Here are some steps to help inspire your clients to take action:
Consider reviewing your clients’ 2025 charitable contributions with our team of experts at CFT.
Looking back at last year’s giving can be surprisingly helpful, especially when guided by professional advisors who understand both philanthropy and the local community. Our team at CFT can also help your clients by highlighting the real-world impact of gifts, identifying patterns in giving, and presenting giving opportunities they may not have considered.
This review also creates a natural bridge to planning for 2026 support, whether that means refining focus, adjusting gift amounts, or exploring new charitable giving vehicles. Just as important, it allows space for your clients to begin thinking strategically about future years, helping ensure that their generosity grows in a way that is both meaningful and sustainable.
Talk with your clients as soon as possible about whether and how the new tax laws might impact their giving.
Charitable giving is closely connected to tax and estate planning, and early conversations can help make informed decisions before the year gets too far along. This is also an ideal time to revisit estate plans and beneficiary designations. Many of your clients choose to include a gift to their donor-advised or other type of fund at CFT in their wills, trusts, or beneficiary designations on retirement accounts or life insurance policies, creating a lasting legacy that reflects their values. Coordinating these updates with your clients and with CFT can ensure charitable intentions are clearly documented, tax-efficient, and aligned with overall financial and estate planning goals.
Set goals for your clients’ charitable involvement in 2026.
Rather than giving reactively, goal-setting allows for proactive, intentional giving. CFT can help with exploring new and emerging nonprofits, learning more about pressing needs in the community, and connecting with organizations that align with interests. Together, our team can create a plan for timing gifts throughout the year, whether through recurring contributions, single large gifts early in the year to help a favorite nonprofit get ahead, or strategic gifts of highly appreciated or complex assets. This approach not only makes giving more manageable but also helps ensure their generosity has the greatest possible impact.
As you look ahead, remember that you and your clients do not have to navigate charitable planning on your own. CFT is here to serve as a trusted partner—whether your clients are just getting started, refining an existing plan, or thinking about the legacy they wish to leave for future generations. We invite you to reach out anytime to ask questions and explore ideas.
Swede brings to CFT his significant experience as both a workforce housing developer and a lender, including years spent building housing in Dallas’s Southern Sector and managing a multibillion-dollar construction loan portfolio. He will partner closely with CFT’s executive leadership team, including Nadine Dechausay, CFT’s chief strategy and insights officer, who will continue to advance CFT’s overall housing strategy, including the new HouseDTX collective action network.
“Swede’s combination of capital markets expertise, development leadership, and hands-on project ownership will be an invaluable asset to CFT and our expanding housing strategy,” said Nadine Dechausay, CFT’s chief strategy and insights officer.
As CFT’s Senior Advisor for Housing, Swede will develop CFT’s Housing Impact Fund’s processes and lending standards, cultivate and evaluate aligned investment opportunities, and strengthen the Dallas housing ecosystem through technical assistance and strategic insights. You can learn more about CFT’s housing initiative at: www.CFTexas.org/Housing.
About Swede Hanson
Swede is the entrepreneurial founder of Smart Living Residential, LLC, a Dallas based firm focused on creating high quality, mixed income communities. The company’s flagship development, The Finch, is a 153-unit Class A apartment community that was completed in August 2025 in Dallas’s southern sector. It is noted for intentional design, attainable rents, and a resident centered approach.
With more than 20 years of real estate experience, Swede’s background spans development, lending, leasing, note sales, and capital markets. Prior to founding Smart Living Residential, he served as Senior Vice President in Bank OZK’s Real Estate Specialties Group, where he managed a $4.0 billion national loan portfolio. Earlier in his career, he held roles with Credit Suisse Securities’ CMBS conduit platform and JLL’s Capital Markets Group, supporting loan originations and distressed loan sales nationwide.
Swede holds an MBA in Finance from SMU’s Cox School of Business and a BS in Industrial Distribution from Texas A&M University.
