Donor Impact Stories

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

A year ago, the Cotton Bowl Foundation came to CFT to help define their giving strategy. After they worked with our staff and decided to focus some of their grantmaking on college and career access for underserved youth, we introduced them to Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy, a Dallas ISD magnet school whose student body is composed of high-achieving, underserved young men. The school’s mission is to shape these students into effective leaders by providing them with an academically rigorous, character-based education that prepares them for college.

Thanks to a CFT-facilitated grant from the Cotton Bowl Foundation, these young men will not only be college-ready but will be further motivated to continue their education by having the chance to visit college campuses before graduation. Giving these students a taste of the college experience is a true game changer. It will help the academy maintain its 100 percent college acceptance and matriculation rates. It’s also an investment in our community’s future, where all sides win.

Email Carolyn Newham to set up a confidential consultation about your charitable giving.