Communities Foundation of Texas

GIVING BACK & LOOKING FORWARD

In 1953, we were founded on a simple, yet remarkable notion - that every day we have the opportunity to make tomorrow better for our communities. This vision has led us to match real community needs in North Texas in areas such as education, health care, public safety and poverty with the passions of individual and corporate donors driven to make a difference. In 66 years, we've made more than $1.9 billion in grants and are now one of the largest community foundations in the nation. Today, we celebrate this tremendous milestone with the countless men and women who have given back to our communities, and with those who still look forward to making tomorrow better.

1950s

1960s

1970s

1980s

1990s

2000s

2010s

2020s

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1950

1951

1952

A group of prominent business and civic leaders first meet to discuss ways to address community need. These eventual founding members include:
Harold F. Volk
J.B. Adoue, Jr.
Henry S. Miller, Sr.
R.R. Gilbert
J.L. Latimer
B.F. McLain
John E. Mitchell, Jr.
Earl Forsythe
Fred M. Lange

1953

The Dallas Community Chest Trust Fund is established by a group of prominent business and civic leaders to focus on the endowment and capital needs of the Community Chest agencies. Oilman Algur H. Meadows underwrites the first year's expenses, while Fred M. Lange serves as the first executive director.

Harold F. Volk is President of the Board of Trustees.

1954

Pearl C. Anderson, widow of Dr. J.W. Anderson, helps launch DCCTF (which will later become Communities Foundation of Texas) with a large gift of a residual interest in a trust consisting of downtown property, valued at $325,000.

At the first Board of Trustees meeting, the DCCTF's assets total $1,148,000.

1955

DCCTF initially identifies 37 Red Feather member agencies as the beneficiaries of donations. This list will grow and change over time as social needs change.

1956

1957

Forty firms and individuals underwrite the entire cost of the DCCTF development and operations, and pledges are made to ensure the Trust Fund can operate over the next few years.

Men of Vision lead DCCTF

1958

Working mothers in Garland have an added challenge of finding care for their kids in a city with no daycare facilities. Longtime child welfare advocate, Pearl C. Anderson, establishes a fund at the DCCTF to help these working mothers and initiate the Dallas Day Nursery Association.

1959

A variety of well known Dallas attorneys - including Earl A. Forsythe, Joseph W. Riley, Vester T. Hughes, Jr. and William E. Collins - help guide DCCTF in its early years.
“If a free society cannot help the many who

are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”

John F. Kennedy, Jr.

1960

John E. Mitchell, Jr. is President of the Board

1961

DCCTF is incorporated and broadens its scope to include giving to medical care and research, children, the elderly and the disadvantaged, arts and civic improvement, social services, the sciences and religion.

1962

A $20,000 grant from the Trust Fund enables the St. Paul Hospital cardiac research program to develop new surgical techniques that keep the hospital on the leading edge of cardiac care for years to come.

1963

DCCTF sponsors a book project distributing 1,000 copies of "Helping the Alcoholic and His Family," written by Dr. Thomas J. Schipp, pastor of Lovers Lane Methodist Church.

DCCTF continues to be blessed with strong leadership

1964

Total gross assets for DCCTF reach $2,779,000 with grants and loans made to an ever-increasing number of non-profit organizations.

W.W. Caruth, Jr. donates a hyperbaric oxygen chamber to St. Paul Hospital through his fund at DCCTF.

James H. Bond becomes President of the Board of Trustees of DCCTF.

1965

DCCTF receives its largest single gift ever, valued at $359,575, from W.W. Caruth, Jr.

DCCTF gives the Boys & Girls Club of Dallas a playground in West Dallas, and also begins leasing 6.6 acres of land to the Club for $1 per year.

Frank H. Heller becomes President of the Board of Trustees of DCCTF.

1966

Granville C. Morton, of Morton Potato Chip Company, donates $1,000,000 to the Wadley Research Institute. The donation helps fund a 50-bed hospital for research and treatment of cancer, leukemia and other blood diseases.

1967

Preferring to give gifts to children in lieu of Christmas gifts to customers, Will Caruth donates a new woodworking shop to the 2,300-plus underprivileged youth of the Boys & Girls Club of Dallas.

The Advisory Council continues to grow and influence. Oilman Clint Murchison's wife becomes a member of the DCCTF's Advisory Council.

1968

Pearl C. Anderson is honored at the 10th anniversary celebration for the children's day nursery that bears her name.

