The Texas Coastal Frontline Fund aims to provide flexible grants for community and legal action to curb pollution and drive an equitable clean energy transition in counties along Texas’ Gulf Coast.
Background
Three environmental advocacy organizations secured a financial settlement with a corporation planning to expand industrial operations along the Texas Gulf Coast. The plaintiffs requested that the Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation (JTHF) steward these funds and administer their distribution. JTHF is not a financial beneficiary of the settlement funds.
Fund Purpose
Through the Texas Coastal Frontline Fund, JTHF will distribute the settlement funds in the form of flexible grants (e.g. general operating support) to resident-led nonprofit organizations working along the Texas Gulf Coast to mitigate pollution and/or advance the equitable transition to a clean energy economy, as well as to nonprofit legal service organizations that are helping to further these organizations’ objectives.
The grants will be in the form of one-time payments in the range of approximately $35,000-75,000 each, with the amount to be determined based on various factors, including the number of awardees.
The Fund will utilize a participatory approach to decision-making, whereby a committee of community leaders will review grant applications and make funding recommendations. These committee members, who helped to shape this RFP, include the following:
- Denae King – Associate Director, Bullard Center for Environmental & Climate Justice at Texas Southern University
- Virginia Palacios – Executive Director, Commission Shift
- Marisa Perales – Attorney, Perales, Allmon & Ice
- Marlene Plua – Climate and Clean Energy Coordinator, Stoic Energy Consulting
- Cyndi Valdes – Coastal Bend Community Leader
Eligibility
Eligible resident-led applicants will meet all of the following criteria:
- Have 501(c)(3) public charity status, or be fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) public charity;
- Be based in one of the 15 counties comprising the Texas Gulf Coast (Jefferson, Chambers, Harris, Galveston, Brazoria, Matagorda, Calhoun, Refugio, Aransas, San Patricio, Nueces, Kleberg, Kenedy, Willacy and Cameron), and work within – and be led by residents of – at least one of these counties;
- Have a demonstrated focus on reducing pollution and/or advancing the equitable transition to a clean energy economy; and
- Maintain a justice orientation.
Applicants based and working in the Coastal Bend region, including Aransas, Kleberg, Nueces and San Patricio counties, may receive additional consideration.
Eligible legal partner applicants will meet all of the following criteria:
- Have 501(c)(3) public charity status or be a public educational institution;
- Maintain an office in Texas and serve at least one of the 15 counties comprising the Texas Gulf Coast (Jefferson, Chambers, Harris, Galveston, Brazoria, Matagorda, Calhoun, Refugio, Aransas, San Patricio, Nueces, Kleberg, Kenedy, Willacy and Cameron);
- Have a demonstrated focus on supporting resident-led organizations working to reduce pollution and/or advance the equitable transition to a clean energy economy; and
- Maintain a justice orientation.
Applicants supporting resident-led groups in the Coastal Bend region, including Aransas, Kleberg, Nueces and San Patricio counties, may receive additional consideration.
Application Instructions
Potential applicants may access the online application process by logging in or creating an account here. Before accessing the application form, potential applicants must first pass an eligibility screening. Applicants determined to be eligible will be directed to provide the following via the application form:
Narrative information:
- Please describe the mission and work of your organization and provide a link to your organization’s website if available.
- Choose one of the following:
- For resident-led applicants: Please share how your organization works to reduce pollution and/or advance clean energy in your community. Please describe 1-2 recent accomplishments and outline your plans for this work over the coming year. What are the risks, challenges and opportunities that you see?
- For legal partner applicants: Please share how your organization partners with resident-led organizations to reduce pollution and/or advance clean energy, noting examples of such organizations you have partnered with. Please describe 1-2 recent accomplishments and outline your plans for this work over the coming year. What are the risks, challenges and opportunities that you see?
- Over the long term, what do you envision your organization accomplishing?
- Please share how you center a justice lens in your work and describe your efforts to ensure that your organizational leadership reflects the interests of communities that benefit from your work.
Governance information:
- For fiscally sponsored applicants, please upload the completed Fiscal Sponsorship Certification Form.
- Please provide a roster of your current board members. If this information is available on your website and is up to date, you may simply provide a link to the webpage that contains the information.
Financial information:
- Please provide your organization’s current fiscal year budget
- For fiscally sponsored applicants, please provide the fiscal sponsor’s current fiscal year budget and the sponsored applicant’s current fiscal year budget.
- Please provide a statement of activities (aka “income statement”) for your organization’s most recently completed fiscal year.
- Please provide a statement of financial position (aka “balance sheet”) for your organization’s most recently completed fiscal year.
- If your organization employs staff, please describe your efforts to provide fair pay and benefits to them.
