Legacy Made Greater
Larry and Sue Ingram’s Generosity Lives On
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Letter From Our Leadership
GIVING MADE GREATER, TOGETHER
Thanks to givers like you — and the exceptional work of our expert staff and Board — Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) continues to grow in both giving and impact. CFT recently reached a new milestone: awarding more than $3 billion in cumulative grants to nonprofits throughout our more than 70-year history. This milestone represents and celebrates the helpers, doers, and givers across our community.
Fiscal Year 2025 was one for CFT’s history books on all fronts. We experienced another remarkable and record-breaking year, receiving $235 million in gifts and distributing $218 million in grants to nonprofits. That’s $60 million in additional dollars granted year-over-year.
CFT’s 17th annual North Texas Giving Day raised $78 million for 3,500 local nonprofits — a record amount raised for a record number of nonprofit participants. This achievement brings the total raised through North Texas Giving Day to over $700 million since its inception. Behind these numbers are real people making a real impact.
We had another major milestone this year: launching HouseDTX and a new $100 million Housing Impact Fund with a focus on Sustainable Community Revitalization to tackle the pressing issues of housing affordability and strengthening neighborhoods. We hope you’ll join with us in supporting this work.
This year’s annual report reflects on how we’ve been making giving greater in partnership with our fundholders, nonprofit grantees, North Texas Giving Day participants, and Educate Texas initiative.
We are especially grateful for your generous and growing support, which enables all that we accomplish and makes a tangible difference in the lives of so many. Your commitment to our shared vision of a thriving community for all fuels the positive change we’re creating together.
Please reach out anytime to explore how we can make your giving greater.
With gratitude and partnership,
For decades, the late Larry and Sue Ingram quietly shaped their community through steady hard work, humble living, and a deep desire to help others. Known by many for their care and generosity, the couple built successful careers while raising a family — Larry rising from a McDonald’s crew member to Dallas regional manager and later owner-operator of 23 restaurants, and Sue building a thriving real estate brokerage and investment business across North Texas.
The Ingrams lived simply, believing that “you should always live on less than you make, so that you always have something to give.” “Giving was woven into every part of their lives. From supporting family members and employees facing hardship to responding to needs at their church, Larry and Sue, known to many as “Mama Sue,” consistently stepped in to help, often anonymously. Their generosity was constant and personal, whether quietly supporting church projects, funding the education of others, or assisting friends in crisis.
When they began planning their estate, they discovered that their wealth had grown into something much larger than they imagined, and they wanted the majority of it to be dedicated to helping others. Working with estate attorney Paul Tagg of the Law Office of Paul F. Tagg, and wealth advisor Debra Brennan Tagg, president of BFS Advisory Group, they realized that the size of their estate meant that they needed a long-term, carefully managed philanthropic approach.
That realization brought them to Communities Foundation of Texas. “CFT provides the backbone that’s often hard to build in a large estate plan,” Paul said. “It gives families like Larry and Sue a way to structure charitable support for the organizations they love forever without having to create a private foundation.”
The Tagg family has a donor-advised fund at CFT, so they knew firsthand the experience we would bring to their clients. After meeting with CFT in 2016, Larry and Sue knew they had found the right partner and quickly established the Ingram Family Legacy Fund, an endowed fund through their estate that would ensure their support will continue year after year for the causes they cared about.
“They had this vision of wanting to help as many people as possible. There’s story after story about the depths of their generosity,” said Debra. “They were very generous, but very private,” added Paul. “The comfort in knowing their plan was established and in place through their estate was a great relief to them.”
The Ingrams designated six nonprofit beneficiaries deeply connected to their lives, and the organizations will receive gifts annually, versus all at once. “Their gifts are now this continuous sprinkling of goodness on the missions they really cared about,” said Debra.
Their grandson, David Floyd, who models his own work ethic after Larry and Sue, believes they would be deeply proud of the difference they continue to make. “They always tried to help anyone they could. They will be helping so many people long after we’re all gone, for decades to come.” David also shared that it’s likely that Larry and Sue might not have fully realized the scale of the impact their estate gifts would make—an impact that will now continue in perpetuity. “I think they would be so happy,” he said.