Community Leaders join CFT’s Housing Committee
In summer 2025, Communities Foundation of Texas launched its first ever Housing Committee, chaired by CFT Board of Trustee member Debra Brennan Tag with CFT Board of Trustees Connie O’Neill, Michael Dardick, Katie Robbins, Richie Butler, and Arcilia Acosta as its first committee members.
Three community leaders have now joined the committee: Gilbert Gerst, Senior Vice President, Manager of Community Development Banking for BOK Financial; former CFT trustee Chris Kleinert, CEO of Hunt Investment Holdings; and Linda McMahon, CEO of the Dallas Economic Development Corporation. Together, these new committee members bring invaluable expertise across housing development, community development finance, and economic growth that will strengthen the Housing Committee’s work and help drive more effective, collaborative solutions for Dallas and North Texas.
About the new Housing Committee Members
Gilbert Gerst is Senior Vice President, Manager of Community Development Banking for BOK Financial (BOKF).
Gilbert joined BOKF in June 2011 after 25+ years with JPMorgan Chase. He has corporate-wide responsibility for the bank’s community development lending and investment activities and is a key partner in the bank’s CRA compliance and examination process. An accountant by trade, Gilbert has spent the majority of his banking career positively impacting low to moderate income individuals and communities.
Gilbert currently serves as Chairman of the Board of the Dallas Economic Development Corporation and Board Chair of the State Fair of Texas® and is Chairman Emeritus of the Dallas Black Dance Theatre. His board service includes the Tulsa Economic Development Corporation, AT&T Performing Arts Center, Texas Mezzanine Fund, All Stars Project, the University of North Texas Foundation, and multiple affordable housing and community development organizations.
Gilbert holds a Bachelor of Science from The University of North Texas and a Master’s Degree from the University of Texas at Arlington.
Chris Kleinert oversees the real estate (Hunt Realty Investments), investment (Hunt Investment Group) and ranching operations (Hoodoo Land Holdings) for Hunt Consolidated, Inc.
Chris currently serves on the Board of Directors of Austin Street Center, the Board of Trustees of Southern Methodist University, the Executive Board of Directors of the Cox School of Business at SMU, the Board of Trustees of the Southwestern Medical Foundation and the Dallas Mavericks Advisory Council.
In 2017, Chris and his wife, Ashlee, co-founded The Good Foundation with the mission of serving vulnerable populations in our community in need of a chance.
Chris received an MBA with a concentration in finance from Texas Christian University and a BBA in marketing from Southern Methodist University.
Linda McMahon is the Chief Executive Officer of Dallas Economic Development Corporation (Dallas EDC). She leads Dallas EDC’s plans to promote Dallas as a globally competitive business destination that fosters economic opportunities for all members of the city.
Linda’s career spans over four decades, during which she earned a reputation as a thought leader, a catalyst for positive change, and a devoted advocate for Dallas and North Texas.
Her remarkable professional history includes serving as President and CEO of The Real Estate Council (TREC), the largest commercial real estate organization in Texas, from 2010 to 2024, and working more than 30 years in banking and serving as an inaugural board member of Dallas EDC.
Linda received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin. Throughout her career, she has worked on some of Dallas’ most pressing challenges around housing, transportation, workforce development, and community development.
In addition to her fierce advocacy of the arts, education, and medical research, Linda was a founding member of The Sweetheart Ball, one of CFT’s long-time partners. The Sweetheart Ball has raised more than $46 million for cardiology research at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
She served more than 20 different local nonprofits and foundations throughout her lifetime, including: the AT&T Performing Arts Center, Baylor Scott & White, Charter 100, Community Council of Greater Dallas, Dallas Arts District, Dallas Assembly, Dallas Opera, Dallas Theater Center, Dallas Women’s Club, The Hoblitzelle Foundation, The Hockaday School , Junior League of Dallas, Meadows Museum, Salvation Army, Southern Methodist University, Southwestern Medical Foundation/UT Southwestern, Susan G. Komen, and more.
She was a former president of Junior League and received their Lifetime Achievement Award. She also received SMU’s Distinguished Alumni Award and Outstanding Trustee Award, the TACA Silver Cup Award, and many other honors.