1969

A $200,000 gift from the W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation Fund establishes the Caruth Institute of Small Business Management at Southern Methodist University (SMU), offering education and training for entrepreneurs and small business owners.

A new tax law provides incentives for donors to use community foundations as a philanthropic vehicle preference over private foundations.
“A man has made
at least a start
on discovering the
meaning of life
when he plants
shade trees under
which he knows
full well he will
never sit.”

Philosopher Alfred North Whitehead

1970

1971

Building the Fred M. Lange Center on Live Oak Street allows DCCTF to grow and better serve the community, as well as provide meeting space for local nonprofits.

The Perot and Morton Funds are established.

500 Texas high schools across 138 school districts receive sets of Taylor's Encyclopedia of Government Officials,thanks to the S. H. Lynch Fund of DCCTF.

1972

YWCA receives a $50,000 grant from CFT for a new building to be located at 4621 Ross Avenue.

The Granville C. and Gladys H. Morton Fund of DCCTF presents a million dollar challenge grant to help build a new Wadley Regional Blood Center.

Russell H. Perry becomes Chairman of the DCCTF Board of Trustees.

1973

Staunch believers in education, Carr P. and Ruth Collins donate their money and time to the students and quality curriculum at Dallas Baptist College (now Dallas Baptist University). The Carr P. and Ruth Collins Learning Center on campus is a reminder of the generosity made possible by their fund at DCCTF.

1974

The W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation - now the largest support foundation administered - is created, establishing a legacy of giving that will continue long after Will Caruth's death.

1975

Baylor University Medical Center opens the Blanche Swanzy Lange Special Care Newborn Nursery in 1975 to help newborns needing intensive care and observation, thanks to a gift from the Lange fund of DCCTF.

Marking the 21st year of donating items to children in lieu of Christmas gifts to customers, Will Caruth gives a new passenger van to Children's Medical Center through the W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation Fund of DCCTF.

1976

Total grants distributed from DCCTF since its inception reach $12.5 million.

Adlene Harrison becomes the first female mayor of Dallas.

1977

DCCTF makes grants totaling $2,084,000. Assets exceeding $27 million make it the seventh-largest community foundation in the nation.

1978

DCCTF celebrates its 25th anniversary, and Harold Volk becomes president.

W.W. Caruth, Jr. donates $1.5 million to the Trust Fund in the form of stock in The North Park Inn.

1979

DCCTF donates $50,000 to build a new home for the Dallas Bar Association, which takes over the Belo Mansion as its headquarters.
“Nurture the programs that are mere seeds

today so they may bear fruit tomorrow.”

JOHN F. STEPHENS, CFT Chairman, 1988

1980

DCCTF outgrows its Live Oak headquarters and triples the building’s size with an addition. Local nonprofits continue to use the improved facilities for meetings.

1981

DCCTF changes its name to Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) to reflect donors’ interests in charitable endeavors throughout the state.

Several nonprofits lease office space in the Fred Lange Center, including: Children’s Television Workshop’s promotional division, which promotes Sesame Street, The Electric Company and 3-2-1 Contact.

An unrestricted grants program is initiated, and the first Area Funds - Millard’s Crossing in Nacogdoches and the Palacios Area Fund in Palacios - are created.

1982

CFT computerizes books and records to better serve donors.

Congresswoman Lera Millard Thomas, born and raised in Nacogdoches, establishes a fund at CFT to help ensure the renovation and preservation of her estate. Today the 37-acre mini-city, filled with 19th century homes, a chapel, a log cabin and a school, is known as Millard’s Crossing.

1983

Restaurant entrepreneur Norman Brinker uses his philanthropic fund at Communities Foundation of Texas to support many causes in Dallas including the arts and higher education.

1984

CFT reaches $100 million in assets.

1985

H. Ross Perot makes an $18 million donation through a fund established at CFT, which both allows the Foundation to be a major player in the construction of I.M. Pei’s Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center and breaks philanthropic records by becoming the largest donation in history from a community foundation to an arts organization.

1986

The Dallas Morning News Charities begins its annual giving campaign; CFT helps in the selection of agencies.

1987

The Dorothea Leonhardt Fund at CFT partially funds a sculpture garden in Fair Park’s lagoon area. The sculpture garden was designed by Patricia Johanson to enhance the natural beauty of Fair Park.

