Prevent Blindness Texas, an Oak Forest-based nonprofit dedicated to preventing blindness and preserving sight, is among 35 organizations that recently graduated from the inaugural Government Funding Initiative launched by United Way of Greater Houston.
The first-of-its-kind capacity-building program in the region was created to help Houston-area nonprofits successfully compete for and manage public funding. United Way announced the milestone Jan. 7, noting that more than $500,000 in consulting support grants were distributed to participating organizations, made possible through an initial $3 million investment from Houston Endowment.
For Prevent Blindness Texas, which has spent nearly 70 years serving some of the state’s most vulnerable residents, the initiative represents a significant step toward strengthening long-term sustainability and expanding access to eye care.
The nonprofit’s mission is to prevent blindness and preserve sight, with a focus on early detection screening services, eye health education, navigation services, and financial resources for exams, glasses and other treatment needs. Last year alone, Prevent Blindness Texas served more than 61,000 individuals and provided eye health education to more than 129,000 people across the state.
United Way’s Government Funding Initiative was designed to address a common challenge facing many nonprofits: a lack of infrastructure to pursue and administer public funding. The program aims to close that gap by increasing awareness of public grant opportunities, strengthening organizational capacity, connecting nonprofits to resources through a Government Grant Hub, fostering peer learning, deploying micro-grant awards and supporting policy solutions that strengthen the nonprofit sector.
“Public funding can unlock significant resources for nonprofits, but only if organizations have the systems and support in place to pursue and manage them well,” said Amanda McMillian, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Houston, in a statement announcing the cohort’s graduation. “Through the Government Funding Initiative, we’re helping organizations build the systems, skills and confidence they need to diversify revenue and expand the services our community depends on.”
As part of the initiative, Prevent Blindness Texas and the other participating organizations received access to expert consultants focused on areas such as grant writing, evaluation and compliance — all critical components for managing government funding responsibly and effectively.
Prevent Blindness Texas works to build strong continuums of care in the communities it serves, with a focus on children, adults and seniors who are most at risk for vision problems. The organization emphasizes that vision plays a critical role in learning and development, mobility, independence and overall health, and it advocates for improved equity in access to quality eye care.
In addition to direct services, the nonprofit is focused on broader health equity, aiming to improve both physical and mental health outcomes by preventing vision loss and addressing eye health issues across the entire health spectrum. Its work is guided by core values that include accountability, stewardship and empowerment, and by a culture centered on collaboration, transparency and results-driven service.
United Way officials said interest in the Government Funding Initiative has been strong, with more than 1,500 nonprofit leaders and staff already participating in educational sessions. The next series of sessions is set to begin in January 2026.
For organizations like Prevent Blindness Texas, the program offers not just funding support, but tools to strengthen long-term impact — helping ensure that more Texans can access the vision care they need to learn, work and live independently.
Nonprofits and community-based organizations interested in participating in United Way of Greater Houston’s Government Funding Initiative can learn more and register at unitedwayhouston.org/for-nonprofits/nonprofit-connection/goverment-funding-initiative. Fore more information on Prevent Blindness Texas, please visit texas.preventblindness.org.