Donor Impact Stories

Meet Andy Smith and Paul von Wupperfeld

In 2018, Andy Smith and Paul von Wupperfeld established the Andy Smith and Paul von Wupperfeld Charitable Fund at CFT, a donor-advised fund that they use to support their passion for the arts and equity.

A Passion for Opportunity

Kristofer Robinson Scholarship Fund at CFT provides educational opportunities for paraplegic and quadriplegic students in Texas

Established after a tragic automobile accident that left the late Kristofer Robinson paralyzed from the neck down, the Kristofer Robinson Scholarship Fund at CFT was created to support the education of paraplegic or quadriplegic individuals. One recent scholarship recipient of the Kristofer Robinson Scholarship Fund is Nathan McClintock.

A Passion for Education

Om & Shanti Funds at CFT provides scholarships and opportunities to students

For the Sethis, giving back is a family affair. Parvesh and Jeet Sethi have two charitable funds at CFT: the Om & Shanti Scholarship Fund and the Om & Shanti Fund, a donor-advised fund. Both their family fund and their scholarship fund are centered around providing educational opportunities for students.

A Passion for Community

Mary Anne Sammons Cree leaves legacy of giving through CFT's Live Oak Legacy Society

Mary Anne Sammons Cree had a passion for our North Texas community. She spent her life giving back in support of the causes that mattered most to her—the performing and visual arts, museums, education, and nature.

A Passion for the Arts

Cece Smith Lacy and Ford Lacy fund new works from arts organizations through their fund at CFT

As Cece Smith Lacy and Ford Lacy began their estate planning process, they came to Communities Foundation of Texas for assistance with their planned giving. During their research, they learned about donor-advised funds and decided to open the Cece Smith Lacy and John Ford Lacy Fund at CFT to support their giving during their lifetime.

Giving with Meaning

The Ashish & Mona Khanna Family Charitable Gift Fund at CFT

“Giving toward a passion brings home a different message. You see the long-term rewards from investing locally and in an area that holds a special place in your heart. Working with CFT has been incredibly rewarding, because the internal satisfaction that comes when you give with meaning is unparalleled.” – Ashish and Mona Khanna

Leaving Legacies of Love: Future Newlyweds Rise to the Occasion

Newlyweds open a charitable giving fund for their guests to make a charitable donation in lieu of a gift.

“We were so excited to tell our parents about our charitable fund. They are deeply proud of our choice. The response from our friends and family has been extremely positive,” said Sarah.

Leaving Legacies of Love: The Cole Wehunt Fund

Parents honor late son's legacy through fund at CFT

“Cole inspired giving. He was such a generous person. We wanted to give back to our community because North Texas was Cole’s home and where he thrived growing up,” said Kay.

We're Furthering Family Values

Involving our children in our charitable giving plans beyond our lifetime from the very beginning!

“GiveWisely gave us an opportunity to come together around giving. We learned a lot about our kids and their unique and overlapping passions by going through the values-based exercises. It was a great experience to bond us in ways we hadn’t thought of before, and have us focus as a family on causes we care about,” said Ann. “There are many worthy causes, so being able to focus and know what’s most important to us as a family and being able to align that with the charitable giving we do has been really meaningful.”

We're Spreading Good Cheer!

Phyllis Meyerson with CFT's Galen Smith & Geri Jacobs

"I love working with CFT because I know my funds will be going to the best places, where they can have the greatest impact, long after I'm there to hand out the funds myself." – Phyllis Meyerson

Uplifting the Underrepresented

Ross & Rebecca were both largely inspired by their families, particularly their mothers, to give of our time, talent and treasure.

Ross and Rebecca Anthony are tremendously intentional about their charitable giving, and have partnered with CFT in a variety of ways to align their values with their personal giving strategies.

Racing Toward a Cure

Shelby family furthers pancreatic cancer treatment options

The Shelby Family has made meaningful investments in the diagnosis and treatment of pancreatic cancer by working with CFT staff and funding clinical trials through donor-advised funds at CFT.

Sharing Values & Planning Your Legacy

A conversation with Ray and Linda Pekowski

“We chose Communities Foundation of Texas as our legacy charity because we love the people there, their stewardship and the ease in working with their team.” - Linda and Ray Pekowski

Where Giving Invests

Cotton Bowl Fund at CFT invests in Friends of Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy

“Visiting a college or university is fairly common in middle or upper middle-class homes, but we believe every student should have that opportunity.” — Jay McAuley, Chairman of the Cotton Bowl Foundation

Where Giving Grows

Martha Jackson, GiveWisely Graduate and CFT Fund Holder

On the 10th anniversary of her nephew’s passing, Martha found a way to honor him. She set up a donor-advised fund through CFT to help children and youth develop self confidence through art and athletics. But she didn’t stop there. After taking CFT’s GiveWisely class and visiting Family Gateway, which supports homeless families, Martha was inspired to roll up her sleeves and volunteer.