February 20, 2020
The 2019 Letter of Inquiry Grantees
“We believe that a thriving community is one in which all people feel cared for, invested in, nourished and valued, and have an equitable opportunity to contribute to the well-being and growth of themselves, their families and their communities.”
Does this phrase sound familiar? That’s likely because you’ve read it somewhere on our website. At CFT, we believe so deeply in the value and necessity of our mission – to create thriving communities for all – that you’ll be reminded of it almost anywhere you look.
Since our inception in 1953, we have made more than $2 billion in grants to support education, health care, public safety, social service, animals, the arts and more — touching nearly all aspects of life in our community. One of the primary ways CFT helps build strong communities is through grant awards to nonprofits.
In 2019, CFT awarded 81 different nonprofits a total of $1.6 million dollars through the Letter of Inquiry process to receive funds that would directly support their efforts in the community.
The categories of grant recipients include:
- Arts and Culture
- Community Services (Social Services, Veterans, Youth)
- Environment
- Health
- Human-Animal Connection
- Older Adults
- Special Interest Funds
- Collin County (at least 75% of program participants must be Collin County residents)
- Education and training of student nurses
- Medical research related to cancer or heart disease
- Scholarships for blind individuals
- Programs that use technology to serve people with barriers to reading due to low vision or learning differences
- STEM education for girls
View the complete list of grantees
The Letter of Inquiry process supports programs that address needs across the North Texas region (Collin, Dallas, Denton, Rockwall and Tarrant Counties). Through this process, each year, Communities Foundation of Texas has provided approximately 50 to 60 grants annually between $5,000-$20,000 to nonprofits in the region. 2019 was an exceptional year with 81 different nonprofits receiving funds.
Note for nonprofits seeking funding from CFT in 2020: We have continued to learn and grow alongside the hard-working nonprofits who serve North Texans. Our current Letter of Inquiry process is on hiatus as we take a reflective pause for re-design to consider how best to meet the needs of our community. Historically, each year, we typically review 1,000 LOI requests, with less than 15% of those funded based on available resources. We are stepping back to consider if there is a better way of doing this, for the foundation as well as for the nonprofits we serve.
Please continue to check the Apply For A Grant page on our website and our social media for ways to connect with us through programs like North Texas Giving Day, CFT for Business, and other open grant opportunities.
If you have additional questions, please email grants@cftexas.org.