Texas Flood Recovery: Grants Up to $10K for Small Businesses and Where to Apply

In the aftermath of the second major flood to hit the Texas Hill Country in as many years, small businesses are facing an uphill battle to recover. The latest episode of The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie, features Amy Hereford, President and CEO of LiftFund, a San Antonio-based nonprofit that has been on the front lines of disaster recovery. The episode, recorded in San Antonio, highlights the new 2026 Texas Hill Country Flood Relief Program, which offers grants up to $10,000 for flood-impacted small businesses and nonprofits across 16 eligible counties, including Bandera, Blanco, Kerr, Kendall, Hays, Comal, Uvalde, and Gillespie.

LiftFund, which has been operating for 30 years, has already deployed 525 grants and loans totaling more than $17 million to Hill Country businesses in the past year. Hereford explains that the organization fills a critical gap when traditional banks decline early-stage founders, veterans, and creative entrepreneurs. In addition to grants, LiftFund offers zero-interest loans, made possible when cities, counties, and private donors buy down the rate. The organization also provides free technical assistance and a capital readiness questionnaire on its website, LiftFund.com.

Hereford is blunt about why speed matters after a disaster. Citing data from more than 50 disaster recoveries, she tells McKenzie: "The faster you help a small business, the faster you secure the entire recovery of the community. Because in many communities, especially in rural areas, those small businesses are going to be the majority employers." She warns that most small businesses carry only about 10 days of cash on hand, and that SBA relief often arrives after payroll cycles and mortgage payments have already come due.

The episode also delves into the ripple math of a shuttered Main Street: an average small business employs roughly four people, each supporting families of about four, and is often linked to 20 other businesses through local supply chains. Hereford references Trinity University economist Dr. Butler, who has publicly endorsed LiftFund's work and named the organization in his planned giving. She and McKenzie also spotlight San Antonio's Alamo Kitchens as a case study in how one commercial-kitchen loan can seed dozens of downstream food entrepreneurs. The conversation touches on second-chance founders, rural daycares, and gap financing for hospitals where banks stop at 80 percent.

For small business owners in the Hill Country, the message is clear: help is available, but it's crucial to act quickly. LiftFund's grants and loans are designed to provide immediate relief, and the organization's free resources can help business owners navigate the recovery process. As Hereford emphasizes, the speed of recovery for small businesses determines the speed of recovery for entire communities.