Through thoughtful planning and a lifetime of generosity, Larry and Sue have created a legacy that continues to strengthen the community they loved, quietly and faithfully, just as they did during their lives together.
“Partnering with CFT provides the backbone that’s often hard to build in a large estate plan. It gives individuals and families a way to structure charitable support for the organizations they love in perpetuity, without having to create a private foundation.”
– PAUL TAGG
Law Office of Paul F. Tagg
Learn more about legacy planning through CFT.
Since 2006, more than 240 students have received transformative scholarships to attend Bishop Lynch High School. Behind these gifts are Andy and Jackie Schwitter and their family, who saw that some students needed additional financial assistance and set out to fill the gap by creating the Bridges Scholarship Fund at CFT.
In addition to their scholarship fund, the family partners with CFT on their charitable giving through their donor-advised fund, the Schwitter Family Fund. They are also proud members of CFT’s legacy society, the Live Oak Society.
One thing that makes the Bridges Scholarship special is its focus on helping students “in the middle” — those who work hard and earn B’s or C’s but show potential. “Kids just need a chance. When they’re given an opportunity, they almost always succeed,” said Andy Schwitter.
The scholarship began as a single four-year award for incoming freshmen, later expanding to multiple awards. It eventually grew to include support for juniors at risk of not being able to afford to return for their senior year, helping to ensure they can graduate with their classmates instead of having to transfer to a new school. They also now support Bishop Lynch High School alumni with college scholarships.
Andy and Jackie’s adult children, who attended Bishop Lynch High School, now participate in selecting scholarship recipients, witnessing firsthand the impact of their parents’ generosity. Over time, the annual scholarship cycle has become a cherished family tradition.
While their giving was initially anonymous to students, the Schwitters now enjoy visiting Bishop Lynch to reveal scholarship winners through “Prize Patrol” visits with CFT. “It’s one of our favorite days of the year,” Jackie said. “Seeing the students’ shock and joy, and the relief of their parents, is incredible.”
The family receives letters from the students, and enjoys following their educational journeys. “The recipients have gone on to become nurses, doctors, teachers, therapists, and professionals in marketing and finance. They’ve followed their passions and used their education to build meaningful lives,” said Jackie.
“When we first started this 20 years ago, we never could have imagined it would grow into what it is today. It’s remarkable.”
– JACKIE SCHWITTER
Fundholder, Bridges Scholarship Fund at CFT
William “Billy” Rodriguez and the late Blaine Knous, who passed away in 2024 after a courageous battle with cancer, are leaving a legacy of impact through CFT that will last long beyond both their lifetimes.
Partners for 14 years, Billy and Blaine met at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, where Billy sang in the choir and Blaine served as an usher. Billy and Blaine have been service-minded their entire lives — Blaine through his support of students and after-school programs, and Billy through his volunteerism with local nonprofits.
Billy first learned about CFT through his service on several nonprofit boards, including Reading & Radio Resource, a nonprofit that provided audio access to printed material for those with blindness or with barriers to reading. The nonprofit created the Reading Resource Fund at CFT in 2015 after the sale of their building to continue furthering their mission for decades to come, and Billy then served on the fund’s advisory board at CFT.
“One of the things I love about our city is that Dallas welcomes everyone to be part of its culture of generosity. No matter who you are, or how you arrived here, there’s an opportunity to give back. When I first moved here, I was told, ‘If you’re going to live in Dallas, you’ve got to give in Dallas,’” said Billy.
In 2023, while caring for Blaine during his cancer treatments, Billy attended a planned giving event with Resource Center and heard from CFT fundholders and Live Oak Society members Andy Smith and Paul von Wupperfeld about their commitment to supporting nonprofits through their estate in partnership with CFT. Their story inspired him. At the time, Billy and Blaine had just offered a matching gift to Resource Center during Pride Month to help double donations.
Billy began exploring a bequest to support Resource Center, and their staff encouraged him to work with CFT to structure the gift of complex assets. As members of CFT’s legacy society, the Live Oak Society, they named CFT as a beneficiary in their estate plan, ensuring their values would be carried forward alongside 250 other individuals and couples whose legacies CFT stewards.
