Dallas Fort Worth Nonprofit Business Journal

Category: General

  • Event planning resource added to DFW501c

    Event planning resource added to DFW501c

    Sometime last year, we received a suggestion that it would be a really great resource for our readers if we could archive and keep all events posted to our calendar. So, we worked with our technical support team to find a solution.

    Due to some extremely boring technical reasons, we were unable to keep the events on the actual calendar, but came up with another solution. At the close of each calendar year, we will publish a PDF listing on our events page of all the prior year events.

    The 2021 Events List is now available. Because we implemented this solution late in the year, the 2021 list is incomplete. However, please know going forward that we will capture all events for archiving!

    Happy event planning and THANKS for the suggestions! What else you got? Email us at info@DFW501c.com.

  • Nonprofit CEO joins Greater Keller Chamber of Commerce board

    The Greater Keller Chamber of Commerce has announced the appointment of a local nonprofit executive to serve on its Board of Directors.

    Jason Ray, CEO of Clayton Youth Enrichment Programs has committed to support the Chamber’s mission and values, by helping to grow its relationships and programs.

    Clayton Youth Enrichment is the only Tarrant County nonprofit dedicated solely to providing after-school enrichment and childcare programs. Serving more than 7,000 children annually, Clayton’s programs are located in public and private schools in Crowley, Fort Worth, Keller, and Birdville ISDs.

    Services are provided at the school where the child attends, to give parents a sense of comfort that their child is in a secure environment. During the summer months, programs provide full-day service to children. Clayton also offers care at community centers, and at One Safe Place, a Fort Worth agency devoted to preventing domestic violence and crime in Tarrant County’s neighborhoods, schools and homes.

    Ray has served as CEO of Clayton Youth Enrichment since 2015. He is the immediate past president of the East Fort Worth Business Association, and just ended his service on the board of the East Lancaster Avenue Public Improvement District 20. He currently serves as Church Council Chair at First United Methodist Church of Arlington, Texas. Ray is a graduate of Texas Christian University and has a Master of Public Administration from the University of Texas at Arlington.

    “In my role at Clayton, I’ve had the privilege of working with Keller’s school district officials and community leaders for many years,” said Ray. “I’m looking forward to helping support the Chamber’s mission to help Keller businesses succeed and thrive.”



  • Leadership program develops next gen nonprofit board members

    The Junior League of Fort Worth has selected the members of its 2021-2022 All aBoard cohort, a yearlong leadership development program designed to train members to serve in community leadership positions.

    The program was developed as part of the Junior League mission of “developing the potential of women”. Cohort members will be trained on topics such as governance, advocacy and finance for non-profits, as well as goal setting, public speaking and general leadership skills.

    The 2021-22 All aBoard cohort will also be participating in the BoardBuild training program. BoardBuild is a nonprofit organization that trains emerging leaders to serve on nonprofit boards. BoardBuild also helps match nonprofit organizations with board candidates.

    As part of the program, members heard from community leaders from the Junior League of Fort Worth, the city of Fort Worth and the local community. This year’s members will be given the opportunity to learn from Christina Brooks, Chief Equity Officer and Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the City of Fort Worth., Leah King, CEO of the United Way of Tarrant County, and JLFW sustainers Judie Greenman and Janie Harper. The speakers also touched on the importance of volunteerism in Fort Worth.

    The 2021-22 All aBoard class, led by co-chairs Lauren Team and Corrine Quast, includes:

    Amy Akanni⁠
    Anna Chianese⁠
    Ashley Hansen⁠
    Holly Hinsey⁠
    Jacqueline Piland⁠
    Jordan Stimpson⁠
    Laura Kirspel⁠
    Laurimay Johnson⁠
    Leslie Wittenbraker Cox⁠
    Lynn Winter⁠
    Lynnette Kile⁠
    Savanna Holmen⁠
    Sierra Lykins⁠
    Tara Reed⁠
    Taylor Woods
    Vivian Bailey⁠

  • FWMSH resumes extended operating hours

    In response to guidance from local, state, and federal health officials to mitigate community spread of COVID-19, the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History closed its doors for several months in 2020 and 2021 before re-opening last June at a limited operating schedule of Friday through Sunday. Now the Museum will temporarily expand operations to seven days a week.

    From January 14 – February 5, the Museum will extend operating hours daily to align with the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo. After February 5, the Museum will be open five days a week. 

    Hours of Operation from January 14, 2022 – February 5, 2022: 
    – Monday – Saturday: 10 AM – 5 PM
    – Sunday: Noon – 5 PM

    Hours of Operation beginning February 6, 2022: 
    – Monday – Tuesday: Closed
    – Wednesday – Saturday: 10 AM – 5 PM
    – Sunday: Noon – 5 PM

  • One-of-a-kind program helps underserved youth launch film careers

    A nonprofit collaborative has implemented a program helping youth from under-served and underrepresented communities in Dallas pursue careers as visual storytellers. Partnering organizations say it’s the first program of its kind nationally.

