Philanthropy is an essential part of the Central Texas community, providing resources and support to local nonprofit organizations. The Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) is a public foundation that professionally manages more than 1,200 charitable funds for individuals, families, businesses and non-profit organizations. Through initiatives such as NTX Giving Day, Educate Texas at CFT and the W. A.
Moncrief, Jr. Graduate Education and Faculty Research Fund, the CFT works to improve and support the quality of life in Central Texas. Easter Seals Central Texas is one of the many non-profit organizations that benefit from philanthropic giving. This organization provides more than 8,500 local children and adults with quality services and supports.
David Schneider, a member of the board of directors of Easter Seals Central Texas and chairman of the Marketing Committee, along with Give Realty agents Nogie King and Amity Courtois, and the development director of Easter Seals Central Texas, Denise White, are all dedicated to helping those in need. Recently, a group of local donors and community leaders met to discuss how philanthropy can meaningfully participate in achievable and scalable solutions for affordable housing in Central Texas. Cassandra Benjamin, director of csb philanthropic solutions, presented an overview and recommendations of a new report entitled Producing, Protecting & Preserving Housing Affordability in Central Texas. This report highlighted how philanthropy can play a role in addressing the housing crisis. The CFT was founded in 2004 to provide simple, flexible and effective ways for local citizens to maximize their charitable giving throughout Central Texas.
The foundation serves as a catalyst to encourage and inspire philanthropic giving in order to generate “community capital” through permanent endowment funds. This allows donors with diverse philanthropic interests to take the initiative to address needs and design effective responses to enrich the quality of life in Central Texas.