“It was a blessing to work together before Blaine passed to identify the causes our legacy would support,” said Billy. Together they chose to support LGBTQIA+ causes via Resource Center as their primary beneficiary, along with causes they’ve both supported throughout their lives: animals, economic and financial security, education (including literacy at the elementary school level), and environment and conservation.
Blaine, a beloved physical education teacher at Dallas ISD’s John F. Peeler Elementary School for 16 years, loved animals, gardening, running, and reading. In his honor, friends and family funded a book vending machine, memorial garden, and student running club at Peeler Elementary to commemorate his passions.
“Blaine had such a nurturing way in all that he did. This was true even when he gardened. He loved to go to Lowe’s to buy withering plants and nurture them back to life,” said Billy, who served on the Board of the Trinity River Audubon Center for many years, including a term as board chair.
Billy retired at age 50 from a career in commercial real estate finance. He furthers his passion for supporting financial literacy by volunteering with Foundation Communities to help people in need file and amend their tax returns, where he is especially helpful in supporting Spanish speakers.
He also now tutors math at the elementary school where Blaine taught to further honor Blaine’s impact on the lives of so many. “It’s been so helpful to me to be surrounded by people Blaine worked with, and in getting to know some of the students that he mentored,” said Billy.
Leaving a legacy during such profound loss, Billy shared, has helped memorialize their shared commitment to helping others, while also aiding in his own grieving and healing.
“Knowing we have all this planned for, that our wishes will continue to be met after we’re both gone, and that CFT will be here investing our resources for the long term in support of our shared priorities, is all we could have hoped for. Through CFT, we’ve ensured that we can be memorialized together, which was important to us.”
– BILLY RODRIGUEZ
Fundholder, William B. Rodriguez and Blaine A. Knous Philanthropic Fund at CFT
Learn more about legacy planning and CFT’s Live Oak Society.
DID YOU KNOW? It is estimated that two-thirds of Americans do not have a formal estate plan. At CFT, we’ve seen firsthand the significant benefit that planned gifts have on expanding impact. Planned giving offers donors a way to honor a loved one, create a family legacy for the next generation, and provide perpetual support for one or more favorite organizations, all while helping meet future community needs.
Multi-generational Texas law firm Shields Legal Group believes that doing good is good for business.
For more than a decade, Shields Legal Group has partnered with CFT to leverage our nonprofit and charitable giving expertise, keeping corporate citizenship at the forefront of their business model.
Shields Legal Group was one of CFT’s first Center for Business Impact cornerstone sponsors, investing to help grow CFT’s business services while strengthening Shields’ culture of giving back.
“We love partnering with CFT’s well-established, reputable team,” said Jim Shields, founder of Shields Legal Group. “It has had unexpected and incredibly positive effects on our business. We launched a formal volunteer time off program and discovered firsthand which causes matter most to our employees. We believe that there is no better company morale booster than coming together to give back to the community.”
Through CFT, Shields Legal Group employees volunteer at vetted nonprofits, fostering team bonding through shared service experiences. Shields also volunteers alongside other CFT member companies.
“Business is a force for good, and through our partnership with CFT, we’ve realized that even though we’re a small company, we can make a big difference when we join forces with others,” said Kathy Hoke, co-managing shareholder, who helped launch the initial partnership with CFT.
The Shields team strives to instill the value of giving back to the next generation of leaders within the firm, as well as in their growing service-minded family. They also hope their model of service shines as an example that other companies can replicate.
CFT’s Center for Business Impact equips businesses to create meaningful change while fostering employee engagement, and Shields Legal Group is a shining example of how companies can build workplaces rooted in purpose and service.
“I hope that both our firm’s and our family’s commitment to service is something that outlasts me. Decades from now, I want our dedication to volunteerism and community involvement to remain strong.”
