Girls Inc. of Tarrant County wins top national award Girls Inc. of Tarrant County received the 2014 Outstanding Affiliate Award on April 7 at the Girls Inc. National Conference in Washington, D.C. The local affiliate, which has an office in Fort Worth and one in Arlington, exceeded a list of considerations to win the award, including increased number of girls served with impact, higher revenues and more total service hours to girls. Girls Inc. also presented Texas Trust Credit Union with its 2013 Strong Partner Award. The award is based on Texas Trust’s collaboration and advocacy support from CEO Jim Minge and Senior Vice President of Marketing Amber Danford. Texas Trust also was title sponsor for the organization’s 2013 Reindeer Dash. “Texas Trust’s values align with our mission and we are thankful to be in a community where companies like Texas Trust are willing and able to support our mission to provide programs that will enrich the lives of young girls for generations to come,” said Jennifer Limas, president. Girls Inc. of Tarrant County was founded in 1976 as the Arlington Girls Club, serving eight girls. Last year it served 10,899 girls.
GREATEST GIFT CATALOG HAS RECORD YEAR The National Leadership Foundation celebrated another record-breaking year of donations, participation and media recognition for The Greatest Gift Catalog Ever at the organization’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards luncheon on April 15 in Fort Worth. In 2013, the catalog helped raise $449,930 for 18 Tarrant County-area nonprofits, an increase of 26 percent over the prior year. Since its inception in 2007, the catalog has made a total charitable impact of more than $5 million in Tarrant County. Elliot Goldman, who with his wife, Heather, founded the catalog, said 2013 brought a marked rise in giving. Matching funds increased 51 percent and website donations were up 28 percent. Major gifts also were up. This year’s recipients of the highest level of donations include Catholic Charities Fort Worth, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth and a Wish with Wings. The 2014 catalog will feature 18 area nonprofits, including two new to the catalog: the Van Cliburn Foundation, which educates new generations of classical music listeners, and Camp John Marc, which offers camping programs for children with chronic medical and physical challenges.
KOMEN FORT WORTH AWARDS $600,000 IN GRANTS Susan G. Komen Greater Fort Worth Affiliate will award $600,000 in grants to six local organizations dedicated to ending breast cancer in the organization’s service area of Tarrant, Parker, Johnson and Hood counties. This year’s grantees include: Bridge Breast Network, Cancer Care Services, Moncrief Cancer Institute, Muslim Community Center for Human Services, Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth and Texas Healthy Huguley Hospital Fort Worth South. The grants will provide breast cancer screenings and treatment services as well as funding for prevention and education projects. The Fort Worth affiliate provides grants through community donations, fundraisers and its largest source of income, the annual Komen Greater Fort Worth Race for the Cure. This year’s race is set for May 10 at Ridgmar Mall in Fort Worth.
CATHOLIC CHARITIES GETS BANK OF AMERICA GRANT Bank of America Charitable Foundation recently selected Catholic Charities Fort Worth and LaunchAbility of Dallas as recipients of its Neighborhood Builders award. The Neighborhood Builders program combines leadership training with a $200,000 unrestricted grant. The award will support more than 40 programs of Catholic Charities to help provide health, housing, family and immigration services to more than 127,000 people each year. LaunchAbility provides services for children and adults with disabilities.
THEATER COMMUNITY TAKES A BOW The Live Theatre League of Tarrant County handed out eight countywide awards and recognized 16 local theaters during its 2014 Annual Theatre Awards on April 9 at Scott Theatre in Fort Worth. The major awards and winners were: Debbie Brown, Elston Brooks Lifetime Achievement Award; Rebecca Low and Jeanne Swanson, Ann L. Rhodes Philanthropic Individual Award; Texas Commission on the Arts, Philanthropic Organization; Jody Ulich, Theatre Arts Advocate; Anne Healy, Theatre Arts Educator of the Year; Brian Clinnin, Design and Technical Professional Award; Adam Adolfo, Rudy Eastman Diversity Award; and Jordan E. Cooper, Bill Garber Young Theatre Artist Award. Winners of Individual Theatre Outstanding Service Awards were: Jeff Davis, Amphibian Stage Productions; Steve DeLeon, Artes de la Rosa; Larry and Ellen Dibler, Artisan Center Theater; Karen Denney, Casa Manana; Kyle Montgomery, Circle Theater; Kappa Sigma Fraternity, Theta Omega Chapter, Creative Arts Theatre & School; Sheridan Keyton, DVA Productions Inc.; Robert Bourdage, Hip Pocket Theatre; Susi and Mike Bickley, Jubilee Theatre; the O’Toole family, Mike, Shelly, Taylor and Brandon, Kids Who Care; James Scroggins, ONSTAGE in Bedford; Decee Cornish, Pantagleize Theatre Company; Byron Holder, Runway Theatre; Jerry Russell (posthumously), Stage West; Robin Dotson, Theatre Arlington; and Brian Clinnin, Trinity Shakespeare Festival.
PHILANTHROPY NOMINATIONS SOUGHT Nominations are open for the 2014 National Philanthropy Day awards given by the Greater Fort Worth Metro Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. The awards will be presented at the Philanthropy Day Luncheon Oct. 30 at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel. Nominations may be made for Distinguished Philanthropist, Outstanding Philanthropic Organization, Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser, Outstanding Professional Fundraising Executive/The Ben Franklin Award and Outstanding Youth in Philanthropy. Visit www.afpfortworth.com for instructions. The deadline for nominations is May 15.
OLDEST GRANTMAKING GROUP CHANGES NAME The Conference of Southwest Foundations, the oldest membership association for grantmakers in the United States, has a new name – Philanthropy Southwest. “As our association has grown and the role of philanthropy has evolved, our leadership agreed the time was right to restate our mission and take on a new name that better reflects the wide range of services we provide and our members’ passion for advancing the public good,” said John Brown, Philanthropy Southwest board president and executive director of Windgate Charitable Foundation. Based in Dallas, the 65-year-old organization has more than 200 member foundations in Arkansas, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. In 2013, the combined annual giving of foundations in these seven states was more than $5.1 billion.
CORPORATE PHILANTHROPY GROUP REBRANDS The Association of Corporate Contributions Professionals (ACCP) recently unveiled a new brand identity, including a new logo and descriptive tagline along with a new website. The updated tagline, “The Resource for Corporate Philanthropy,” better conveys the association’s mission and vision, according to the Florida-based organization. Mark Shamley, president and CEO, said, “This new clear and consistent identification of ourselves as ‘The Resource for Corporate Philanthropy’ answers the question of who we are and what our organization provides to our members and beyond.”
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