AUSTIN – A nonprofit charitable organization founded by Gov. Rick Perry was awarded $250,000 in federal economic-stimulus funds Wednesday.

A Perry spokeswoman said accepting the money doesn't conflict with the Republican governor's criticism of the stimulus law.

"He thinks the stimulus was bad public policy but will fight for Texas to get its share, as long as there aren't strings attached," said Perry press secretary Allison Castle.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the award to Austin-based OneStar Foundation Inc., part of $46 million in grants distributed to 84 governments and nonprofits nationwide.

The money is intended to "boost the ability of community and faith-based organizations to handle the broad economic recovery issues in their communities, including job training and retention and access to state and federal benefits," according to a Sebelius news release.

OneStar Foundation president Elizabeth Seale said the organization serves as the state's Faith-Based and Community Initiative office and was designated by the state to apply for the money in a grant category reserved for governments or their proxies.

Seale said money from the one-time, two-year award will be used to strengthen nonprofit groups' business practices.

Asked if there were strings attached, she and foundation vice president Chris Bugbee said they have to file detailed reports on how the money was spent and make Texas nonprofits aware that many of the funds from the stimulus law may not be available in the future.

"They're time-limited funds," said Seale, who ran the Corporation for National and Community Service for former President George W. Bush before Perry tapped her last March as OneStar's chief executive. The corporation manages federal volunteer programs AmeriCorps, Senior Corps and Learn and Serve America.

According to Internal Revenue Service filings, OneStar and an affiliated nonprofit received about $15 million in government grants in 2007, mostly to administer AmeriCorps, which puts people to work full time in local nonprofit groups for a year.