– DAVID SHIELDS
Co-Managing Shareholder, Shields Legal Group / Cornerstone Sponsor and Member, Center for Business Impact at CFT
Spotlight on the Shields Family
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Mary Allison Hegi grew up witnessing her parents and grandparents giving back. Her grandparents, Fred and Jan Hegi, were deeply involved in the community, and when she was 11 years old, they invited their six grandchildren, then ages 6 to 14, into their legacy of generosity by creating the Hegi Grandchildren’s Fund at CFT.
I’ve been so fortunate to grow up in a family where giving back is a core pillar of how I’ve been raised,” Mary Allison said. “I’ve been brought into conversations about giving for as long as I can remember. It’s been a privilege to learn from my grandparents’ example.”
Each year, the grandchildren worked with CFT to learn about community needs and decide where to recommend grants from their fund. CFT’s staff helped guide the process, bringing vetted nonprofits based on their interests — whether that was animals, education, faith-based organizations, or global missions.
“CFT talked to us like we were any other fundholder, not 11- or 12-year-olds,” Mary Allison said. “They made us see that our ideas and decisions mattered and made sure we understood the impact we could make. Being trusted with those funding decisions at such a young age was really special.”
Those early experiences shaped who she is today. “I learned how philanthropy works, how nonprofits use funds and that no gift is too small to make a difference.” Along the way, Mary Allison discovered what matters most to her: education, faith-based organizations, and locally rooted nonprofits making a direct impact.
Recently, as the grandchildren began to reach adulthood, Fred and Jan worked with CFT to transition the original shared fund into six individual funds. Now, each grandchild gets to chart their own giving path, grounded in the values their grandparents instilled.
That independence proved meaningful this summer when devastating floods hit the Texas Hill Country. Mary Allison felt urgently compelled to help but wasn’t sure how — until she remembered her new CFT fund, the Mary Allison Hegi Fund.
“CFT guided me through every option and helped me understand where support was most needed,” she said. “It empowered me during a time when everything felt overwhelming.”
A recent Southern Methodist University graduate now following her dreams through a career in New York City, Mary Allison continues to lean on CFT as a philanthropic partner as she discovers nonprofits in her new community.
“I’m passionate about giving back to the place I call home — wherever that is,” she said. “My grandparents showed me what generosity looks like, and CFT taught me that no matter how small or how big, you can make an impact. I hope to pass that lesson on to my own children someday.”
“No matter how small or how big, you can make an impact through giving and generosity. That’s one of the biggest values my grandparents modeled and instilled in me, and that CFT has taught me — and it’s one I hope to pass down to my own children someday.”
– MARY ALLISON HEGI
Fundholder, Mary Allison Hegi Fund at CFT
Raj and Anna Asava have been partnering with CFT on their charitable giving for nearly a decade through the fund they created, the Asava Foundation Fund.
“When we first walked through the doors of Communities Foundation of Texas, it felt like we were home,” said Raj Asava. “A donor-advised fund we could open anywhere. But anywhere else we would be an account number. Here, it feels like home.”
The couple, both first-generation immigrants from India, left their corporate careers in 2009 and 2010 with a clear intention: to devote their “time, talent and treasure” to the betterment of the next generation. Guided by their life philosophy of “learning, earning, and returning,” they turned to CFT to help make their giving more intentional.
Raj and Anna focus their philanthropy on three core areas: hunger, children’s education, and children’s advocacy. CFT helps them identify organizations within those priorities, including nonprofits they noted they might never have discovered on their own.
They partnered with the North Texas Food Bank and the Feeding America network in launching a movement called HungerMitao to increase hunger awareness and mobilize community support. HungerMitao has since enabled more than 25 million meals across North Texas, and 80 million across the country.
During the pandemic, as they witnessed long lines of families waiting for food, the couple decided the time had come to make a larger commitment.
Through their donor-advised fund at CFT, they made a multi-year, seven-figure pledge to Feeding America, with CFT helping structure and steward the gift over time.
Their partnership with CFT has also shaped their legacy planning. Rather than creating a private foundation, they chose to work with CFT, joining CFT’s legacy society, the Live Oak Society, and structuring long-term giving that will continue beyond their lifetimes.
“We thought to ourselves, why would we want our giving to end when we do?” Anna said. “We wanted a way to engage our kids in continued philanthropy.”