1988

A foundation grant assists the construction of the Museum of African-American Life and Culture at Fair Park.

Dallas Parks and Recreation Department’s Send a Kid to Camp program begins serving Dallas’ low income youth who have few or no opportunities for structured summer programming. CFT manages its fund.

CFT purchases a van for the Dallas Museum of Art “Go Van Gogh” program. The van transports various art materials to students in schools throughout Dallas County for art demonstrations.

1989

Ollie Mae and John T. Gordin donate their rare oriental ivory collection to CFT. The collection is now on display in the CFT boardroom and waiting area. The ivory statues are intricately carved from unusually large ivory tusks and are thought to represent the Ting Dynasty.
1990

CFT operations expand throughout the state, with Area Funds in Tyler, Palacios, Nacogdoches and San Angelo.

1991

CFT awards $200,000 to the Dallas Museum of Art to help establish the Nancy and Jake Hamon building. Jake Hamon served on the board of DCCTF from 1969-1971.

1992

CFT grants $239,000 to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens for the design and construction of Crape Myrtle Allee. Composed of 45-year-old crape myrtles from the original DeGolyer Gardens, the Allee will serve as a walkway with frog-shaped fountains spraying water and linking the traditional gardens to the lily pond.

1993

CFT assists in funding an exhibit at the Dallas Memorial Center for Holocaust Studies. The exhibit consists of 85 photos taken in the Warsaw Ghetto by an off-duty German soldier.

1994

CFT grants funds to assist with the cost of renovating Mi Escuelita Preschool’s East Dallas facility. Its programs equip children who have English language deficiencies.

1995

CFT makes a $25,000 grant for new student center furniture at Paul Quinn College, the oldest liberal arts college for African-Americans.

CFT makes a grant to the Salvation Army to fund a centralized database, through which holiday assistance agencies can track individuals and families applying for special help during the Christmas season.

1996

The Ricky A. Rudine Memorial Fund helps establish the Earning by Learning program that motivates Dallas children to read through positive encouragement and monetary reward.

CFT donates funds to establish The Dallas Supporters of the Fort Worth Dallas Ballet. Recognizing the difficulty of funding two major ballet companies in a challenging economic environment, supporters desired a ballet company of the highest quality to perform on a regional scale.

Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center offers highly complex and delicate therapeutic and investigative services for child abuse victims. CFT grants provide support to expand its facilities and create a reserve fund for operating costs.

1997

The W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation Fund gives the first $5 million grant to UT Southwestern Medical Center to foster research with young medical scientists through the “Caruth Scholars” program. This program continues to attract the brightest minds and is one of the most generous medical start-up packages anywhere, with scholars receiving $600,000 in research funds over the first four years of their faculty careers.

CFT awards challenge grant to the Foundation for African-American Art to update technology at the museum.

Ruth Sharp Altshuler becomes Chairman of the CFT Board of Trustees.

1998

The SPCA of Texas has a tough job - caring for animals without the support of government funding - and generous contributions from CFT donors like Phoebe and Russell Perry go a long way to help make its job a little easier. In 1998, the SPCA of Texas began building the Russell H. Perry campus on a 30-acre tract of land in West McKinney.

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children establishes the Christi Carter Urschel Family Resource Center largely through funding from Donald J. and Linda J. Carter’s Fund at CFT. The center provides a place where patients, families, staff and community agencies can collaborate on patients’ care and share emotional support.

North Texas Winds, an organization dedicated to bringing music to the elderly and disadvantaged, receives a CFT grant for a series of concerts at local nursing homes.

1999

Through a gift from the W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation, CFT recognizes the selfless dedication of Dallas police officers who have lost their lives serving the city’s citizens by giving the Dallas Police Foundation a $550,000 grant to build the Dallas Police Memorial. The canopied plaza adjacent to City Hall bears the names and badge numbers of the fallen heroes.

Common Cents Dallas program and scholarship kicks off, thanks to CFT donor Louise Gartner. Dallas Independent School District (DISD) students raise money through coin drives at school and also get to decide where the money will go.

Jean & Tom Walter recommend $3 million in grants for UT Southwestern to establish research centers on macular degeneration, urologic oncology and postdoctoral training in breast cancer care and research.

