Dallas Fort Worth Nonprofit Business Journal

Category: General

  • Birthday Benefit pays off for Grant Halliburton Foundation

    The tenth anniversary Eric Nadel Birthday Benefit has raised more than $100,000 for Grant Halliburton Foundation.

    Held on June 2 at the Kessler Theater, the event featured a VIP party for sponsors, live and silent auctions and music acts including Cas Haley as the headliner. It was presented by Bell Nunnally and 105.3 The Fan served as media sponsor.

    The event included a new feature for 2022. Guests enjoyed Texas Rangers-themed snack vendors, such as those that would be seen at a baseball game. The baseball-themed treats included sunflowers seeds, Cracker Jacks, Big League Chew bubble gum, Baby Ruth candy bars and roasted peanuts. 

    Eric Nadel, the voice of the Texas Rangers, welcomed attendees to his 70th birthday party benefit concert. Kevin Hall, Grant Halliburton Foundation president, also spoke at the event. Proceeds from the fundraiser support the Foundation’s mental health and suicide prevention education programs for North Texas children, teens and young adults.

    Grant Halliburton Foundation was established in 2006 in memory of a Dallas teen who battled depression and bipolar disorder for several years before his suicide death at the age of 19. The Foundation that bears his name works to help families and young people recognize the signs of mental illness through a variety of avenues including education, conferences, collaboration and encouragement. Since its inception, the Foundation has provided mental health education, training, and support to more than 250,000 students, educators, parents, and professionals.

    The Foundation also offers free community tools that provide easy access for North Texans seeking mental health and addiction information and resources.

  • Cups Jars Vessels names scholarship recipients

    Cups Jars Vessels has awarded college scholarships to two recipients with the support of a scholarship sponsor.

    Cups Jars Vessels equips individuals and families with effective financial tools through education on money management. The organization also awards scholarships to graduating youth preparing for secondary education.

    Dr. Keith Mitchell, DDS, Cosmetic & Family Dentistry, was the 2022 fiscal sponsor. Recipients include Kaiden Drain and Ryan Taylor.

    Each will receive $1,000 to assist with covering the costs of college tuition and books.  Scholarships are awarded to graduating high school students who plan to enroll and attend a two or four-year college or university. Eligible students must demonstrate financial need, leadership, ambition, determination to set and reach goals, and respect for self, family and community.

    Drain will attend Grambling State University pursuing a degree in Biology. His long-term goal is to become a pediatric neurosurgeon.

    “I have explored this career field by working over 100 hours as a junior volunteer at Methodist Hospital and shadowing my mentor Dr. Dale Okorodudu, a Pulmonary & Critical Care specialist,” said Drain.

    Taylor will attend University of Alabama pursuing a degree Management Information Systems.

    “The concept of using technology to make the world a better place is profound, and I am eager to contribute,” said Taylor.

  • Tarrant County taps Child Care Associates to guide multi-million dollar investment

    The Tarrant County Commissioners Court has approved a $45 million investment of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for child care across the county. A portion of the funds will be implemented in partnership with Child Care Associates (CCA).

    The funding includes $2 million to strengthen child care businesses and quality, $15 million to stabilize quality child care and increase whole child supports, and $28 million to expand infant-toddler access and infrastructure for highest need families. CCA will implement the investment in child care, supported by ongoing guidance from the Blue Ribbon Action Committee on Child Care that was recently formed in partnership with Tarrant County, the city of Fort Worth and the city of Arlington.

    Through the ARPA, Tarrant County received $408 million to mitigate the ongoing effects of COVID-19 and support pandemic recovery. On March 1, the Commissioners Court approved a budget that allocated all $408 million to various focus areas and goals, including $45 million to increase access to high quality child care and early learning in Tarrant County.

    “The pandemic both highlighted and intensified the need for affordable, high quality child care for families in Tarrant County,” said Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley. “I’m thrilled that we’re applying these once-in-a-lifetime funds to expand and strengthen the industry, so that more parents have the support they need, and more children have access to transformational childhood development.”