    The Pegasus Media Project Apprenticeship Workforce Program was launched in partnership with The Alliance of Media Arts + Culture and Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas. A career on-ramp for North Texas’ aspiring film artists, it is designed to give young adults a pathway into the film and media arts industry.

    Dallas-Fort Worth boasts the state’s largest creative economy at $34 billion and more than 200,000 jobs. Yet pathways to those careers have traditionally been built on a culture of unpaid internships. And even with paid apprenticeships available, many people still need an on-ramp to qualify for them. The Apprenticeship Workforce Program offers access to subsidized, high-quality apprenticeship and professional development programs in media arts and creative technologies with special outreach to communities of color, women, LGBT, and persons with disabilities.

    Efforts by the collaborative agencies to provide access to creative careers for individuals traditionally excluded from those opportunities began in 2021. The pilot program was seeded with $250,000 in cash and in-kind investments from Alliance for Media Arts + Culture, Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, Adobe, MIT Solve and New Profit. The funding provided equipment and infrastructure for the program.

    Apprentices must be between 18 and 36 years old. Requirements including having a high school diploma or GED and some prior media production experience. Participants are selected through an application and interviews. They receive a stipend of $3,000.

    Over 15 weeks, film educators, teachers and mentors working in the industry train the apprentices in equipment use and technique, including personalized education in digital media, audio/video production and post, cinema studies, emerging media arts and creative technology. The program provides more than 200 hours of classroom instruction and 90 hours of independent or field work.

    As part of their on-the-job training, Pegasus Media Project apprentices in the inaugural cohort made films for local performing arts groups aimed at bringing audiences back to theaters.

    Applications for the next masterclass will be accepted in the first quarter of 2022.

  • Charles Schwab Challenge names its Charity of the Year

    The PGA TOUR has named a Fort Worth-based non-profit as beneficiary of the Charles Schwab Challenge as its 2021 Charity of the Year.

    The WARM Place, which provides year-round grief support services to children ages 3 1/2 to 18 and their families, received the national honor. The award comes with a $30,000 grant from the PGA TOUR to support the agency’s grief support program.

    Since 1989, The WARM Place has companioned over 40,000 children and their families along their grief journeys. Families are never charged a fee for services and there are no geographical limitations or time limits – families are welcome to participate as long as the children are benefiting from the program.

    The PGA TOUR grant will provide a month of services, at no cost, to 240 children and their families grieving.

    The Charles Schwab Challenge has made a charitable impact of more than $150 million on over 150 different organizations during the past two decades. The PGA TOUR assists approximately 3,000 charities each year. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations to maximize charitable giving, and to date, tournaments across all Tours have generated more than $3.2 billion.

  • Golf tourney gets local charity back into the fundraising swing of things

    A local nonprofit returned to pre-COVID fundraising levels with its first golf tournament since before the pandemic forced an extended end to in-person charitable events.

    The Swing Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament, benefiting Leukemia Texas, raised more than $100,000 in November at Stonebriar Country Club in Frisco. The organization last hosted a golf tournament in 2018, which raised $112,000. All funds from this year’s event will help Texans through patient aid and research.

    “The support we received for the return of the golf tournament was extraordinary,” said Jessica Dunn, Chief Executive Officer for Leukemia Texas. “We raised critical funds that will benefit Texas families who are battling leukemia. We have a lot of work ahead of us, but it was great to be back on the Stonebriar course with our sponsors, golfers, volunteers, and celebrity guests.”

    Dallas native Cody Gribble, a past PGA Tour Champion, challenged golfers to “Out Drive the Pro” for friendly competition, and Derek Holland, MLB pitcher for the Detroit Tigers was the guest speaker.

    Texas Oncology was the presenting sponsor of the Swing Fore Leukemia Golf Tournament, which included an auction featuring a suite to the December 26 Dallas Cowboys game, a signed Dak Prescott jersey, a suite to either a Dallas Mavericks or Dallas Stars game, signed sports memorabilia and other fun items.

    Leukemia Texas improves the lives of those with leukemia through funding research and patient aid in Texas. Financial assistance is provided to leukemia patients needing help with expenses related to treatments that are left uncovered by insurance. Leukemia Texas Patient Aid currently serves hundreds of individuals ranging in age from under one year to over 90 years old.

    Additionally, the organization’s Leukemia Texas Research program awards grants for research to develop new and improved methods of treatment to ultimately find a cure for leukemia. Through the Research Program, Leukemia Texas is committed to supporting translational science and advancing research careers in Texas. The Research Program has granted millions of dollars towards studies conducted at leading Texas research centers, including Cook Children’s Medical Center, UNT Health Science Center, Baylor Research Institute, UT Southwestern Medical Center, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston Methodist and others.