Through the Hegi Charitable Fund at CFT, Jan and Fred Hegi support Interfaith Housing Coalition and its work to teach homeless families how to meet daily needs and regain self-sufficiency

Several funds at CFT participate in the restoration of Lee Park and Arlington Hall.
2000

Entrepreneurs for North Texas is established to facilitate the community involvement and philanthropy of small and midsize companies.

Mabel Peters Caruth announces her gift of $34 million to CFT, among the largest single charitable donations ever recorded in Dallas. She requests that this donation be used to establish and maintain a new, centrally located headquarters to serve the Foundation and the community.

Trinity Works, a full-service treatment center offering job training, health care, counseling, temporary housing and other services essential for the rehabilitation of Dallas’ poorest residents, moves into a 3-story facility at Bryan and Annex thanks in part to a gift of land from CFT.

Pegasus returns to the Dallas skyline during a New Year’s Eve celebration known as “Dallas 2000—The Downtown Celebration.“ Several CFT donors contribute to the iconic sign’s restoration.

Charles J. Wyly, Jr. becomes Chairman of the CFT Board of Trustees.

2001

Cumulative grants from CFT exceed $500 million.

Thanks to Charles and Ann Eisemann, longtime supporters of the cultural arts, and a $2 million grant from the Eisemann Foundation Fund of CFT, the city of Richardson opens the Charles W. Eisemann Center for Performing Arts and Corporate Presentations, a new performing arts venue bringing artists and entertainers to North Texas.

Mary Anne Sammons Cree recommends two grants from the Rosine Foundation Fund of CFT: a $1.5 million gift that expedites the design and construction of “Wave,” famed Spanish architect, engineer and sculptor Santiago Calatrava’s sculpture-fountain outside SMU’s Meadows Museum, and a $2.5 million grant for the Texas Discovery Gardens, honoring her mother’s passion for butterflies, education and conservation by creating the world’s first combination butterfly and insect immersion exhibit.

Through the J.A. Glass Fund, the Louis A. and Julia T. Beecherl, Jr. Fund and others like them, CFT awards more than $250,000 to Goodwill Industries for a new facility that will triple the number of people served at its West Dallas location

An eight-year, $1.2 million grant from the W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation at CFT is given in support of an innovative program called the Child Advocacy Clinic at SMU Dedman School of Law. One of the first of its kind, the clinic integrates the knowledge and services of social workers, pediatricians, psychologists and lawyers for children represented by Child Protective Services.

2002

CFT honors the memory of Will Caruth by giving a $5 million gift from the W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation Fund that establishes a Basic Science Research Program in the Immunology of Solid Organ Transplantation at Baylor Research Institute. This program seeks to discover innovative therapies and increase understanding of how bodies treat foreign substances, including transplanted organs.

CFT hosts the 17th annual “Evening with Scott Burns,” a financial seminar featuring The Dallas Morning News columnist.

2003

CFT moves into the 60,000-square-foot Mabel Peters Caruth Center at 5500 Caruth Haven Lane, thanks to a generous $34 million bequest from Mabel Peters Caruth. The gift is among the largest single charitable donations ever recorded in Dallas.

Latino Cultural Center opens in Dallas. CFT collects funds on behalf of the City of Dallas, which is managing the design and construction of the building.

CFT funds a $500,000 planning grant to produce the master plan for establishing a new permanent campus for the University of North Texas (UNT) at Dallas.

2004

Texas High School Project, now Educate Texas, is created at CFT as an innovative alliance of public and private groups sharing a common goal: to improve the public education system so that every Texas student is prepared for success in school, the workforce and life.

Frontiers of Flight Museum opens thanks to grants from CFT funds such as the Margot W. and Ben H. Mitchell Fund and the Jane and Jack Hamilton Fund.

T. Boone Pickens, Jr. establishes a donor-advised fund at CFT to make a difference in higher education, medical research, cultural interests and disaster relief.

2005

CFT awards a $15 million grant from the W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation Fund to the Dallas Police Department, funding the groundbreaking Caruth Police Institute that prepares leaders in the DPD to become better educated and trained officers. The grant also provides equipment to assist and protect DPD officers, and it is the largest grant on record from a community foundation to any municipal police force in the United States.

Uplift Education opens Peak Preparatory at 4605 Live Oak in the former CFT headquarters. W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation at CFT funds the conversion of the land and CFT’s old headquarters into this successful urban charter school.

CFT funds The Mayborn Graduate Institute of Journalism at the University of North Texas to organize the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference for journalists, writers, readers and educators.

