Since 1982, there has been one major community foundation serving the Hill Country of Texas and making local investments in the community there. The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country (CFTHC) has recently awarded around $3 million per year in grants and is a notable source of philanthropy for the region.
If your organization works in this part of Texas, here’s what you need to know about CFTHC.
Serves 10 Texas counties
CFTHC takes a regional approach to grantmaking and serves the following 10 counties: Bandera, Blanco, Edwards, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Mason, Real and Uvalde. More than 200 donor funds are part of this community foundation. Only 501(c)(3) organizations that are located in and/or provide services in these 10 counties receive grants from CFTHC.
Four focus areas
The best opportunity for local nonprofits to get involved with CFTHC is through its Community Impact Fund. This is the fund associated with the foundation’s competitive grantmaking process, which has one deadline per year. There are four focus areas for this fund: arts and culture, basic needs, the environment and youth development.
Recent grants have mostly been between $3,000 and $15,000 each. Some examples of grantees are Any Baby Can of San Antonio, Frontier Times Museum, Arthur Nagel Community Clinic and the Kendall County Women’s Shelter. Other recent funding has gone to the Riverside Nature Center Association, Texas Ramp Project and Rainbow Center.
There’s an annual summit
In addition to awarding grants, CFTHC hosts a nonprofit summit each year to bring nonprofit and civic leaders together for a day of sharing and education. The summit is held at a local venue, such as the Hill Country University Center or Schreiner University. Discussion often revolves around strategic planning, financial management and other issues that affect the nonprofit industry. CFTHC is also involved with women’s giving circles in Fredericksburg and Kerrville, and networking luncheons with nonprofit executive directors and staff. Finally, CFTHC also awards academic scholarships to students throughout the Hill Country region.
Overall, this is an accessible community foundation that welcomes inquiries about grant and scholarship opportunities at any time of the year. Read more about the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country and other funders that give in this region by browsing through the Texas section of our Southwest Funding Guide.