The following organizations received grant awards: Aspire to Learn, AT LAST!, Café Momentum, The Commit Partnership – Dallas County Promise, Paul Quinn College, Texas Woman’s University, University of Texas at Arlington, and Year Up United. Funding will help these institutions implement or strengthen learning environments, programs, and/or student outcomes.
Pictured below are nonprofit grantee leaders with CFT’s Robert Kent, Kerri Briggs, and Wayne White.
CFT is dedicated to building thriving communities, inspiring philanthropy, and fostering impactful giving. CFT believes that a healthy, vibrant community is one in which every individual feels valued and cared for, with access to education and meaningful workforce opportunities playing a critical role in our region’s growth and prosperity.
“Two out of three young adults in Dallas County don’t currently earn a living wage. The local nonprofits we’re funding are going above and beyond in innovative and new ways to equip students for success, ensuring the individuals they serve become strong competitors in a variety of job markets,” said Wayne White, CFT’s President & CEO. “Each grantee works to make higher education and workforce training accessible, helping more students secure in-demand careers and financial independence.”
CFT is committed to solving some of the biggest challenges in education through its statewide Educate Texas (EDTX) initiative. The EDTX team is uniquely positioned to recognize where vital support is needed in real-time to scale solutions within school districts, colleges, and universities that have the potential to accelerate a strong economic workforce across the state of Texas.
“Our vision is for all Texans to have the education they need to find a purposeful career, and realize the big dreams they have for themselves, their families, and their communities. Partnering with these outstanding organizations furthers our mission to solve the biggest challenges facing our great state of Texas,” said Kerri Briggs, CFT’s nationally recognized education expert and Executive Director of Educate Texas. “Educate Texas originated from the mission of CFT to ensure communities thrive, and there is no better path to opportunity than a quality education that prepares you for life,” said Briggs.
The grantees serve students across North Texas and offer a variety of innovative learning opportunities. Aspire to Learn provides learning programs for students of all ages – from early childhood to adults pursuing careers. AT LAST! immerses impoverished elementary school-aged kids in educational resources during the home life hours with its “scholar-in-residence” program. Serving justice-involved youth, Café Momentum fosters hands-on opportunities to learn life and industry skills.
CFT’s grant to The Commit Partnership supports expansion of the Dallas County Promise, a coalition that helps individuals complete college and begin their careers. As the nation’s first and only Urban Work College, Paul Quinn College’s mission is to eradicate intergenerational poverty, reduce student debt, and ensure career readiness through its Corporate Work Program. Year Up United empowers young people to reach their full potential by offering a rigorous career and workplace readiness program that includes classroom instruction and access to an internship, with students earning a stipend throughout the program.
Texas Woman’s University is the nation’s largest public university primarily for women and is renowned for its contributions in the fields of healthcare, liberal arts, education, and more. University of Texas at Arlington is known as a comprehensive research, teaching, and public service institution, and CFT’s grant is supporting students who have been part of the foster care system or who have experienced homelessness, to help UTA increase retention for this student population.
The following is a full list of CFT’s latest grantees, information on award amounts, and what CFT’s funding will support.
Aspire to Learn – $500,000: Funding will support Aspire’s workforce training programs for Certified Operator of Powered Industrial Trucks (PIT), Certified Logistics Technician (CLT), and Certified Logistics Associate (CLA). The highest-level certification can be completed in as little as one week, allowing students to secure jobs that pay between $40,000 – $50,000 annually.
AT LAST! – $1,500,000: Funding will support the development of AT LAST!’s second residential facility. An additional building will allow AT LAST! to serve 82 more kids, connecting youth to the “scholars-in-residence” program. This provides a “boarding experience” for elementary students attending nearby schools. AT LAST! focuses on the time children are outside of school, connecting them to quality academic support, technology, counseling, and more.
Café Momentum – $500,000: Funding will support Café Momentum’s new flagship location. Café Momentum is a nonprofit restaurant that provides workforce development to justice-involved youth. Its new building will allow the organization to serve 20% more individuals, provide enhanced wraparound services, and improve overall financial performance.
The Commit Partnership – Dallas County Promise – $3,000,000: Funding will support the development of the Economic Mobility Center. It will also improve real-time data access across five participating Dallas school districts through an integrated regional data infrastructure created by Economic Mobility Systems, and increase the presence of Education is Freedom in Dallas County. Education is Freedom is a key partner in this effort to advance economic mobility, providing comprehensive career planning and college readiness services to middle and high school students across the county.
Paul Quinn College (PQC) – $250,000: Funding will support the PQC Campus Master Plan. PQC is seeking to transform its campus into a self-sustaining, community-oriented “planned city” that will serve both PQC students and the surrounding neighborhood. Within the approximate 140 acres of the campus, PQC intends to serve as an economic incubator for community development in several areas: education, housing, small business operations, food security, and community health.
Texas Woman’s University – Dallas Campus (TWU) – $250,000: Funding will support the development and growth of the TWU Dallas Campus through the creation of a strategic plan, helping set the course for the school over the next decade.
University of Texas at Arlington (UTA) – $250,000: Funding will support UTA’s Emerging Mavericks program, which will serve the unique needs of students who are alumni of the foster care system, homeless, or at risk of being homeless.
Year Up United – $1,380,000: Funding will support Year Up United’s work-based learning program. Year Up United’s program trains young adults in a variety of technical skills via a two-part process that combines classroom instruction on professional and technical skills and an internship. Participants receive support services and an educational stipend. Those who complete the program earn a Year Up United certificate.
