How do I find help from a nonprofit in Ellis County, Texas?

Contact Unite Ellis or dial 211 to be connected to local resources and case management at no cost, or use the Ellis County Homeless Coalition’s food and housing lists.

Which Ellis County nonprofits help students?

CROME gives scholarships, mentorship and college and career help across the county and runs the free Ellis County Scholarships hub; CASA of Ellis County and the Ennis ISD Education Foundation also serve children and schools.

Where can I volunteer in Ellis County?

Most local nonprofits take volunteers through their websites. CROME’s Join us page accepts volunteers, tutors, mentors and sponsors, and Habitat for Humanity of Ellis County, A-CROSS Ennis and the Greater Ennis United Way all rely on volunteers.

Nonprofits in Ellis County, Texas: who does what, how to get help, and how to give back

CommunitySeptember 13, 2026 · CROME

A CROME volunteer speaking with residents at an Ellis County community event

Ellis County has hundreds of registered nonprofits, from century-old lodges to organizations founded this year. Most people only need to know a handful: the ones that answer a specific need, and the ones worth their time or money. This guide groups the county’s nonprofits by what they do, names the ones we work alongside, and explains where CROME fits.

If you need help today

Unite Ellis is a network of church, nonprofit, school, business and government leaders across Ellis County that connects residents to local resources and case management at no cost. Dialing 211 reaches the Texas community resource line for the same purpose. The Ellis County Homeless Coalition keeps current lists of food and housing resources for the county.

Housing, food and basic needs

Habitat for Humanity of Ellis County, based in Waxahachie, builds affordable homes with volunteer labor and donated materials and sells them to lower-income families on interest-free mortgages.
A-CROSS Ennis provides interim housing for individuals and families facing a housing crisis so they can get back on their feet.
North Ellis County Outreach assists people in need across the northern part of the county with food, rent, clothing, utilities and life-skills classes.
Ennis CARES provides assistance and resources to Ennis families with unmet needs, focusing on long-term solutions.
Helping Hands of Ennis and the county’s Meals on Wheels programs cover food and household support for residents who cannot get out.

Children, students and education

CROME, the Claudio Romero Organization for Minority Empowerment, is an Ennis-based 501(c)(3) that gives scholarships, connects students with mentors, and helps with college applications, FAFSA and career preparation for students across Ellis County. It also runs the free Ellis County Scholarships hub.
CASA of Ellis County trains volunteer advocates who speak for children in the county’s foster-care and court system.
The Ennis ISD Education Foundation raises private money for innovative teaching grants and new-teacher grants in Ennis schools.
The Waxahachie Junior Service League funds community projects and a community service scholarship for an Ellis County senior each year.
TBHC Foster Care & Adoption, the Texas Baptist Home for Children, supports children and families in foster care from its Waxahachie campus.

Health and community wellbeing

Unity in the Community of Ennis offers health screenings, educational programs and outreach, with a focus on elderly and underserved residents.
Reach Council Prevention Services works on substance-use prevention and youth programs in the county.
The Heights Ellis County Family Resources and the Hispanic Coalition of North Texas both appear in the county’s nonprofit directories for family support and advocacy.

Community, culture and civic life

Greater Ennis United Way is an independent, locally governed United Way; money raised in Ennis funds agencies serving Ennis and the surrounding area.
The Ellis County Museum in Waxahachie preserves the county’s history.
Sokol Ennis is a nonprofit membership organization offering gymnastics, volleyball, swimming and social events, part of Ennis’s Czech heritage alongside SPJST Lodge 25.
Jack Lummus Memorial VFW Post 7106, the Ellis County Veterans Celebration and Heritage of Heroes serve veterans and honor their history.
Crime Stoppers of Ellis County and the county’s youth sports associations, such as the Ennis Baseball Association, are volunteer-run.

Where to find the full list

Each chamber of commerce keeps a directory: the Greater Ennis Chamber nonprofit list, the Waxahachie Chamber and the Red Oak Area Chamber. Public databases such as GuideStar and ProPublica’s Nonprofit Explorer show every registered organization with its IRS filings, which is the place to check before you give.

How to give back in Ellis County

Local nonprofits run on volunteers. Most have a form on their website; CROME’s is on the Join us page, where you can offer time as a volunteer, tutor or mentor, or sponsor a program as a business. North Texas Giving Day each September is the easiest day of the year to give to several county organizations at once. And the Ennis Bluebonnet Run turns a spring morning into scholarships for local students.