The Tower in downtown Fort Worth will open its doors for 20 nights only in June and July for a pop-up restaurant event benefiting Cowtown’s new Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival. Some of the most well-known Texas chefs will cook intimate dinners for 50 diners each night of the Twenty at the Tower culinary fundraiser. A reception with hors d’oeuvres and drinks will start things off at 6:30 p.m. Dinner will begin promptly at 7. Drinks are BYOB and seating will be family style. A different chef will prepare a multicourse menu each night. Patrons will not know which chef is preparing their dinner until they arrive; however, menus will be released the Friday before each dinner on Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival’s Facebook page. The following chefs have been confirmed: Jon Bonnell, Jason Dady, Graham Dodds, Scott Gottlich, Jeff Harris, Eric Hunter, Tim Love, Kevin Martinez, Matt McCallister, Andre Natera, Marcus Paslay, Juan Rodriguez, Blaine Staniford, John Tesar, Gerard Thompson, Michael Thomson and Todd Williamson. Twenty at the Tower dates are: June 2-3; June 9-10; June 16-18; June 23-24; June 30-July 1; July 7-8; July 14-16; July 21-22; and July 28-29. Tickets are $75 including tax, valet and ticketing fees. Gratuity is not included. Tickets can be purchased at www.fortworthfoodandwinefestival.com. Proceeds from Twenty at the Tower will benefit the new nonprofit Fort Worth Food + Wine Foundation, which supports culinary endeavors by creating grants and scholarships for farmers, students and entrepreneurs. The inaugural Fort Worth Food + Wine Festival is set for March 27-30, 2014.
SafeHaven grant continues services SafeHaven of Tarrant County was awarded a $200,000 grant from the Meadows Foundation to help ease the organization’s budget constraints. The grant will strengthen SafeHaven’s operating reserve, which has been strained over the past several years as demand for the nonprofit’s services has outpaced funding. The grant includes a guaranteed $150,000 and up to $50,000 more in matching funds, which means for every $2 SafeHaven raises, the Meadows Foundation will match $1. SafeHaven is dedicated to ending family violence through safety, support, prevention and social change. The agency’s two emergency shelters, one in Arlington and one in Fort Worth, accommodate a combined 174 women and children. To find out more about domestic abuse or SafeHaven of Tarrant County, or to make a matching donation, visit http://www.safehaventc.org.
Funds back Food Bank’s kids program Tarrant Area Food Bank received a $50,000 grant from Morgan Stanley to fund its BackPacks for Kids program, which helps to feed children on the weekends during the school year. The program fills backpacks with nonperishable foods such as single-serving boxes of cereal, milk and juice, and single-serving fruit cups, vegetable cups, tuna packs, Vienna sausages, peanut butter crackers, granola bars, raisins and other snacks. With this program, kids who usually eat reduced-cost or free lunches at school can get the nutrition they need over weekends or long breaks. Tarrant Area Food Bank is the primary source of donated food for a network of hunger-relief charities in 13 counties surrounding Fort Worth. The food bank offers Kids Cafes, BackPacks for Kids, School Pantries and senior feeding programs as well as nutrition education, culinary job training and community gardening expertise.
Weaver works to end hunger The Weaver Private Foundation named Feed The Children as its charity of choice for the fiscal year 2012-2013. The foundation contributed $45,000 to the organization in conjunction with local partner agencies in communities where Weaver, the largest independent accounting firm in the Southwest, has offices. Weaver employees participated in volunteer activities supporting local Feed The Children partner agencies across Texas. In each location, the partner agency identified 400 families who each received a 25-pound box of food and a box of personal care items. Volunteers helped the Community Food Bank of Fort Worth give out food boxes, essentials boxes and last-minute donated fresh fruit and vegetables to recipients.
Fort Worth theater receives award Amphibian Stage Productions recently won the Neighborhood Revitalization Award for a commercial property from the Greater Fort Worth Association of Realtors. The award is presented quarterly by the association to a property owner or investor who has enhanced the community by making noticeable exterior improvements to his/her property. The award may be presented to a commercial or residential property owner. Amphibian was recognized for the renovation of its new home at 120 S. Main St. in Fort Worth’s Near Southside. The nonprofit company purchased the property in May 2012 and completely renovated the space, which formerly housed a dance club. Local architect Gregory S. Ibañez of Ibañez Architecture designed the new space and donated his services. Amphibian opened the renovated theater to the public in October. To date, Amphibian has raised more than 80 percent of the funds for its capital campaign. Stage and screen actor Kevin Kline, a longtime supporter of the company, has stepped in as capital campaign chairman to assist in raising an additional $364,000 to complete the project. Donors can call 817-923-3012 or visit www.amphibianproductions.org to contribute.
Philanthropy conference deadline nears The online registration deadline for the 33rd annual DFW Philanthropy in Action Conference ends May 31. The conference is presented by Grant the Good and hosted by the Greater Dallas and Fort Worth Metro Chapters of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). This year’s conference will be June 7 at the Irving Convention Center in Irving. Steve Chandler, keynote speaker, will be joined by more than 30 national and statewide authorities focusing on generating techniques for increasing financial support for community organizations. Conference registration, information about the sessions and speakers, and hotel information are available at http://www.dfwphilanthropyconference.com/dfw/registration.asp. The CFRE Review Course will be in conjunction with the conference on June 5-6 at the same location. This review course has helped thousands of development professionals prepare for and pass the exam to become a certified fundraising executive. For more information, visit http://www.DFWPhilanthropyconference.com/DFW/CFRE.asp or contact Fran Lobpries, CFRE Review Course chairman, at 469-955-4976 or Lobpries1@sbcglobal.net.
Send nonprofit items to Betty Dillard at bdillard@bizpress.net