A $100,000 grant from the Sammons Foundation Fund at CFT to the Dallas Museum of Natural History is given as a planning grant to create the Perot Museum of Nature and Science.

CFT donors give $1.3 million to Hurricane Katrina and Rita relief.

Brent Christopher becomes President and CEO of Communities Foundation of Texas.

2006

In honor of Ebby Halliday’s 30 years of service to CFT, the Ebby Halliday Acers Society is established to honor those who have served CFT for years and demonstrate the selfless dedication and tireless spirit of Ebby Halliday Acers.

Booker T. Washington School for the Performing and Visual Arts meets the $500,000 multi-year challenge grant from CFT and is well on its way to opening a new campus in the downtown Dallas arts district.

2007

A $100,000 grant to Senior Source is given to support the “Coming of Age” campaign, enabling the agency to purchase, renovate, equip and endow an administrative center that serves senior adults in Dallas.

The Dallas Morning News Charities Fund at CFT is established to achieve an increase in the efficiency and accountability of the campaign, which has raised nearly $21 million in its 25-year history. Continuing the long-time partnership with TDMN, CFT provides guidance in the selection of agency beneficiaries and processes all donations.

2008

The W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation at CFT awards $10.1 million to Southern Methodist University’s School of Engineering to create new facilities and promote engineering and technology education in grades K-12 and beyond.

Dogwood Canyon Audubon Center in Cedar Hill is constructed, thanks in part to a grant from CFT.

2009

DonorBridge launches as the most comprehensive public resource for connecting North Texas nonprofits and supporters.

CFT raises $4 million for local nonprofits in its first annual North Texas Giving Day event, run through DonorBridge.

The W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation Fund at CFT pledges $1.5 million to bring Teach for America to Dallas.

WFAA-TV’s 41st annual Santa’s Helpers Toy Drive distributes more than 75,000 toys to approximately 50,000 children, thanks in part to CFT processing all cash and online donations to the campaign.

Swift Action raises $4.25 million to help UTD advance to Tier One national research status. CFT helps by pooling donations and helping them qualify for state matching funds.

After Dallas sheltered evacuees from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, local agencies look to create the nation’s first-ever coordinated disaster response preparedness plan. A $5 million challenge grant from the W.W.Caruth, Jr. Foundation supports Mass Care Taskforce partners including the four largest human relief agencies: American Red Cross, The Salvation Army, North TexasFood Bank and the Volunteer Center of North Texas.

Joseph M. “Jody” Grant becomes Chairman of the CFT Board of Trustees.
2010

The W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation at CFT grants $3.5 million to the American Heart Association for a transformative heart attack emergency response system, making it possible for North Texas hospitals to reduce the time it takes a heart attack patient to receive lifesaving treatment. The protocol soon becomes an international model.

At the request of Former President George W. Bush, CFT establishes the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund at CFT to help restore Haiti after a devastating earthquake. Millions of dollars were dedicated to assisting this disaster.

The restoration and renovation of the historic 150-year-old Caruth Family homeplace is completed.

The W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation at CFT grants $2 million to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center for the county’s first comprehensive sexual assault treatment program. The grant supports forensic exam suites, nurse examiner training, post-trauma counseling and advocacy for victims.

The W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation at CFT grants $2 million to Big Thought to support Thriving Minds, DISD’s out of school program serving 34 DISD elementary and middle schools serving more than 4,500 children.

2011

The Nicol Family Fund at CFT funds the Life Shines Bright Pregnancy Program at Methodist Health Systems. The program provides resources for at-risk expectant mothers to help reduce the risk of preterm birth.

The Kids Who Care Musical Theatre Group of Fort Worth performs at the North Texas Giving Day segment on Good Morning Texas and kicks off the day’s pajama parties. North Texas Giving Day raises $10.7 million for more than 500 nonprofits.

CFT funds Zero to Five Funders Collaborative for continued program support ensuring children in the Bachman Lake neighborhood are physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually ready for school by age five.

Frederick “Fred” Hegi becomes Chairman of the CFT Board of Trustees.

2012

CFT founds the Data-Driven Decision-Making (D3) Institute after releasing the Asset Poverty Profile of Dallas. The institute is designed to provide organizations that offer programs and services for low-income working families the power to accelerate the development of enduring solutions to social and economic problems.

