Grants Officer before beginning the application process, as they can offer guidance that may save applicants time.

Overview

Founded in 1957 by forward-thinking Texas Panhandle community members, the Amarillo Area Foundation is the only nonprofit community foundation serving over 400,000 people across the region's 26 northernmost counties. Originally established to address healthcare needs—leading to the creation of the Amarillo medical center—the Foundation has grown to hold assets of approximately $277 million and distributed over $17.2 million in grants to 232 organizations in 2023. Under the leadership of President & CEO Keralee Clay (appointed October 2025), AAF remains committed to its mission of improving quality of life throughout the Texas Panhandle through strategic grantmaking focused on education, health, and economic opportunity. Charity Navigator awarded AAF a Four-Star rating (97% score), recognizing its effective stewardship and community impact.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Foundation Discretionary Grant Program (over $20,000)

  • Awarded 3-4 times per year
  • Focus areas: mental health, food insecurity, early childhood literacy, post-secondary attainment, digital excellence, and childcare access
  • Online application through Spectrum Portal
  • Letter of Interest required first; organizations contacted to complete full application if approved to move forward
  • Decisions made by Amarillo Area Foundation and Harrington Foundation Boards of Directors

Catalyst Grant Program ($2,500 - $20,000)

  • For smaller-scale projects requiring catalytic funding
  • External committee makes funding recommendations to AAF Board for final decision
  • Application opens April 27, 2026; deadline May 15, 2026 (12:00 noon)

Cooperative Grant Programs (various amounts)

  • Administered from Corporate, Donor Advised, or Field of Interest Funds
  • Each program has independent eligibility criteria
  • Multiple cycles throughout the year including:
    • CNS Pantex Grant: $2,500 - $10,000
    • Pattern Panhandle Wind Cycle: $2,500 - $25,000
    • Women's Philanthropy Fund: $2,500 - $10,000
    • Louise Bowers Slentz Fund: Up to $300,000
    • Amber Fund: Various amounts
    • Art & Culture Fund: Various amounts

HRMC (Harrington Regional Medical Campus) Scholarship Grant Program

  • Yearly scholarships for local institutions in healthcare-related education
  • Benefits Amarillo College, Clarendon College, Frank Phillips Community College, Texas Tech University–Amarillo campus, and West Texas A&M University

Priority Areas

Education

  • Early childhood literacy programs
  • Post-secondary attainment initiatives
  • Youth services and Opportunity Youth programming
  • Digital excellence and educational technology
  • Scholarship programs for healthcare education

Health

  • Mental health services and counseling programs
  • Food insecurity and food pantry operations
  • Healthcare access, particularly in rural areas
  • Services for seniors including meals and support

Economic Opportunity

  • Workforce development initiatives
  • Digital divide solutions (e.g., Panhandle Connected broadband access)
  • Nonprofit capacity-building
  • Community development projects

What They Don't Fund

  • Religious activities serving only specific denominational groups
  • Parochial or private schools funded primarily by tuition
  • Political lobbying activities
  • Debt retirement
  • Projects already completed
  • Fundraising events or campaigns
  • Organizations that have not fulfilled reporting requirements from previous grants

Governance and Leadership

Executive Leadership

Keralee Clay, President & CEO Appointed in October 2025, Clay is only the fifth leader in the Foundation's 68-year history. She joined AAF in 2016 and was honored as a 2023 Amarillo Globe-News Headliner. Clay has been instrumental in strategic initiatives including Panhandle Connected, which works to bridge the region's digital divide.

Key Quotes from President Clay:

  • "I'm honored to serve as president and CEO of the Amarillo Area Foundation. This has been a tender transition for our organization and community, and I'm grateful for the board's careful process and for the steady hands of our team."
  • "This is a community of people trying to change the world, and we're all doing it together."
  • "It's a real opportunity for us to uplift what philanthropy looks like in the Texas Panhandle and really celebrate that in a cohesive way."
  • "We are more than a foundation—we are a network of individuals and organizations united by a shared commitment to improving lives and creating lasting impact."

Clay's early priorities include advancing the foundation's collaborations on food security, rural health access, and nonprofit capacity-building.

Senior Leadership Team

  • Lara Escobar: Vice President of Community Investment
  • David Hurtt: Vice President of Finance (joined 2015)
  • Melanie Smoot: Vice President of Development
  • Broc Carter: Senior Director of Operations & Communications

Board Structure

The Foundation operates with three separate boards:

  • Main Board of Directors: 23 members
  • Harrington Foundation Board: 9 members
  • Harrington Regional Medical Campus Board: 10 members

Board members include Lewis Britt, Helen Burton, Trevor Caviness, Sonja Clark, Nicki Crump, Michael Cruz, Lee Davila, Mary Emeny, Margaret Frederick, Cheri De Jong, Andrew Hall, Mike Hughes, Jackie Kingston, Grace Kuo, Bowden Jones, Pedro Limas, Charles Mestas, and Kristen Moudy, with Dr. Lori Henke serving as Immediate Past Chair.