- If your organization’s Candid profile does not include your most recently filed tax return (IRS Form 990 or 990EZ), please provide the most recently filed return.
Applications are due October 24, 2025. Applicants can expect to receive a funding decision by February 28, 2026.
Application Assistance
Help is available! We have contracted with two experts to support you in developing your application at no cost, including an expert who can help with application scoping and grant writing, and an expert who can help with organizing your financial information.
Instructions for accessing this assistance can be found on the application form, once eligibility has been confirmed. Availability may depend on the number of applicants requesting assistance; we encourage you to reach out for desired assistance as soon as possible.
Potential Convening
JTHF and the committee members are considering offering a convening for funded organizations as a way to foster learning, coordination and collaboration. Funded organizations will have an opportunity to provide input on the timing, structure and agenda of this potential convening. The decision to facilitate a convening will depend in part on awardee interest.
Questions?
For general inquiries regarding the Texas Coastal Frontline Fund, please contact Elizabeth Love. For technical questions about the application process or form, please contact Deborah Mueller.
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Carolina Salmeron joined the Foundation as Program Officer in 2022. She previously served as Senior Director of Programs for Healthy Futures of Texas, where she led local and statewide initiatives that developed and implemented inclusive, culturally sensitive, and medically accurate sexual education and resources for adolescents and their families. Prior to that, as Program Officer for the Bill and Melinda Gates Institute for Population and Reproductive Health, Carolina led youth programs and partnered with reproductive justice champions around the globe to elevate youth voice and leadership. She received her bachelor’s degree in Biology from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. Carolina currently serves on the board of MECA, a Houston nonprofit committed to the healthy development of underserved and underrepresented families.
Julia Gutierrez, Executive Assistant, joined the Foundation in 2021 after almost five years at the Houston Zoo. Having worked in both the for-profit and non-profit worlds, Julia brings years of experience in management and administrative roles. A native Houstonian, Julia received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Houston. She maintains a passion for Houston’s native flora and fauna and is an avid fan of the trails along Buffalo Bayou.
Alan Chang joined the Foundation as Director of Finance in 2023. He previously served for 14 years as Controller at the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation in Houston, Texas, where he led all aspects of the accounting, finance and investments processes. Prior to that, Alan served as a staff auditor at a local accounting firm, serving nonprofit and private foundation clients. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in accountancy and taxation from the University of Houston and is a Certified Public Accountant in Texas.
Deborah Mueller, the Foundation’s Director of Operations and Grants Management, has worked on behalf of the Foundation in a variety of capacities for nearly 25 years. She first met Terry and Jake Hershey in 1996 while volunteering for Urban Harvest, an organization that Terry helped to establish. When Terry learned that Deborah was using her computer and organizational skills to help transfer Urban Harvest’s books from a paper-based system to a computer-based one, Terry immediately recruited her to do the same for the Foundation. Deborah has a BA in Art from Rice University, and has spent her career working for both for-profit and non-profit organizations in various management capacities, primarily focused on systems development, project management, and corporate governance.
Elizabeth Love has served as CEO of the Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation since 2020. Prior to that, she served as Senior Program Officer at Houston Endowment, where she led environmental and health-related initiatives for 11 years. Before entering philanthropy, Elizabeth served as the Director of Harris County Public Health’s Office of Policy and Planning, overseeing the department’s legislative affairs, strategic planning and evaluation efforts, and started her career as a fellow for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Elizabeth received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Rice University and a master’s degree from the University of Texas School of Public Health. Elizabeth currently serves on the boards of Commission Shift, LINK Houston and The Funders Network, as well as on the Steering Committee of the Climate and Energy Funders Group and the Advisory Board of the School of Social Sciences at Rice University. Elizabeth is a past president of the Junior League of Houston.
Angelica Razo is the Deputy Director of Campaigns and Programs for Mi Familia Vota, where she oversees efforts to increase political representation and power for the Latinx community through electoral, advocacy and community organizing strategies. Angelica serves on the steering committees for Houston in Action and the Race Equity Leadership and Research Collective; co-chairs the Government Affairs committee for the Coalition for Environment, Equity and Resilience; and serves on the Houston 2036 Environment Task Force. Angelica obtained her B.A. from Rice University, where she remains connected as a Board member for the Society of Latino Alumni, and is a graduate of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Emerging Leaders Institute. In 2021, Angelica was featured in the inaugural edition of the Houston Chronicle’s “¡Extraordinarios! 10 Houston Latinos who are making a difference.”
