Texas Flood Relief: Grants Up to $10K for Small Businesses on The Building Texas Show

In the latest episode of The Building Texas Show, host Justin McKenzie sits down with Amy Hereford, President and CEO of LiftFund, to discuss the urgent need for financial support for small businesses in the Texas Hill Country following devastating floods. The episode, titled 'Texas Flood Recovery for Small Business: Grants Up to $10K & Where to Apply,' highlights LiftFund's 2026 Texas Hill Country Flood Relief Program, which offers grants up to $10,000 and zero-interest loans to affected businesses across 16 counties, including Bandera, Blanco, Kerr, Kendall, Hays, Comal, Uvalde, and Gillespie. Since the first flood, LiftFund has already deployed 525 grants and loans totaling over $17 million to Hill Country businesses, demonstrating their commitment to rapid response.

Hereford emphasizes the critical role of small businesses in community recovery, noting that most have only about 10 days of cash on hand, making timely assistance essential. She warns that traditional SBA relief often arrives too late, after payroll and mortgage payments are due. The program also provides free technical assistance and a capital readiness questionnaire to help businesses prepare for future challenges. The discussion sheds light on the threat of predatory lenders targeting vulnerable founders and the importance of gap financing for critical services like rural daycare and hospitals.

The episode underscores the ripple effect of shuttered businesses, with each small employer supporting roughly four families and connected to 20 other businesses through supply chains. A case study of San Antonio's Alamo Kitchens illustrates how a single commercial-kitchen loan can nurture dozens of food entrepreneurs. Hereford's insights, backed by data from over 50 disaster recoveries, make a compelling case for investing in small business resilience as a cornerstone of community recovery.