What We Fund
Issue Areas
Our grantmaking priorities focus on tackling issues in a comprehensive and coordinated manner to provide the best outcomes for low-income individuals, families and communities. Our current Issue Areas are:
Rockwell Fund will provide grants in support of dropout prevention strategies that target the intermediate and middle school years.
There is a growing body of research that shows that students who drop out of high school actually begin the process as early as sixth grade (in the words of one expert, “they drop out in middle school; they just don’t leave until high school”). We believe that investing in quality interventions at this level will result in improved educational and developmental outcomes for at-risk, middle school youth.
We will support organizations that pursue at least one of the following dropout prevention models at a systems level, rather than interventions limited to only one school or setting:
- Mentoring
- High quality out of school time
- School-community collaboration
We will also support organizations that engage in advocacy efforts related to RFI education priorities (by invitation only).
Rockwell Fund will provide grants to organizations targeting community health issues, including behavioral health.
We recognize that access to timely and affordable health services is key to supporting a vibrant and healthy community. RFI will invest in efforts to address gaps in physical and mental healthcare, including gaps in access and gaps in quality of care. Specifically, we are seeking to support programs and organizations that:
- Increase availability and access to quality physical and behavioral healthcare for uninsured and underinsured populations,
- Advance public health and prevention approaches to public health challenges, and
- Address women’s reproductive health
We value programs that give significant consideration to racial and other social disparities in health access and health outcomes. We support programs that attempt to address these disparities.
We will also support organizations that engage in advocacy efforts related to RFI health priorities (by invitation only).
Rockwell Fund will provide grants to organizations providing affordable housing and supportive housing in the Houston region.
We will support organizations in the construction, acquisition, or rehabilitation of property designated for affordable housing. We also welcome applications proposing innovative approaches to addressing affordable housing in the region.
Rockwell also funds supportive housing that works with families and individuals in the region. Housing should be provided through a Housing First approach coupled with supportive services that meet the needs of the resident population. In general, our supportive housing grants are in service of The Way Home.
We will also support organizations that engage in advocacy efforts related to RFI housing priorities (by invitation only).
Rockwell Fund will provide grants in support of capacity building strategies that benefit the Greater Houston area nonprofit sector as a whole.
We believe that investing in management, financial, and technical assistance tools for nonprofit organizations will lead to a more effective local nonprofit ecosystem. RFI will support organizations and programs that, among other things, offer guidance on grant applications, administration, record keeping, and best-practice back-office methods to a cross-section of service areas.
PLEASE NOTE: Capacity building grants should further the effectiveness of work done across one or more of RFI’s interest areas for numerous organizations. Nonprofits seeking capacity support for themselves should apply under the particular interest area impacted by the organization.
3555 Timmons lane, SUITE 950, HOUSTON, TX 77027