    The county has dedicated $15 million to sustain Tarrant County’s highest quality child care providers already serving infants and toddlers. It will partner with CCA to provide Sustainability Contracts with Whole Child Supports to offset the actual costs of quality child care, enhance child care educator salaries, and expand whole child supports to children in these programs.

    “Our working families and economy depend on easy access to child care,” said Rose Bradshaw, co-chair of the Blue Ribbon Action Committee. “The Blue Ribbon Action Committee recognizes the remarkable support coming from the state directly to licensed child care providers in our community. We saw a unique opportunity to couple that investment with more intensive business coaching to help ensure these businesses are strategic in how they invest this stabilization funding for long-term success.”

    To maximize existing infrastructure and resources, the county and Child Care Associates will seek  partnerships with municipalities, ISDs, higher education and other public entities with a goal of doubling the county’s investment of $28 million and adding 50 new infant-toddler classrooms in high need neighborhoods. This infrastructure investment has the potential to draw down a projected $160 million in Early Head Start funding for Tarrant County families over 20 years.

    ”I am thrilled that Tarrant County and CCA together can expand Early Head Start services for infants and toddlers in some of our highest need neighborhoods,” said Tarrant County Commissioner, Precinct 1, Roy C. Brooks. “The greatest return on investment in education remains largely untapped – providing high quality early education and care services for infants and toddlers of families who need those services.”

    Child Care Associates (CCA) is one of the largest child development nonprofits in North Texas and has served more than half a million young children over the past 54 years. Through Head Start, Early Head Start and Child Care Management Services, CCA delivers quality early education programs to children and families of disadvantaged means, offsetting the high cost of child care for lower-income working families and increasing the quality of child care delivered across Tarrant County. 

    “Child Care Associates is thrilled that the county is investing in infants and toddlers by helping stabilize our highest quality child care providers in our highest need neighborhoods,” said CCA President and CEO Kara Waddell. “These child care contracts help to offset the higher costs of delivering quality care while also promoting whole child supports.”

  • National social impact tour makes stop in North Texas

    Girls Inc. of Metropolitan Dallas and Girls Inc. of Tarrant County recently received cash, in-kind and volunteer support as part of the nationwide 34 by 2034 Act to Impact Tour.

    On May 23, more than 550 team members from Cox Automotive took part in a day of service that included assembling 150 hydroponic and solar kits and building 60 robots for the two local chapters of Girls Inc. A $10,000 cash donation was also provided for each of the chapters, along with $15,000 in in-kind gifts which the employees assembled on-site.  

    North Texas was the latest stop on the 34 by 2034 Act to Impact Tour, which is a comprehensive social impact initiative launched by Cox Enterprises with the goal of empowering 34 million people to live more prosperous lives by 2034, by taking meaningful action in communities where the company’s employees live and work. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises.

    Girls Inc. offers programs that encourage health, education, career readiness and independence. The organization advocates for girls and their futures to reduce barriers in their lives that stem from violence, poverty and inequity that they encounter at home, at school, in relationships, online or in their community.

    “We are grateful to Cox and their employees for their commitment to STEAM education and their generous contributions to Girls Inc.,” said Beth Myers, CEO of Girls Inc. Metropolitan Dallas. “With the help of partners like Cox, we can inspire more girls in the Dallas area to overcome serious barriers, enhance their education, and help put them on a path toward strong careers and lasting success.”   

    The nation-wide events focused on six key areas where Cox has the tools and knowledge to make an impact: technology access, access to lifelong education, employment skills, social equity, environmental sustainability and good health. At each stop, local Cox employees provide volunteer support with Cox Enterprises making a major donation to a charity in the community. 

    “Cox’s purpose is to build a better future for the next generation,” said Maury Wolfe, vice president of corporate responsibility and social impact at Cox Enterprises. “The resources provided to Girls, Inc. will positively impact these girls to grow into young women who are confident, courageous and prepared to make a positive difference in their lives, their families and in the world, and helping us get one step closer to our goal.” 