Core Values

  • Integrity: Provide efficient, honest, and transparent service
  • Respect: Promote fairness and create welcoming environments
  • Collaboration: Believe in teamwork and open communication
  • Innovation: Find creative ways to meet community needs

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Step 1: Letter of Interest For Discretionary Grant applications, organizations must first submit a Letter of Interest through the Spectrum Portal. The Foundation will contact organizations to complete a full application if the project is approved to move forward.

Step 2: Pre-Application Consultation The Foundation highly recommends contacting their Grants Officer before beginning the application. Contact grants@aaf-hf.org or call 806-376-4521 for guidance.

Step 3: Full Application

  • Create an account on the Spectrum Portal (use Internet Explorer or Google Chrome for best compatibility)
  • Review sample grant applications available on the website
  • Prepare required documents:
    • Financial statements (based on annual operating budget size)
    • Project budget using sample budget forms
    • 501(c)(3) documentation or government entity verification
  • Upload compatible file types (Word, Excel, PDF, images; recommended size 10MB or less)
  • Save application work in a separate document as you go
  • Submit by 12:00 noon on the stated deadline

Note: Organizations can only submit to either the Catalyst Grant or Discretionary Grant program per cycle, not both.

Application Deadlines (2026 Cycles)

  1. Amber Fund: Opens 1/5/2026, Deadline 1/23/2026
  2. Discretionary Grant Cycle #1: Opens 1/5/2026, Deadline 1/30/2026
  3. Pattern Panhandle Wind Cycle: Opens 1/5/2026, Deadline 1/30/2026
  4. Pantex Grant Cycle: Opens 4/6/2026, Deadline 5/1/2026
  5. Catalyst Grant Cycle: Opens 4/27/2026, Deadline 5/15/2026
  6. Louise Bowers Slentz Cycle: Opens 4/27/2026, Deadline 5/29/2026
  7. Discretionary Grant Cycle #2: Opens 7/6/2026, Deadline 7/31/2026
  8. Art & Culture Fund Cycle: Opens 8/3/2026, Deadline 8/28/2026
  9. Harrington Regional Medical Campus Cycle: Opens 8/3/2026, Deadline 8/28/2026

All deadlines are at 12:00 noon Central Time.

Decision Timeline

The Amarillo Area Foundation and Don and Sybil B. Harrington Foundation award discretionary grants 3-4 times each year, with the fourth round being tentative based on available funding. After Letter of Interest review, organizations approved to move forward will be contacted to complete full applications. Final decisions are made by the respective boards. Specific notification timelines vary by grant program.

Financial Reporting Requirements

Organizations must provide financial statements appropriate to their annual operating budget:

  • Under $50,000: Internal financial statements
  • $50,000 - $499,999: IRS Form 990-EZ or 990
  • $500,000+: Annual financial audit by independent CPA

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Applicants:

  • 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations
  • Recognized government entities
  • K-12 public schools
  • Community colleges or universities
  • Churches/faith-based organizations (for projects benefiting the community at large)

Geographic Requirement: All grant funds must be used within and for the benefit of residents and communities of the 26 northernmost counties of the Texas Panhandle.

Critical Restriction: Proposals will not be accepted from organizations that have not fulfilled the reporting requirements of any previous grants.

Reapplication Policy

Specific reapplication policies for unsuccessful applicants are not publicly documented. Organizations should contact the Grants Officer at grants@aaf-hf.org or 806-376-4521 to inquire about reapplication timing and guidance.

Application Success Factors

Foundation-Specific Priorities

Alignment with Strategic Focus Areas: The Foundation prioritizes projects addressing discrete focus areas including mental health, food insecurity, early childhood literacy, post-secondary attainment, digital excellence, and childcare access. Applications demonstrating clear connection to these priorities have stronger positioning.

Geographic Impact: Projects serving residents across the 26 northernmost counties of the Texas Panhandle align with the Foundation's mission. While Amarillo-based organizations are common recipients, demonstrating regional impact or addressing rural needs can strengthen applications.

Examples of Recently Funded Projects:

Food Security (2024-2025):

  • Joseph's Storehouse ($70,000+): Food pantry renovation in Tulia, including wall repairs and freezer replacement to ensure client safety
  • High Plains Food Bank: Fill the Gap campaign to replace 645,000 pounds of food from cancelled USDA truckloads
  • Hilltop Senior Citizens Association: Congregate meals, homebound senior deliveries, and food pantry operations serving 15,000 clients annually

Mental Health:

  • Empowering Lives Counseling Program ($175,000): Expansion of counseling services
  • Turn Center: Reducing counseling waitlists for 34+ children needing treatment

Education & Youth:

  • Storybridge ($28,000+): Kinderbridge program and early childhood literacy programs (free to families)
  • Family Support Services ($50,000): Programming for Opportunity Youth
  • HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters): Curriculum, books, and literacy events

