Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) has recently awarded more than $10 million in support of education initiatives through grants to local nonprofits, CFT’s Educate Texas initiative, and scholarships for students. CFT is investing in innovative approaches that help ensure student success, from early learning to high school through post-secondary and workforce.
The following organizations received grant awards: CFT’s Educate Texas, Communities in Schools of the Dallas Region, For Oak Cliff, The Dallas Foundation, Texas 2036, and United to Learn.
CFT is dedicated to building thriving communities, inspiring philanthropy, and fostering impactful giving. CFT believes that access to education and meaningful workforce opportunities play a critical role in our region’s growth and prosperity. Funding will help improve student outcomes by reducing absenteeism, reconnecting disconnected youth to opportunities and support, strengthening access to high-quality education and workforce pathways, and reducing the opportunity gap.
“We view education as one of the key drivers in creating a thriving community for all. These investments are addressing challenges in new ways to equip students for success, reducing barriers and expanding economic mobility while modernizing systems and building pathways towards brighter futures,” said Wayne White, President and CEO at Communities Foundation of Texas.
CFT’s EDUCATE TEXAS – $5M INVESTMENT
CFT believes all Texans should have an education that empowers them to earn a good living, find a purposeful career, and realize bold dreams for themselves, their families, and their communities. CFT has a long history of supporting education efforts through its statewide Educate Texas initiative, which has been addressing some of the biggest challenges in public education for the past 20 years.
CFT is investing in the expansion of two signature initiatives of Educate Texas. Educate Texas has become a hub for supporting the responsible use of artificial intelligence in Texas education. A $3.7 million investment in Educate Texas’ AI + Education Collaborative provides support for district leaders, policymakers, and nonprofits across the state to help facilitate the responsible adoption of AI in education.
Some of our greatest challenges in education go beyond academics. A $1.3 million investment in the DFW Opportunity Youth Collaborative advances Educate Texas’ work as a cross-sector regional backbone to connect underemployed or undereducated youth to education and career pathways that lead to economic mobility in North Texas. Through this effort, Educate Texas brings together education, workforce, employer, and nonprofit partners to support young adults who have become disconnected from school or work.
“Collectively, these initiatives help eliminate opportunity gaps and strengthen the North Texas ecosystem for students, teachers, employers, and community organizations seeking to improve student success,” said Kerri Briggs, Ph.D., Executive Director, CFT’s Educate Texas. “This is about helping young adults access meaningful careers, earn a living wage, and build the future they want for themselves and their families.
ADDRESSING CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM – $2M INVESTMENT
Chronic school absenteeism—defined as missing at least 10% of school days in a year—has seen a significant rise across the country in recent years, as well as in a number of neighborhoods locally.
CFT has committed $2 million to a new Chronic Absenteeism Initiative that is building coordinated, community-based approaches aimed at improving middle school attendance in South Dallas, South Oak Cliff, and Wilmer Hutchins. Led by For Oak Cliff, which received a $1 million grant from CFT as part of this initiative, and in partnership with Dallas ISD, an effort is underway to co-develop comprehensive campus and neighborhood plans to combat absenteeism.
Initial grantee partners working alongside For Oak Cliff include Big Thought and Communities in Schools of the Dallas Region. Over the next year, this initiative will engage additional community-based organizations to help students stay on track toward high school completion and living-wage employment.
ADDITIONAL GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS
Communities in Schools of the Dallas Region received a $600,000 grant to continue its work in improving student outcomes by addressing non-academic barriers to success. Its embedded campus model is currently operating within 100+ campuses across 11 North Texas school districts. Its site coordinators work directly on school campuses, offering individualized case management.
The Dallas Foundation (TDF), a key CFT partner, received a $500,000 grant to support early childhood development in Southern Dallas through its Bright Futures Alliance.
Texas 2036 received a $500,000 grant to support its Building a Stronger Future for Texas statewide initiative. Texas 2036 is a data-driven, nonpartisan state policy organization that works to improve the lives and opportunities of Texans by identifying the state’s most pressing challenges and developing practical, evidence-based solutions for higher education and workforce, health, housing, public safety and more.
United to Learn received a $250,000 grant to support its Team Thrive model and Aspiring Teachers program to integrate K-3 literacy intervention at more than 30 campuses to help increase reading proficiency. Together, these programs address low third‑grade literacy rates and educator shortages in Dallas ISD through a district‑embedded model that pairs K–3 literacy acceleration with a local educator pipeline.
CFT Scholarships program – $2M – In addition to CFT’s grants to nonprofits, more than $2 million in total scholarships have been awarded to 415 local students to support tuition and education expenses through CFT this scholarship season. These scholarships come from scholarship funds CFT manages on behalf of local donors who want to further the education of others.
The following table provides a full list of CFT’s latest grantees, information on award amounts, and what CFT’s funding will support.
| Organization | Grant Amount Awarded | What’s Funded |
|---|---|---|
|
CFT’s Educate Texas |
$5,000,000 ($3.7M to AI + Education Collaborative, $1.3M to Opportunity Youth Collaborative) |
Expansion of two of Educate Texas signature initiatives to improve student outcomes across the state and scale the responsible adoption of AI. |
|
Chronic Absenteeism Initiative |
$2,000,000 (including $1M to For Oak Cliff) |
Chronic Absenteeism Initiative – a neighborhood-based approach in partnership with For Oak Cliff, Big Thought, and Communities in Schools of the Dallas Region that supports students at middle schools in South Dallas, South Oak Cliff, and Wilmer-Hutchins through services to improve school attendance and well-being |
|
Communities in Schools of the Dallas Region |
$600,000 |
Funding for site coordinators and clinical coordinators, program delivery, and operational infrastructure across partner campuses to support students at risk of dropping out |
|
The Dallas Foundation |
$500,000 |
Support for early childhood development in Southern Dallas focused on improving early learning, health access, and family stability |
|
Texas 2036 |
$500,000 |
Policy and systems change that supports higher education and workforce, health, housing, public safety and more |
|
United to Learn |
$250,000 |
K-3 literacy intervention, leadership development, and paid tutors across participating Title 1 Dallas ISD campuses |
|
CFT 2026 Scholarships for students |
$2,000,000 in partnership with CFT fundholders |
415 local students received scholarships totaling $2M through CFT this spring |