    The tour featured a customized Airstream trailer that doubled as a digital recording studio to capture stories from Cox employees, as well as the benefiting organizations and the people they serve. Their stories will be included on the Journey to 34 by 34 interactive website launching later this year and a multimedia display in the company’s corporate museum at its Atlanta headquarters.

  • Grant supports racial equity efforts at Camp Fire First Texas

    Camp Fire First Texas will initiate the next phase of advancing racial equity training and implementation for the organization with support from ToolBox Grants at North Texas Community Foundation.

    Camp Fire First Texas is one of the largest Camp Fire councils in the country and invests in North Texas communities by providing out-of-school time and outdoor learning programs for children and youth while also offering workforce development programs for the educators who care for them.

    The grant will partially fund a DEI consultant to guide the council to understand and apply a racial equity, diversity, and inclusion lens to all programs, projects, and initiatives. The process will also intentionally cultivate opportunities for new learning and authentic connections that foster an atmosphere of trust, accountability, and transformation to build an organization where all children and adults thrive.

    “Our intention is to break down established processes, functional silos, and leadership habits to open up and more proactively share stories of what life is really like for historically marginalized people,” said Lauren Richard, President/CEO of Camp Fire First Texas. “We realize that while DEI programs may check a box, they don’t always result in behavior change, cultural transformation, or system rethinking.”

    Advancing DEI values makes Camp Fire’s work stronger and more responsive to the challenges faced by those the organization works with and for. The agency says it is incumbent upon team members within the organization to question and act upon—instead of reproducing—the structural inequities present in society. Camp Fire’s goal of this funding is to make an impact that is equitable for, empowering, and driven by people living in the neighborhoods where programs operate.

    To guide the work, Camp Fire secured Racial Equity Coach and Consultant, Caazena P. Hunter. Caazena holds a dual B.A. in Spanish and Sociology, with an International Studies Certificate, from the University of Tulsa, and an M.A. in Sociology from the University of North Texas. She co-authored Race and Reciprocity: Inter-household Exchanges in a Multiracial Neighborhood.

    Caazena began her career as a teaching fellow at the University of North Texas, which led to her teaching Sociology at colleges and universities throughout the DFW Metroplex including UNT, UNT Dallas, and Tarleton. Caazena only works with organizations that speak to personally held passions. She once taught elementary Spanish, served as a Research Analyst, and worked for the census. She later transitioned into providing financial coaching services, leading a small family financial center, and assisting with the development and implementation of a Financial Coaching Institute. Currently, Caazena works as a Racial Equity coach for Dallas, Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation.

    Under Caazena’s leadership, the efforts will also be supported by a staff group and will focus on:

    • Radically including people of color that have historically been treated inequitably.
    • Ensuring equity in the procedures, processes, and distribution of resources within the council while understanding the root causes of the disparities in society.
    • Fostering an inclusive culture in which everyone is welcomed, heard and included in the decision-making process.

    Organizational impact goals to be reached with this next phase of funding include developing shared language and principles around equity needed to navigate multiple systems of power, privilege, and dominance; developing knowledge and understanding of messaging; learning how to use values cues instead of assuming that equity explains itself; and amplifying other equity-minded advocate’s work.

    Toolbox Grants are provided by North Texas Community Foundation to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations working to combat poverty by supporting board development, fundraising or strategic planning. The grants are intended to be one-time, transformative gifts that significantly improve the way the organizations operate. Funding is focused on organizations serving Tarrant County’s most vulnerable communities, based on the CDC’s social vulnerability index.

  • Mission Advancement acquires firm to expand services

    Mission Advancement, an organization that helps nonprofits create strategic, relationship-based, and sustainable sources of funding, has acquired Mission Allies, which provides comprehensive grant writing services and development strategies for nonprofits. 

    Mission Advancement will grow its staff by 25% due to the acquisition, adding team members well-versed in all areas of content creation, grant fulfillment, prospect research, and strategic consulting.

    Mission Advancement specializes in the unique fundraising challenges for independent schools, human service nonprofits, and faith-based organizations. It offers comprehensive consulting services, annual fundraising and capital campaign planning, board training, and a variety of tools and resources to support nonprofit leaders.

