Community Foundation awards $5M in grants

Grants for education and disaster relief efforts are among the notable contributions made this year by the Community Foundation of North Texas, which awarded more than $5 million in the first half of 2013. “Grants are awarded throughout the year as needs are identified and as requested by our donor advisers,” said Nancy Jones, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of North Texas. “The diversity of the grants awarded speaks to the wide range of charitable interests of our donor advisers and those who bequeathed funds for our community.” The foundation, a permanent collection of charitable funds supported by donors, made nearly 600 individual grants in the past six months. Three of the largest grants, totaling more than $500,000, were made to Meals on Wheels Inc. of Tarrant County, Camp Fire First Texas and The Salvation Army-DFW Metroplex from the Ella C. McFadden Charitable Fund. The endowed fund, created from McFadden’s estate in 1985, benefits 13 nonprofit agencies in greater Tarrant County and has granted more than $1 million in 2013 alone. Donor advised funds totaling more than $100,000 were awarded to disaster relief efforts in West, Texas, and Oklahoma City in the wake of the devastating events in each area this spring.

 

Veterans receive United Way funding United Way of Tarrant County distributed grants totaling $291,750 to provide counseling, employment assistance and other services to service members who are returning to civilian life in local communities. The money comes from the Tarrant County Veterans Fund, which was established by United Way earlier this year with $300,000 in donations from Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter Textron. Additional donations increased the fund total to $327,165. A total of $35,415 remains in the fund for future use. Recipients of the one-year grants are Catholic Charities, Diocese of Fort Worth, CLC Inc., Recovery Resource Council, Tarrant County and the Veterans Coalition of Tarrant County (VETCO). CLC (also known as the Community Learning Center) received $75,000 to provide outreach, recruitment, skills training, job development, job placement and career advancement services to 75 returning veterans and their immediate family members who live in Tarrant County.

Catholic Charities received $65,000 to provide counseling services to 90 Tarrant County veterans who have returned from deployment in the last 10 years, who either are receiving other services through Catholic Charities or are referred by parishes and have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Therapists also will be trained to recognize and assist veterans who have survived military sexual trauma. A grant of $79,750 has been made to Recovery Resource Council’s Enduring Women Program to help 64 returning women veterans improve their overall functioning and fully integrate into the community. The Tarrant County Veterans Court Diversion Program has been awarded $52,000 to provide 60 veterans and military personnel who are not violent, but who are facing charges in the justice system, with court-supervised treatment options for addiction and other conditions such as PTSD or traumatic brain injury. Participants who complete the program will have their criminal charges dismissed. In addition, the program will pay for court costs for having the cases expunged for 30 indigent veterans who have completed the program. VETCO received a $20,000 grant to do strategic planning over the next nine months to improve the current fragmented system of services.

- FWBP Digital Partners -

Hyundai drives Cook Children’s cancer program Hyundai Hope On Wheels and Dallas-Fort Worth area Hyundai dealers awarded Cook Children’s Medical Center a $75,000 Hyundai Scholar Grant for Dr. Karen Albritton to support her pediatric cancer project. Albritton will develop a psycho-oncology program to provide support for adolescent and young adult cancer patients and their families and friends. Cook Children’s is one of 40 recipients of Hope On Wheels’ 2013 Hyundai Scholar Grant. Hyundai Scholars pursue research and implement clinical programs aimed at improving the lives of children with cancer. During 2013, Hope On Wheels will donate $14 million to children’s hospitals nationwide through its Hyundai Scholar Grant and Hyundai Hope Grant programs.

Send nonprofit news to Betty Dillard at bdillard@bizpress.net