With CFT’s help, they designed a plan so that, after their passing, funds at CFT will be divided into new accounts for their children, who will continue to support causes aligned with their family’s values.
“We go to sleep comfortably knowing our intent will carry on,” Raj said. “CFT took the time to understand what mattered to us and built a structure around it. That gives us peace of mind — and it gives our family a way to keep giving back for generations to come.”
“Our focus is impactful philanthropy, not just philanthropy. CFT has enabled our giving to become more strategic.”
– ANNA ASAVA
Fundholder, Asava Foundation Fund at CFT
Many North Texans continue to grieve the impact of the devastating July 4 floods in the Texas Hill Country. Family members, friends, and colleagues lost loved ones or had their lives uprooted and their homes damaged or destroyed; yet, generosity gives us hope.
When local or regional crises unfold, community foundations often find themselves swiftly at the forefront, leading and partnering to convene resources and launch rapid disaster response communications. Immediately after the floods, CFT shared ways to give and donate, along with resources for grief and trauma support.
Our community responded with an outpouring of love and care for Central Texas. We’re grateful to our CFT fundholders and partners, who helped provide more than $4 million to nonprofits through CFT for relief efforts.
On the day of the floods, the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country quickly established the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund. In addition to making grants and partnering locally to raise funds, our staff worked closely with their team, serving as a backbone of support for them alongside other Texas community foundations in Austin and San Antonio.
Collective efforts for their relief fund raised more than $100 million from people all across the nation. The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country continues to lead rebuilding efforts across Kerr County while supporting the mental health of impacted Texans in partnership with the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute.
“We’ve granted to more than 100 nonprofit partners that are helping Kerr County residents move back into their homes, rebuild small businesses and our community, and supporting mental health and grief counseling. Partnership and generosity has made all of this possible.”
– AUSTIN DICKSON
CEO, Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country
Learn more about rebuilding efforts in Kerr County led by the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.
TEGNA Texas Flood Relief Fund
Local television station WFAA partnered with CFT to launch the TEGNA Texas Flood Relief Fund to support ongoing and long-term response efforts in Central Texas. TEGNA, WFAA’s parent company, owns a portfolio of eleven newsrooms across Texas. Together, this group of stations harnessed its reach and viewership across the state, ultimately raising more than $1 million through CFT that is supporting nonprofits providing direct relief to individuals, families, and businesses in Central Texas.
United Texas Flood Relief
Plaza of the Americas coordinated an effort with downtown Dallas businesses and nonprofits to collect monetary donations and essential goods to help support those affected by the Texas Hill Country floods. Partners included: AURORA, Carepod, Downtown Dallas Inc., Glen Park Capital, Klyde Warren Park, LAZ Parking/LAZ Charitable Foundation, Marriott Dallas Downtown, Mind Above Matter, and Newmark. Together, they donated over $200,000 through CFT and delivered four truckloads of donated items.
Educate Texas, an initiative of Communities Foundation of Texas, is preparing the next generation of Texans to meet one of the state’s most urgent needs: a strong, skilled healthcare workforce.
Across Texas, hospitals and clinics face growing shortages of nurses, technicians, and medical specialists. At the same time, thousands of students are searching for opportunities that allow them to earn a living and make a difference in their communities. Through a partnership with the HCA Healthcare Foundation and Medical City Healthcare, CFT’s Educate Texas is helping bring these two needs together.
Supported by a multi-year, $2.3 million investment from HCA Healthcare Foundation’s Healthier Tomorrow Fund, Educate Texas is working with high schools and colleges to expand healthcare career programs that introduce students to real-world learning and training. These programs allow students to earn college credit, industry certifications, and hands-on experience in medical settings before graduation.
With guidance and resources from Educate Texas, schools design programs that reflect local healthcare needs and equip students with the technical and professional skills to meet them. From understanding patient care to learning clinical procedures, students gain exposure to the many roles that keep healthcare systems running and communities healthy.
For the HCA Healthcare Foundation, the partnership represents an investment in both people and place.