    Since its inception in 2018, Mission Allies has secured more than $30 million in grant funding for social service and education nonprofits across the United States.

    “There is no quick, transactional approach to fundraising for nonprofits that creates sustainable growth,” said Jennifer Lehman, President, and CEO of Mission Advancement. “Each mission is unique and requires the development of deeply intentional donor relationships with individuals and entities. Combining our expertise in people-centered fundraising with Mission Allies’ ability to connect nonprofits with the right foundations provides another avenue to help our clients fund their missions for good.” 

    Mission Advancement believes that donors give their most impactful gifts when there is a deeply fostered connection, a philosophy shared by Mission Allies and their team’s approach to fundraising through foundation relationships. Jami Russell Ritter, CEO of Mission Allies, said they often see nonprofits approaching grant writing as a blind submission or a ‘spray and pray’ approach, which in the long run is not effective. 

    “Our relationship-centered, stewardship-focused philosophy to assisting nonprofits with their fundraising goals is perfectly aligned with Mission Advancement’s approach,” Ritter said. “Together, we can help nonprofits fund their missions through both individual and foundation partners so they can make lasting, meaningful impact in the communities they serve.”

    Mission Advancement’s expanded team will allow for more comprehensive service models that help clients achieve even bigger goals, such as the results seen by North Texas Food Bank (NTFB). In partnership with Mission Advancement, NTFB launched Nourish North Texas in 2021, a $500 million campaign that significantly expands the Food Bank’s ability to provide hungry neighbors with more Food for Today, while providing Hope for Tomorrow by addressing the root causes of food insecurity.  

    “Achieving our goal of $500 million in food and funds over three years requires us to strategically focus on building relationships with the key stakeholders and supporters who can make this happen,” said Erica Yaeger, Chief External Affairs Officer.  “The Mission Advancement team is bringing a renewed spirit, energy, and strategy to help us grow our people-centered fundraising efforts and continue the fight against hunger in North Texas.  Expanding their services to the grant-writing and foundation relationship space will bring more growth opportunities for Mission Advancement clients in our region and beyond.”

  • Fort Worth Museum of Science and History resumes pre-COVID operations

    For the first time in almost two years, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History is returning to its regular open hours and bringing back annual events that were placed on-hold during the pandemic.

    For several months in 2020 and 2021, the Museum closed its doors in response to guidance from local, state, and federal health officials to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. In February 2022, it reopened to the public on a limited schedule, Wednesday – Sunday.

    The Museum returned to operating six days a week at the end of May:

    • Monday: Closed
    • Tuesday – Saturday: 10 AM – 5 PM
    • Sunday: Noon – 5 PM

    Additionally, the Museum has announced it is opening a new Noble Planetarium experience, and will return beloved evens such as Dino Day and iCreate. Earlier this year, the Museum also opened a new exhibit, Fort Worth and the Green Book.

    “As we stay steadfast to our Mission of lifelong learning, we are excited to expand our hours as the Summer is kicking off.” said Orlando Carvalho, interim President of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History. “We invite you to come and Rediscover the Museum through our creative, vibrant programs and new exhibits interpreting science and the stories of Texas and the Southwest.”

  • Fort Worth Report and KERA launch local journalism collaboration

    The Fort Worth Report and KERA News announce a collaboration to better serve their communities with local news and arts and culture journalism.  The two organizations will work together to cover the most critical stories affecting Fort Worth and Tarrant County.

    “Our collaboration with KERA helps the Fort Worth Report share the story of the nation’s second-fastest-growing city with all of North Texas, the rest of the state and nation,” says Chris Cobler, the Report’s CEO and publisher. “Public media also serves as a good model for the financial sustainability our nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization is working to achieve.”

    Through the collaboration the Fort Worth Report and KERA will share their reporting across both organizations’ digital and on-air platforms. Fort Worth Report journalists will be heard regularly on KERA News 90.1, while KERA reporters will receive bylines on stories on fortworthreport.org. Audiences can also look forward to the two organizations co-hosting events, conversations and more. Working together in this way will eliminate redundancies in their reporting, and ultimately widen North Texans’ access to local news that affects their lives.

    The Fort Worth Report and KERA remain separate, independent nonprofit news organizations.

    “The KERA and Fort Worth Report newsrooms already have been collaborating and sharing coverage of the Dallas-Fort Worth area,” says Gilbert Bailon, executive editor of KERA News and former reporter for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Now, our newsrooms will be expanding our coordinated coverage in Fort Worth and Tarrant County to provide more quality local news across our digital and broadcast platforms.” 

    To help coordinate this coverage, KERA has hired Juan Antonio Ramos as collaborations editor. Ramos is a veteran journalist and editor who spent 24 years at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and La Estrella. As collaborations editor, he will work closely with leadership and journalists at both newsrooms, making sure the most important stories are covered in a timely and comprehensive way on digital and broadcast platforms. In addition, KERA funded a government accountability reporting position at the Report. The reporter will work closely with KERA’s government accountability team.

    “Both KERA and the Fort Worth Report believe in the power of local journalism in creating a more equitable and just society,” says Nico Leone, president and CEO of KERA. “Our partnership is in service to the communities that make up North Texas and each individual who calls this region home.”

    As nonprofit journalism organizations, KERA and the Fort Worth Report are united in their goal of putting audiences first and ensuring everyone in our community has access to free, fact-based news and information. The two organizations look forward to growing and deepening their relationship and serving the people of North Texas.

    This article first appeared on Fort Worth Report and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

  • Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas inspires STEM careers

    Visitors to the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas (GSNETX) STEM Center for Excellence can now learn more about the careers of American Association for the Advancement of Sciences IF/THEN® Ambassadors through a special installation.

    Founded in 2019, IF/THEN® is an initiative of Lyda Hill Philanthropies that seeks to further advance women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) by empowering current innovators and inspiring the next generation of pioneers.

    GSNETX serves girls and adult volunteers across 32 counties. To change the workforce pipeline in STEM and meet the urgent need for female voices, engagement, and leadership in the fastest growing sector of the U.S. economy, Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas opened the STEM Center of Excellence in 2018. The STEM Center is a 92-acre state-of-the-art camp just outside of Dallas where girls can experience programs in astronomy, robotics, coding, computer science and more.

    The purpose of the new interactive table at the STEM Center for Excellence is to inspire young women and demonstrate that women in STEM are enabling groundbreaking scientific advances to society. It accomplishes a shared goal of GSNETX and IF/THEN®, to showcase women and cultivate a culture shift among young girls to imagine themselves in STEM careers.

    The installation was created by The Virtual Wild, and is located in the Rees-Jones Foundation Welcome Center at the STEM Center. It inspires learning and future career opportunities through play.

    “We could not be more thrilled to be able to provide our girls and visitors of the STEM Center the opportunity to use the IF/THEN® Ambassador STEM Experience,” said Jennifer Bartkowski, CEO of GSNETX. “The installation perfectly aligns with our mission to introduce our girls to educational and professional opportunities available in the science, technology, engineering and math fields.”

    STEM fields and specialties represented in the IF/THEN® Collection range from Wildlife Ecology and Galactic Exploration, to Video Game Production, Sports Statistics Science and beyond. The featured Ambassadors include:

    • Heather Chandler: Game Development Consultant – Heather Makes Games
    • Anamita Guha: Product Manager, Artificial Intelligence – META/Facebook
    • Tiffany Kelly: Sports Data Scientist, CEO and Founder – Curastory
    • Beata Mierzwa: Molecular Biologist/Artist – Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, UC San Diego
    • Burçin Mutlu-Pakdil: Astrophysicist, Postdoctoral Researcher – Steward Observatory
    • Debbie Sterling: Mechanical Engineer and Founder/CEO – Goldieblox
    • Jennifer Stimpson: Scientist & Chemist – Hockaday School (also hosts the interactive experience)
    • Kim Swennen: Senior Software Engineer – Google Arts and Culture, Actress
    • Kirsten Tulchin-Francis: Biochemist and Bioengineer – Nationwide Children’s Hospital
    • Rae Wynn-Grant: Large Carnivore Ecologist, National Geographic Society Fellow