    Leukemia Texas does not receive any government funding. The majority of funds are raised through special events as well as individual contributors and corporate sponsors, including a program in which the community can adopt a Buddy the Bear that will be given to pediatric leukemia patients. Buddy the Bear is named after Buddy Minyard, who created Leukemia Texas in 1970 to support Texans who are in their leukemia journey. The fundraising effort gives kids a huggable companion during treatments and hospital stays. Each bear comes with a note of encouragement to let the child know someone is thinking about them. Adoptions are $25 each and are available at LeukemiaTexas.org.

  • Group crowd-sources quarterly gifts up to $10K or more

    On Nov. 16, three local charities pitched their mission to a local group of charitable donors who crowd-source quarterly gifts of up to $10K or more. One organization was chosen to receive the contributions.

    One Tribe Foundation, an organization that raises awareness and combats suicide by empowering veterans, first responders and medical frontline workers, was selected by members of 100 Men Who Give a Damn – Fort Worth to be the recipient of its 4th quarter giving cycle for 2021. Other organizations considered for the donation included Center for Transforming Lives and Support Our Soldiers.

    The 100 Men organization aims to bring together 100 or more men who care about local community causes three times a year. The group meets for 90 minutes and jointly votes for a local charity. Each attendee agrees to write a $100 check to the selected charity, making a total donation from the group of up to $10,000 or more.

    Any member of 100 Men may nominate a charity for consideration. Representatives from 3 finalist charities attend the quarterly meeting to make a brief, informal presentation about their organization to the group. Each member then votes for one of the three charities. The charity with the most votes receives everyone’s contributions.

    Charities under consideration must serve the Fort Worth, Tarrant County area. A charity not selected at one meeting remains in the running for future meetings until selected.

    The 100 Men Who Give a Damn – Fort Worth group was inspired by 100 Guys Who Give a Damn Dallas, which was inspired by a woman’s group that pioneered the movement in Canada. The Fort Worth group was formed in 2016.

  • Nominations now being accepted for nonprofit award

    The submission form is open for an award honoring nonprofits that embrace the spirit of a champion and bring a positive difference to the community. The winner will receive a $1,000 award.

    Iconic IT, a Managed IT Service Provider (MSP) that provides support to small and medium organizations, is accepting nominations for the 2021 DFW Nonprofit Champion Award. The company’s goal is to recognize, reward and showcase local organizations for the work they do in North Texas. Nominators are invited to share a story on why their favorite nonprofit should be recognized.

    Submissions will be accepted through July 15, 2022. The award winner will be announced Aug. 17, 2022.

    Last year, Iconic IT awarded Community Healthcare of Texas, and Hope Farm was the 2019 honoree.

    2019 DFW Champion Winner Video

    2020 DFW Champion Winner Video

    The DFW Nonprofit Champion Award was founded in 2017. The 2021 award recipient will be spotlighted on Iconic IT’s website and social media, and will receive a donation from the company. Nominations can be submitted online.

    Notes: Iconic IT is a sponsor of DFW501c

  • $10M gift expands Goodwill North Central Texas

    Earlier this month, Goodwill North Central Texas hosted a “wall smashing” to kick-off the remodel of its new headquarters just northeast of downtown Fort Worth. Members of the Board of Directors and President and CEO David Cox used sledgehammers to ceremoniously break down the walls in a move that will allow Goodwill to significantly expand its services over the next year.

    In 2019, Goodwill set an ambitious goal to raise $12 million and embarked on what would have been a long journey to raise funds for expanded facilities and classroom space. But thanks to a major gift received in 2020, the nonprofit was able to shift its timeline.

    With a $10M donation from philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott, Goodwill was able to take advantage of an opportunity that arose in early 2021 to purchase the two story 27,718 square foot administration building, along with a 10,474 square foot single-story building ideal for further expansion of Goodwill’s Workforce Development offerings. Situated on 2.28 acres at 4200 and 4304 Airport Freeway, the new campus will include two buildings positioned side-by-side with nearly 650 feet of frontage along TX 121.

    The administration building will feature a large community room, while the single-story building will serve as a Job Resource Center and house Goodwill’s VetWorthy program. VetWorthy provides military veterans, dependents and surviving spouses with job development, skills training support, and connections to community resources.

    With additional training and education space for at-risk youth, innovative classroom space for foster care and independent living skills training, programs for ex-offenders and re-entry training, and expansion of Goodwill’s credentialing programs, the nonprofit expects to hire an additional 56 full-time staff to run new programs and serve an additional 35,000 individuals over the first five years.

    “Education and employment are the only proven pathways out of poverty,” said Cox. “Indeed, the need for Goodwill’s services has never been greater and we are committed to expanding employment and education services to break the cycle of poverty for those in our community.”

    The largest employer of people with disabilities in the world, Goodwill believes that work has the power to transform lives by building self-confidence, independence, creativity, trust and friendships. Goodwill North Central Texas is based in Fort Worth and serves 18 counties in the region. The nonprofit’s 27 area retail locations provide revenue through the sale of donated goods to support Goodwill’s mission to create lives of independence and build a stronger local community.

    The contribution from Scott was the largest private donation from an individual in the organization’s 70-year history.