This shared focus on opportunity is taking shape in schools like Bowie High School in Arlington, where students train alongside healthcare professionals from Medical City Arlington.
“Through my internship, I get to work with real healthcare professionals in the same setting where patients are treated every day,” said student Roselin Reju. “It’s helped me feel confident and ready to start my career.”
At CFT and Educate Texas, we believe that all Texans should have an education that empowers them to earn a good living, find a purposeful career, and realize bold dreams for themselves, their families, and their communities. Through partnership with the HCA Healthcare Foundation, that vision is becoming reality as we strengthen the healthcare workforce of today and prepare the healthcare leaders of tomorrow.
“We want to make a difference in the lives of students and their families, while also reinforcing the workforce that powers our healthcare facilities.”
– MARIA MARTINEAU
Assistant Vice President of Community Engagement, Medical City Healthcare
CFT is committed to investing in downtown Dallas as part of our vision of a thriving community. We believe that a strong downtown and strong central business district create a stronger Dallas. Ensuring the safety of both residents and visitors is a key component of that success.
A hub for business and employment with a diverse restaurant and retail scene, downtown Dallas offers a variety of activities for individuals and families of all ages, featuring music, theater, and dance, as well as iconic art, history, and science museums.
CFT recently invested $4 million in three nonprofits dedicated to keeping downtown a vibrant and safe place for residents, businesses, and visitors. Grants to Dallas Economic Development Corporation, Downtown Dallas Inc., and Housing Forward support research-based efforts and collective action to expand economic opportunity and improve public safety.
The Dallas–Fort Worth region is the fastest-growing metro in the United States. Established by the City of Dallas with a focus on business investment, job creation, and inclusive economic growth to ensure all communities benefit from the city’s expansion, the Dallas Economic Development Corporation works to position the city as a globally competitive business destination that drives long-term prosperity.
Downtown Dallas Inc.’s Safe in the City initiative is improving public safety and aiding in rehousing and homelessness solutions to enhance security and quality of life for everyone in the downtown area.
A key partner of Downtown Dallas Inc., Housing Forward is working to make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring. Since 2021, the organization has rehoused more than 19,500 individuals and families.
CFT’s grant funding supports their Street to Home initiative, which equips people with tools needed to secure housing, such as funds for moving and utility costs, landlord incentives, case-management support, and more.
Working together through coordinated, data-driven approaches to make downtown greater, these three grantees are strengthening the heart of our city, creating a ripple effect that benefits all Dallasites.
“Our response system has never been stronger. We’re focused on attracting new residents, new investments, and ultimately more sustained vibrancy.”
– JENNIFER SCRIPPS
President and CEO, Downtown Dallas, Inc.
“CFT’s transformative investment strengthens our capacity, validates the importance of our mission, and affirms the value of driving inclusive economic growth in Dallas.”
– LINDA McMAHON
President and CEO, Dallas Economic Development Corporation
As North Texas continues to grow and attract new businesses and residents, we believe that connecting neighborhoods throughout the city is one of the most important long-term investments we can make for our residents.
CFT has intentionally focused some of our discretionary investments on increasing both public safety and access to green space through the creation and expansion of public parks and trails. We’ve been investing in parks to connect people, places, and opportunity since our founding in the 1950s, including significant investments in Klyde Warren Park.
Since 2019, we’ve awarded more than $15 million in park and trail-related grants in partnership with local nonprofits Halperin Park, Kaleidoscope Park, The Loop Dallas, Texas Trees Foundation, Trinity Park Conservancy, and the Trust for Public Land.
More than $10 million of the grants is supporting parks in South Dallas and Southern Dallas County, with an additional $5 million supporting greenspace efforts in downtown Dallas, Frisco, the Medical District, the Trinity River corridor, and West Dallas.
For many of these investments, we’ve also helped fund aspects of development planning and community-based park design to ensure residents are involved in the planning process of these new shared amenities. Through our investments in access to green space, we’re creating a safer and more connected city for generations to come.
“The Loop Dallas is dedicated to uniting neighborhoods in the heart of Dallas and transforming the city into a hub of walkable green spaces. Through strategic investment in our work, CFT is helping build the infrastructure that expands connectivity and infrastructure across our city — changing how Dallas moves, links communities, and activates spaces for everyone.”
