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W.W. Caruth, Jr. Fund at CFT

W.W. Caruth, Jr. Fund at CFT

William Walter Caruth, Jr.’s philanthropic goals were to support frontier-advancing projects in public safety, education, and scientific and medical research.

W. W. Caruth, Jr. Fund is housed here at CFT and represents the largest endowment in the organization’s portfolio. Throughout the last 25 years, W.W. Caruth, Jr. Fund has made more than $110 million in grants, such as:

  • $15 million grant to the Dallas Police Department, the largest private donation given to a police department in United States history.
  • A $3.5 million grant to the American Heart Association which makes it possible for North Texas hospitals to reduce the time it takes a heart attack patient to receive lifesaving treatment. The collaboration has transformed patient care for future heart attack victims and positioned Dallas County as a national leader in heart attack treatment and survival.
  • $2 million grant to Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and the Dallas Area Rape Crisis Center for the county’s first comprehensive sexual assault treatment program. The grant supported forensic exam suites, nurse examiner training, post-trauma counseling and advocacy.
  • $1MM grant to expand and enhance Big Thought’s Thriving Minds initiative, a coordinated system of comprehensive Out of School Time learning for DISD students.
We are honored to continue the legacy of Mr. Caruth's generosity through strategic grantmaking while he was living and further carry out the wishes of his estate.
Keeping Texas Schools Above Water

Keeping Texas Schools Above Water

After the storm, generosity gives Texas schools a lifeline


In August 2017, over 6 million Texans were impacted by Hurricane Harvey’s devastation. Repairing the damage done to the Gulf Coast region will require years of support.

Hurricane Harvey Recovery Update

Hurricane Harvey Recovery Update

On behalf of Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT), I would like to extend my deepest gratitude for your contribution in supporting individuals and families whose lives were uprooted in the wake of Hurricane Harvey in 2017.


Smart Justice

Smart Justice

Caruth funds Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute to route mentally ill to care instead of jail


Of Texas inmates, 34 percent have a mental health need, and most have substance use disorders. The state of Texas spends hundreds of millions of dollars annually to provide mental health services to these individuals. Dallas is piloting a better way.

Building  Economic  Security for  Working Families

Building Economic Security for Working Families

CFT seeds nonprofit network to help low-income families


For two years, Communities Foundation of Texas has been working with 10 nonprofits across North Texas who are part of CFT’s Working Families Success Network (WFSN).

Racial Equity Grants

Racial Equity Grants

CFT awards $150,000 in grants to support racial equity work in Dallas


On Jan. 17, 2018, the National Day of Racial Healing, Communities Foundation of Texas announced that a total of $150,000 was distributed across 35 nonprofits to help them facilitate storytelling or implement practical solutions to race-related challenges in Dallas.

Data-Driven Decision-Making Institute Builds Strength

Data-Driven Decision-Making Institute Builds Strength

CFT's D3 Institute was a data bootcamp for agencies


The picture of Dallas that emerged from a study released in 2012 debunked the prevailing thought that the city and the surrounding North Texas region were filled with people earning comfortable incomes....