Child Welfare:

  • Buckner Children and Family Services: Property purchase for campus consolidation including Family Hopes program and transitional housing for young adults aging out of foster care

Pre-Application Consultation Is Critical

The Foundation explicitly states they "highly recommend" contacting their Grants Officer before beginning applications. This suggests that successful applicants typically engage in preliminary discussions to:

  • Verify project alignment with current priorities
  • Understand which grant program is most appropriate
  • Clarify budget and timeline questions
  • Receive feedback on project concept

Collaboration and Innovation

President Clay's leadership emphasizes collaboration: "This is a community of people trying to change the world, and we're all doing it together." Applications demonstrating partnerships with other nonprofits, government entities, or community stakeholders may resonate with this collaborative value.

The Foundation's core value of innovation ("Find creative ways to meet community needs") suggests they appreciate fresh approaches to persistent challenges, not just continuation of existing services.

Strong Financial Management

The requirement that organizations with unfulfilled previous grant reporting will not be accepted indicates the Foundation values accountability and transparency. Applications should demonstrate:

  • Sound financial management systems
  • Appropriate level of financial documentation for organization size
  • Clear budget narratives connecting expenses to outcomes
  • Capacity to track and report on grant expenditures

Community-Wide Benefit

For faith-based organizations, projects must benefit "the community at large," not just denominational members. This principle extends across all applications—demonstrating broad community impact rather than narrow beneficiary groups strengthens proposals.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Contact the Grants Officer first: AAF explicitly recommends pre-application consultation. Use this opportunity to validate your project concept, get guidance on the appropriate grant program, and build a relationship before submitting.

  • Start with Letter of Interest: For Discretionary Grants, remember the two-stage process. The Letter of Interest is your first impression—make it compelling enough to be invited to submit a full application.

  • Align with discrete focus areas: Mental health, food insecurity, early childhood literacy, post-secondary attainment, digital excellence, and childcare access are explicitly prioritized. Frame your project within these areas whenever possible.

  • Demonstrate regional impact: AAF is the only community foundation serving 26 counties. Projects addressing needs beyond Amarillo or specifically targeting rural areas align with their regional mission.

  • Choose between Catalyst and Discretionary: Organizations cannot apply to both in the same cycle. Select strategically based on your project budget and scope—don't artificially inflate a Catalyst-sized project to reach Discretionary levels.

  • Emphasize collaboration: President Clay's vision centers on collective impact. Highlight partnerships, cooperative approaches, and how your work connects to the broader nonprofit ecosystem.

  • Maintain impeccable reporting: Organizations with unfulfilled previous grant reports will not be considered. If you receive funding, prioritize timely, thorough reporting to preserve future eligibility.

  • Recent grants show concrete solutions: Funded projects address specific, tangible needs (freezer replacement, waitlist reduction, facility repairs) rather than abstract goals. Ground your proposal in measurable problems and practical solutions.

References

  1. Amarillo Area Foundation official website: amarilloareafoundation.org (Accessed January 2026)
  2. Amarillo Area Foundation Grants page: https://amarilloareafoundation.org/grants/ (Accessed January 2026)
  3. Amarillo Area Foundation Grant Requirements: https://amarilloareafoundation.org/grant-requirements/ (Accessed January 2026)
  4. Amarillo Area Foundation FAQ: https://amarilloareafoundation.org/faq/ (Accessed January 2026)
  5. Amarillo Area Foundation Application Deadlines: https://amarilloareafoundation.org/application-deadlines/ (Accessed January 2026)
  6. Amarillo Area Foundation About page: https://amarilloareafoundation.org/about/ (Accessed January 2026)
  7. Amarillo Area Foundation President's Letter: https://amarilloareafoundation.org/presidents-letter/ (Accessed January 2026)
  8. Amarillo Area Foundation Annual Report: https://www.aafannualreports.org/ (Accessed January 2026)
  9. Charity Navigator - Amarillo Area Foundation profile: https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/750978220 (Accessed January 2026)
  10. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Amarillo Area Foundation: https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/750978220 (Accessed January 2026)
  11. News Channel 10, "Amarillo Area Foundation grants over $2 million to area organizations," November 19, 2024: https://www.newschannel10.com/2024/11/19/amarillo-area-foundation-grants-over-2-million-area-organizations/ (Accessed January 2026)
  12. Amarillo Area Foundation press release, "Amarillo Area Foundation Announces the Second Discretionary Grant Cycle of 2024," November 2024: https://amarilloareafoundation.org/2024/11/amarillo-area-foundation-announces-the-second-discretionary-grant-cycle-of-2024/ (Accessed January 2026)
  13. Yahoo News, "Clay discusses vision for Amarillo Area Foundation after being named president" (Accessed January 2026)
  14. Amarillo Area Foundation Leadership & Staff: https://www.aafannualreports.org/leadership-staff/ (Accessed January 2026)
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