– PHILIP HIATT HAIGH
Executive Director, The Loop Dallas
DID YOU KNOW? A large portion of CFT’s investments comes from CFT’s W. W. Caruth, Jr. Fund, which continues to carry forward the late Will Caruth’s giving priorities long beyond his lifetime. Mr. Caruth understood that the factors that shape our quality of life are deeply interconnected. When Mr. Caruth died in 1990, he left $400 million — the bulk of his estate — to CFT to support his passions of public safety, health, and education. Currently the largest fund at CFT, grants from our W.W. Caruth, Jr. Fund have provided $300 million for bold, visionary, large-scale, and transformational efforts across North Texas.
Spotlight on Recent Investments in Parks and Trails
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As North Texas grows, so does the demand for accessible healthcare. From a landmark new pediatric hospital campus to a new mental health and intellectual disability innovation center, new community health centers and an expanded recovery center, CFT’s recent investments in health are helping build or expand transformative healthcare programs and facilities, paving the path to stronger neighborhoods.
A total of $9 million in grant awards supports campus expansions and redevelopments at the following nonprofits: Children’s Medical Center Foundation, Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas, Metrocare, Nexus Family Recovery Center, and Resource Center.
These investments are much more than funding brick-and-mortar buildings. These state-of-the-art facilities will equip each grantee to better serve patients while increasing the number of people they can reach. CFT’s grants support the transformative and expanded care that these facilities and campuses will make possible.
At CFT, we believe a thriving community is one in which every person feels supported and cared for. Each nonprofit grantee applies innovative, systemic approaches to advancing health access, helping ensure that community members can prioritize their well-being regardless of socioeconomic or insurance status.
An additional $1 million in grants was awarded to advance women’s health — from supporting the American Cancer Society’s VOICES study, which aims to better understand cancer risks and outcomes among Black women, to grants supporting a dozen local nonprofits improving maternal healthcare. CFT’s maternal health grantees have been meeting regularly through a peer learning collaborative facilitated by CFT, which has enabled them to create new partnerships, align on community needs, and share best practices.
CFT is proud to invest in organizations that are laying the groundwork for a healthier North Texas, improving the lives of thousands of people across our region — many of whom might otherwise go without the care they need and deserve.
CFT’s 2025 health grantees all share a commitment to delivering high-quality care to every patient who walks through their doors. They go beyond addressing immediate medical needs; they advocate for lifelong well-being, supporting access to health services from infancy through senior years. Many are also leading pivotal research that will shape healthcare for generations to come.
With partners like these, the future of health in North Texas is greater than ever.
“We are deeply grateful to CFT for their investment in our new health center. This generous support helps us provide equitable, culturally competent care, ultimately building a healthier, more inclusive North Texas.”
– CECE COX, J.D.
CEO, RESOURCE CENTER
Read the detailed announcement about our latest health grants.
CFT has made a bold new commitment: a five-year, $50 million investment focused on strengthening neighborhoods and expanding housing access across North Texas.
We believe that communities thrive when residents at every income level have secure housing, a strong education, a voice in their community, a sense of safety, and access to resources that improve their health and wellbeing.
Housing emerged as a central priority through CFT’s focus on health, wealth, living, and learning — areas deeply influenced by where people live.
Rapid growth, rising housing costs, limited supply, and widening gaps in affordability have made it increasingly difficult for many Dallas residents to remain in the communities they call home.
CFT’s new strategy centers on three pillars: partnerships and policy, production, and preservation — a combination proven effective in cities across the nation that are tackling housing challenges. This includes convening public and private partners to improve systems, supporting the production of new affordable homes through innovative development models, and preserving existing housing so it remains safe and attainable long-term.
CFT created a new Housing Impact Fund as a source of flexible, recyclable, low-cost capital that will deploy meaningful resources into the local housing ecosystem by helping mission-aligned developers build more quickly and affordably. With partners across philanthropy, business, finance, and government, CFT aims to leverage its initial $50 million commitment into a $100 million fund.
