Jump to navigation links Jump to main content Jump to footer links

2023 Racial Equity Grantees

CFT awards $250,000 across 20 local nonprofits in support of racial equity
Quote Icon
As we work to advance equity, we are eager to increase our understanding of the landscape and needs of equity-focused organizations across North Texas.
- Wende Burton, CFT's former Chief Philanthropy Officer
Quote Icon

Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) recently partnered with The Dallas Foundation (TDF) to support nonprofits addressing systemic racial inequity in our communities. Supported programs include mentoring and tutoring for youth, social emotional and mental health services, access to healthy food, maternal healthcare, legal services for citizenship, and connection to living wage jobs. A total of $250,000 was awarded across 20 nonprofits.

“As we work to advance equity, we are eager to increase our understanding of the landscape and needs of equity-focused organizations across North Texas,” said Wende Burton, CFT’s Chief Philanthropy Officer.

About The Dallas Foundation’s racial equity grants

In 2022, our partners at The Dallas Foundation awarded $2.5 million across 25 nonprofits through their inaugural racial equity funding cycle to address the ongoing disparities and systematic and persistent gaps in outcomes in Dallas for Black & Hispanic residents. Learn more about these 25 grants here, and learn more about their Racial Equity Fund here.

“We received more than 250 requests during the application stage of our first Racial Equity Funding Cycle,” said The Dallas Foundation’s Chief Impact Officer Drexell Owusu. “And while we are very proud to invest over $2 million toward the trajectory-changing work of these nonprofit grantees, there is a significant need for more donors and partners to work with us to close this gap. We appreciate the spirit of partnership from Communities Foundation of Texas in stepping up to support this funding cycle by making grants to additional nonprofits doing this important work. Our continued collaborative efforts across so many facets of our work are truly making Dallas a brighter place for all our neighbors.”

About CFT’s racial equity grants

A total of $250,000 was awarded across 20 nonprofits in alignment with CFT’s grantmaking pillar of “Living.”

“CFT is grateful that we had this opportunity to help amplify the impact of The Dallas Foundation’s equity-focused efforts by fully funding or partially funding additional nonprofits who applied for grant funding,” said Burton. Our goal from this collaboration is to learn from and elevate the nonprofits that are working hard, and often without adequate support or attention, to confront systemic racial inequity in our communities.”

The 20 nonprofits who received funding are: Any Step Community Services, Big Thought, Community Does It, Dallas Bethlehem Center, Delighted to Doula Birth Services, Empowering the Masses, Firme DFW, Frazier Revitalization, Inc., Harmony CDC, Heart of Courage, Homeward Bound, Inc., Leadership Forward Mentoring Program, Light of Hope Immigration Law Center, POETIC, Rae’s Hope, Southern Dallas Link, Inc., Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation, Viola’s House, Youth Believing in Change, and Youth Guidance. 90% of these nonprofit grantees have an executive leader that is a person of color.

Name of Organization  Grant Amount Awarded  What’s Being Funded 

 

Any Step Community Services  

$5,000.00

High nutritional foods for senior households
Big Thought  

$25,000.00

A two-year, dual generation cohort model to support youth and their families in South Oak Cliff and Vickery Meadows
Community Does It $15,000.00 Family mental health services in Pleasant Grove
Dallas Bethlehem Center  

$15,000.00

 

Resources to build Fair Park neighborhood’s communication, collaboration, and resilience
Delighted to Doula Birth Services  

$30,000.00

 

A community-based postpartum doula program, one year of support, at-home visits, and education
Empowering the Masses  

$20,000.00

 

Personalized life skills, educational training, and access to healthy food in underserved communities
Firme DFW  

$5,000.00

 

Scholarships and a four-year mentorship program to Oak Cliff high school students
Frazier Revitalization, Inc.  

$10,000.00

 

Restorative Farm’s Grow Boxes and Community-Supported Agriculture participation for South Dallas residents
Harmony CDC  

$5,000.00

 

Career and financial pathways to increase earnings, job security, and financial empowerment
Heart of Courage  

$10,000.00

 

Parent peer mentoring program for mothers involved with CPS in Southern Dallas
Homeward Bound, Inc.  

$10,000.00

 

Internships and scholarships for students who are persons of color to pursue behavioral health employment
Leadership Forward Mentoring Program  

$15,000.00

 

Bridging the racial equity gap through high touch, one-on-one mentoring for students from under-resourced DISD schools
Light of Hope Immigration Law Center  

$20,000.00

 

Expansion to help low-income immigrants in Dallas County access citizenship
POETIC  

$5,000.00

 

Supportive services to empower youth and break the generational cycle of exploitation, trafficking, and incarceration
Rae’s Hope  

$5,000.00

 

Team sports and life skills building for girls from under-resourced communities in Southern Dallas
Southern Dallas Link, Inc.  

$5,000.00

 

Linking Southern Dallas residents to living wage jobs
Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation  

$5,000.00

 

Culturally responsive support for BIPOC domestic violence survivors in Dallas County
Viola’s House  

$20,000.00

 

Support for the Baby Benefit Boutique for mothers who complete parenting and pregnancy classes
Youth Believing in Change  

$5,000.00

 

Academic tutoring for students from under-resourced communities
Youth Guidance  

$20,000.00

 

Social emotional programs in DISD schools with high dropout rates and high poverty
Celeste Arista Glover
Author:
Celeste Arista Glover
Community Philanthropy, Director

See related stories

Search for: