Bandera County small businesses and nonprofit organizations affected by this month's flooding are eligible to apply for recovery grants through LiftFund, which says demand for assistance is already more than double what it saw following last year's floods.
The San Antonio-based nonprofit lender reported receiving more than 230 applications or applications in progress within three days of opening its 2026 Texas Hill Country Flood Relief Program.
By comparison, about 100 applications were received during the first week after the 2025 floods.
Bandera County is among 16 Hill Country counties eligible for the program, which offers grants of up to $10,000 to qualifying small businesses and nonprofit organizations impacted by the July 2026 floods.
Grant funds may be used for rebuilding and repair costs, replacing lost or damaged equipment, and general operating expenses.
Eligible applicants must have been operating on or before July 1, 2025, and demonstrate economic or physical losses caused by the flooding.
LiftFund said many applicants are businesses it assisted after last year's flooding.
More than one-quarter of the roughly 500 businesses that received grants or loans during the past year have returned seeking additional help.
According to the organization, about 60% of businesses responding to its interest form reported physical damage from this year's floods.
Nearly half of those businesses said they did not experience physical damage in 2025, while about 40% reported being affected by both disasters through repeated damage or a combination of physical damage and economic losses. Applicants have reported more than $9.2 million in flood-related damage so far, although LiftFund said total losses are expected to rise as repairs begin and additional damage is identified.
'These are entrepreneurs who did everything right after last year's floods,' LiftFund President and CEO Amy Hereford said in a news release. 'They rebuilt, reinvested in their businesses and continued serving their communities, believing the hardest part was behind them.'
During the past year, LiftFund has provided 525 recovery grants and loans totaling more than $17 million to small businesses throughout the Hill Country. The organization said it is working with philanthropic and corporate partners to expand available funding as recovery efforts continue.
Small business owners interested in applying for assistance can learn more about eligibility and available recovery resources through LiftFund.
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