Dr. Bakeyah Nelson is the Principal for Community Health Collaborative Consulting, where she partners with community, nonprofit and philanthropic partners to move environmental justice, climate justice and health equity forward. Bakeyah previously served as an Initiative Director supporting Bloomberg Philanthropies, as Global Initiatives Director for Climate Imperative, as Executive Director of Air Alliance Houston, and in Harris County Public Health’s Office of Policy and Planning, where she led health equity initiatives. Bakeyah serves on the Participatory Working Group for the Hive Fund for Climate and Gender Justice and the Advisory Committee for the Environmental Integrity Project’s Center for Applied Environmental Science. She was a founding member of the New Giving Collective, a giving circle that supports and responds to the needs of the Black community. Bakeyah earned her B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Bakeyah was named 2020 Clean Air Champion of the Year by the Texas Energy Summit
Dr. Olive Hershey, the Foundation’s longest-serving Director, has been a member of The Jacob and Terese Hershey Foundation’s board since 1993. She is the daughter of Jacob Hershey and aunt of Jeffrey Hershey. Before she joined the Foundation Board, Olive was an early member of the Board of Directors of the Sierra Blanca Legal Defense Fund, and currently serves on the Board of Save Buffalo Bayou. She is the author of the novel Truck Dance and is a graduate of the University of Houston creative writing program, where she studied under Donald Barthelme, among others. Her most recent book project Ay, Que Vida!, a biography of Houston artist and activist Gertrude Levy Barnstone, is nearing completion. She has an M.A. and a Ph.D. in American Literature from the University of Texas at Austin. She is very active in Houston environmental issues and works continually to learn of new efforts to improve the air quality in Houston.
Dr. Kimberly Baker is the Director of the Office of Public Health Practice and Engagement at UTHealth School of Public Health (UTSPH) and serves as an Assistant Professor. Her research interests include reproductive and sexual health, health disparity elimination and the impact of racism on health. She manages We Can Do More, a multi-partner, system-level intervention to increase access to contraception for women in Harris County. She has also developed sexual health interventions informed by community needs targeting males, faith institutions and health providers. She is the co-founder of Full Circle Strategies Consulting Group, a firm that works with agencies across the nation to lessen the impact of racism through strategic planning, training and coaching. She received a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Hampton University, a Master of Public Health from the University of Nevada Las Vegas and her Doctorate of Public Health from UTHealth School of Public Health.
Amie Rodnick has served on the Board of the Foundation since 1995. She is a cousin of Terry Hershey and a practicing attorney in Austin. Amie has served as a past president of Meals on Wheels, the Eanes Education Foundation, Verde Valley School, and as chair of the City of Rollingwood Planning and Zoning Commission. In addition, she has served on the Rollingwood City Council, the board of directors of Jane’s Due Process, Travis County Lawyer Referral Service, and the State Bar Grievance Committee (including as panel chair). She is current president of the Travis County Women Lawyers Association Scholarship Fund, Collaborative Divorce Austin, and the Verde Valley School Foundation. Prior to opening her private practice in Austin, Amie served under Mark White in the Charitable Trusts Section of the Attorney General’s Office. She is a graduate of UT Austin and UT Law and is board certified in family law, a credentialed distinguished mediator, and a Texas Super Lawyer.
Dr. Andrew Sansom has served on the Foundation Board since 2007. He is one of Texas’ leading conservationists, having served as Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Executive Director of the Texas Nature Conservancy. Under his leadership at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Dr. Sansom spearheaded a number of significant programs, including founding the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, which has raised over $150 million for conservation in Texas to date, and adding over 500,000 acres to the State Parks and Wildlife Management Areas. He is a recipient of the Chevron Conservation Award, The Chuck Yeager Award from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, The Pugsley Medal from the National Park Foundation, the Seton Award from the International Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Nature Conservancy. Dr. Sansom is a Distinguished Alumnus of Austin College and is a graduate of Texas Tech University. His published works have appeared in such publications as Texas Monthly and The Texas Observer and he is the author of eight books, including recent publications Of Texas Rivers and Texas Art and Seasons of Selah. He now serves as Professor of Practice in Geography and is founder of The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment at Texas State University.
Jeffrey Hershey has been a director on the Foundation’s board since 2001 and has served as its President since 2017. He is the grandson of Jacob Hershey and is the owner and manager of a 2000-acre rice and grain farm in Wharton County Texas. He has worked for the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department, Stormwater Research Group, Lower Colorado River Authority, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and Adjutant Generals Department in various capacities, including as Manager, Natural Resource Specialist, Wildlife Biologist, and Park Specialist. He is a graduate of Fort Lewis College with a degree in Environmental Studies.
Terry Hershey began her activist conservation work in the early 1960s when Buffalo Bayou was threatened with channelization as a means to prevent flooding.
As owner of an inland marine transportation business and former competitive sailor, Jake Hershey was vitally interested in the health of Galveston Bay and area waterways