To advance this work, CFT launched HouseDTX, a new collaborative of funders, advocates, planners, and leaders committed to aligning housing efforts and advancing effective policy. Initial partners include the George W. Bush Institute, Child Poverty Action Lab, Dallas Housing Coalition, the Greater Dallas Planning Council, and Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity.
More than $9 million in grants and program-related investments have already been committed to production efforts that include innovative construction approaches, preservation efforts including the creation of the Dallas Community Land Trust to expand pathways to homeownership, and to planning and policy alignment — laying essential groundwork to create long-term impact.
This commitment to collaborate, convene, and co-invest is the beginning of a multi-year effort to address a challenge that impacts our neighbors, our future economic growth, and our communities as a whole.
“When we talk about attracting investment, growing our workforce, improving public safety, and building stronger families — it all comes back to this question: Can people afford to live in the city they serve, the city they love, and the city they call home? Right now, too many Dallas residents are being priced out or pushed out — locked out of ownership, stability, and opportunity.”
– KIMBERLY BIZOR TOLBERT
City Manager, City of Dallas
CFT’s North Texas Giving Day is a true testament to the power of collective giving. As North Texas Giving Day wrapped up at midnight on September 18, $74.2 million had been raised by 94,000 givers, benefiting 3,500 nonprofits. In the days that followed North Texas Giving Day, additional donations rolled in, bringing the total to over $78 million raised by more than 100,000 givers.
A range of causes was supported, including education, health, social services, the arts, animals, and more. The 17th annual North Texas Giving Day once again catalyzed an outpouring of Texas-sized generosity across our region. This year’s event featured a record number of participating nonprofits, underscoring increased need across our community amidst unexpected funding changes for many organizations.
For a number of participants, this was their most successful North Texas Giving Day yet. Many saw an increased number of givers and more matching funds available from their supporters, which helped them surpass fundraising goals.
2025 marked Amazon’s fifth consecutive year as Presenting Sponsor of North Texas Giving Day. Because of CFT and sponsors like Amazon, all transaction and technology fees are covered, ensuring that 100% of donations go directly to participating nonprofits.
Since its inception in 2009, North Texas Giving Day has funneled more than $710 million directly into our community’s nonprofits.
While North Texas Giving Day season is complete, there’s no deadline on generosity. Gifts can be made on NorthTexasGivingDay.org anytime. CFT continues to leverage the online giving platform year-round to support organizations through cause campaigns, matching fundraisers, group giving events for corporations, and nonprofit-led fundraising efforts.
Learn more about CFT’s North Texas Giving Day.
2025 IMPACT:
- 100,000 donors
- $78 million donated
- 3,500 participating nonprofits
Snapshots from North Texas Giving Day 2025
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2025 Financial Highlights
Investment Managers
BlackRock
Breckinridge Capital Advisors, Inc.
Burgundy Asset Management Ltd.
Calvert Research and Management
Crystal Capital Partners
Dimensional Fund Advisors
Disciplined Growth Investors, Inc.
GQG Partners, LLC
Lazard Asset Management
Northern Trust
Palmer Square
Parametric Portfolio Associates, LLC
Renaissance Technologies, LLC
State Street Global Advisors
TIAA-CREF
Trinity Street Asset Management
Vanguard
CUSTODIAN Northern Trust LEGAL COUNSEL Holland and Knight, LLP INDEPENDENT AUDITOR Baker Tilly US, LLP INVESTMENT CONSULTANT Cambridge Associates, LLC
Financials for Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2025
Total Assets:
Total Grants Paid:
Total Gifts Received:
Number of Funds:
Cumulative Grants:
ASSETS (in
millions, audited)
2025 COMPOSITION OF ASSETS (in millions,
audited)
GIFTS (in millions,
audited)
2025 COMPOSITION OF GIFTS (in millions, audited)
TOTAL GRANTS PAID (in millions,
audited)
2025 COMPOSITION OF GRANTS (in millions, audited)
2025 GRANTS DISTRIBUTION
For a listing of named funds at CFT and to review the annual independent audit report and the related audited consolidated financial statements with footnotes, click here.
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