Klyde Warren Park opens in Downtown Dallas. The W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation Fund at CFT makes a $5 million grant to enhance the public safety of the new park and tunnels.

CFT awards $2.1 million in teacher and school leader preparedness grants for UTD UTeach, Teach for America, Teaching Trust, Big Thought, Plano ISD Education Foundation, National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity Education Foundation and KIPP DFW.

2013

The fifth annual North Texas Giving Day raises $24K per minute, setting a national record for community-wide giving events by raising more than $25.2 million for 1,351 local nonprofits in 17 hours.

To increase the local pool of talented teachers and school leaders, CFT makes $2 million in grants to nonprofits training those serving in local at-risk middle schools, like Teaching Trust, Teach for America and more.

Building nonprofit muscle is the goal of the Data-Driven Decision-Making (D3) Institute which graduated its first cohort of 16 nonprofits that serve low-income working families to build their financial stability.

Donating for demolition? That's exactly what Jane and Bill Browning's daughters did from their donor-advised fund at CFT to benefit the Dallas Zoo by demolishing the outdated large mammal building to make room for the new Picnic Ridge.

W.W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation announces a grant of up to $7.5 million to the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern.

2014

For the first time in history, CFT makes more than $100 million in grants in one year.

Construction begins on $8.2 Million Cottages at Hickory Crossing, a model project for permanent supportive housing to house the chronically homeless thanks to lead funding from Caruth at CFT.

One in three North Texans can't weather a financial storm that lasts 90 days. KERA's One Crisis Away series follows four families on the financial edge thanks to funding from CFT.

Critical knowledge is often lost as vulnerable patients move between medical and social service organizations. The Caruth Foundation at CFT announces a grant of up to $12 million to enable Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation (PCCI) to build the revolutionary Dallas Information Exchange Portal and solve the persistent problem of fragmented patient information that inhibits delivery of care.

Educate Texas celebrates its 10th anniversary.

The Elder Financial Safety Center, funded by at $3.9 million grant from the W. W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation at CFT, launches as the most comprehensive partnership of The Senior Source, DA's office and Probate Courts.

2015

CFT launches and guides first cohort of nonprofits through the Working Families Success Network of North Texas to further support improving financial stability for low-income working families.

TI Foundation announces that they will donate $2.2 million to Educate Texas and Lancaster ISD for its STEM district.

North Texas Giving Day surpasses its own national record, raising $33 million in 18 hours for more than 2,020 North Texas nonprofits.

2016

$1 million raised for relief and recovery efforts from the Garland/Rowlett tornadoes and the Dallas Police Shooting.

Nine nonprofits sites go "live" as official members of the Working Family Success Network of North Texas, thanks to year-long training at CFT.

Developer Craig Hall opens two restaurant spaces at Hall Arts that he donates to Communities Foundation of Texas.

The Cottages at Hickory Crossing—a $8.2 million pilot project to help chronically homeless—opens in Deep Ellum.

2017

Dave Scullin joins as new president and CEO of Communities Foundation of Texas

$4.8 million raised for Hurricane Harvey and other relief efforts through CFT

Five regions of Texas chosen to increase the number of students earning STEM credentials thanks to Educate Texas

Dallas selected as one of 11 national cities for Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation by W. K. Kellogg Foundation

$39 million raised for 2,700 nonprofits on North Texas Giving Day

2018

CFT publishes Dallas County Economic Opportunity Assessment to highlight critical community data and demonstrate how place and race matters

North Texas Giving Day raised $48 million from 81,000 donors

CFT distributes $1.1 million to 254 scholarship recipients

5,000+ clients served through CFT’s Working Families Success Network since 2014

CFT opens Collin County Office

Richardson ISD “STEM for All” announced thanks to $4.6 million grant from Texas Instruments Foundation to Educate Texas

35 Racial Equity grants announced

9,000+ hours volunteered by Communities Foundation of Texas for Business member companies

2019

Educate Texas' RGV Focus program announces that Rio Grande Valley students are beating 9 of 12 statewide education benchmarks

CFT's Caruth Fund announces $6.3 million to largest set of grantees in a single year. Funds are meant to address the community's challenges holistically and work across sectors of public safety, education and health to solve them.
“Our north star is to

build thriving

communities for all.”

2020

CFT celebrates passing the $2 billion in cumulative grantmaking milestone since 1953.

CFT's Educate Texas culminates work on 20 x 2020 goals for student success.

2021

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