    GSNETX previously partnered with The Virtual Wild on Geo Quest AR app for The STEM Center’s geology trail. The digital archeology experience allows girls to first look for fossils on the app and then dig up 3D printed fossils at the end of the trail. The IF/THEN® Ambassador Experience, funded through a grant from IF/THEN® to Girl Scouts of the USA, is the second project in a five-year strategic partnership between Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas and The Virtual Wild to expand digital immersive experiences that enhance learning while complementing outdoor adventures.

    “We are passionate about creating emerging media experiences that increase representation for girls and inspire them to see themselves as the next generation of leaders in STEM.” said Jay Rutherford, Founder of The Virtual Wild. “We are so excited to see young girl scouts embracing cutting edge technologies to see themselves reflected in the incredible achievements of the If/Then ambassadors.”

    IF/THEN® previously joined forces with Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) to invest in and raise the profiles of women in STEM and inspire the next generation of girls to consider STEM Careers. Through this partnership, GSUSA developed STEM Career Exploration badges for girls in grades 2nd – 8th. The badges provide girls the opportunity to explore their career interests and connect to STEM Fields–particularly computer science, nature/environmental science, engineering, design, health, and agriculture–that can help them address the pressing issues of our time and change our world. Girls who engage in the IF/THEN® Ambassador Experience can leverage this technology towards earning the IF/THEN® STEM Career Exploration badge.

    In addition to offering world-class STEM programming locally, GSNETX’s STEM Center of Excellence has become a model across the country of how to offer relevant, exciting, hands-on STEM programming in a natural environment. GSNETX continues to offer new programs specifically designed to help girls experience college and careers as they prepare to make choices about their future. In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, women hold only 23% of all STEM jobs, which is higher than the country average. As Dallas becomes a hub for STEM-related jobs, Girl Scouts is ensuring that women are part of the pipeline. 

    Recently, the Girl Scouts of Northeast Texas Board of Directors was recognized with Dallas Business Journal’s Outstanding Directors Award and received the Luminary Award from SMU’s Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development.

  • HungerMitao reports successful spring food drive

    More than a quarter of a million meals were raised for food-challenged children, seniors, veterans and families in North Texas – including a donation of more than $43,000 to the North Texas Food Bank – thanks to HungerMitao‘s national 2022 Spring Food Drive.

    The initiative, which started locally, engaged members of the Indian American community in conducting food drives and fundraisers across the U.S. Nationally, more than half a million meals were generated through volunteering, food drives and funds raised.

    “We can’t be more proud of our 4 million strong Indian diaspora in U.S. for joining the HungerMitao movement,” said Raj Asava, co-founder of HungerMitao.

    For the Indian American community, Daan – donation/giving – is an integral part of who they are. Growing up in an extended family environment in tightly knit communities, Indian Americans see the importance of Daan firsthand. Of all the Daans, Anna-Daan – the donation of food – is considered the highest giving of all.

    Feeding American participating in HungerMitao’s 2022 Spring Food drive, as well as food banks in Seattle, New York City, Houston, Atlanta, New Jersey and other cities. In addition to North Texas Food bank, other local participants included Metrocrest Services in Dallas and Tarrant Area Food Bank.

    The food drive included in-kind donations collected through food drives, as well as cash donations collected both online and offline. Contributions generated in North Texas benefit the North Texas Food Bank, which received more than $43,000 from the effort.

    HungerMitao conducts two national food drives annually. One is held in March, as a celebration of the various Spring festivals of India. The second food drive is in August, commemorating India’s Independence Month. Members of the Indian American community consider these drives as an opportunity to combine resources and make an impact as a unified community in their adopted land.

    “We thank everyone for their spirit of ‘Give Where You Live’, and thank you Feeding America and Food Banks for all that you do to ensure nutritious food is made available to the needy across all the zip codes in the U.S.,” said Aradhana (Anna) Asava, co-founder HungerMitao.