Linda’s inspiring leadership across our community will be felt for generations to come. Her legacy of impact will continue to live on through the causes she championed and through her extensive service to CFT.
We extend our heartfelt condolences to all who share in this loss, especially her family, friends, and the nonprofits she served.
You can read more about Linda’s impact in the Dallas Morning News tribute and on the Linz Award website.
Top photo courtesy of Kim Leeson for The Dallas Morning News
Bottom photo courtesy of SMU/Kim Leeson
Deadlines for 2026 scholarships are March 1, April 1 and May 1, 2026, depending on the scholarship opportunity. Learn more about CFT’s Scholarships here and apply online.
From July 2024 through June 2025, CFT distributed $2 million through 415 scholarships awarded. Thanks to the support of CFT’s generous scholarship donors, 146 colleges, universities and trade schools across the country were attended by award recipients.
“We help deserving students pursue their dreams while supporting the charitable visions of people in our community,” said Katie Kuehl, Communities Foundation of Texas’ senior officer of scholarships and nonprofit funds. “I’m grateful CFT can help serve as a connection point between our scholarship fundholders and our scholarship recipients.”
CFT partners with families, individuals, companies, organizations and estates to achieve their philanthropic goals. For some, this comes in the form of establishing a scholarship, allowing countless students the opportunity to advance their education in a field or study they’re passionate about.
Spotlight on Scholarship Donors
CFT fund holders, Andy and Jackie Schwitter, have two charitable funds at CFT: the Bridges Scholarship Fund and their donor-advised fund, the Schwitter Family Fund. They are also proud members of CFT’s legacy society, the Live Oak Society. One thing that makes the Bridges Scholarship special is its focus on helping students “in the middle” — those who work hard and earn B’s or C’s but show potential. Since 2006, more than 240 students have received transformative scholarships from the Bridges Scholarship Fund.
“Kids just need a chance. When they’re given an opportunity, they almost always succeed,” said Andy Schwitter, Fundholder, Bridges Scholarship Fund at CFT. Read more about the Schwitter family’s passion for creating more opportunities for students in CFT’s 2025 Annual Report, Giving Made Greater, here.
A selection of some of available CFT scholarships is listed below:
- Bear Bison Scholarship – up to the full amount of tuition for high school seniors of South Oak Cliff High School (Dallas, TX) or Sunset High School (Dallas, TX) pursuing a degree at any accredited college. The application deadline is April 1.
- Frederick Jones Sr. Family Scholarship – scholarships of up to $5,000 to graduating high school seniors of Southwest Dallas from Duncanville, DeSoto, Cedar Hill, and Lancaster, Texas who are pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, or medicine. The application deadline is April 1.
- ECLAT Foundation Scholarship – $2,000 scholarships to graduating seniors or college students. The application deadline is April 1.
- Gigi and Louise Gartner Scholarship– scholarships of up to $10,000 to high school seniors, current college students or post-graduates of a high school in Dallas County who are pursuing a degree in holistic medicine. The application deadline is May 1.
- Joan H. Hensley Scholarship – scholarships of up to $5,000 to graduating high school seniors or past graduates of a high school in Dallas County. The application deadline is May 1.
- Lawrence “Larry” Cole Memorial Scholarship – scholarships of up to $6,000 to students who intend to pursue a certificate or associate’s degree in machining technology, manufacturing and industrial technology, or manufacturing engineering. The application deadline is May 1.
- LIFE Association Trade Scholarship Fund– scholarships of up to $5,000 to graduating high school seniors or past graduates with a degree or GED equivalent in Texas who intend to pursue a trade or vocational degree or certification. The application deadline is May 1.
- Maier Foundation Scholarship – scholarships of up to $5,000 to students pursuing a bachelor’s degree in science, engineering, or medicine. The application deadline is May 1.
- Om & Shanti Scholarship Fund– four-year awards of up to $6,000 to graduating high school seniors of a public high school in Dallas or Collin Counties in the State of Texas. The application deadline is March 1.
Additional opportunities may be viewed on CFT’s website.
The nonprofit grantees selected for this capacity building effort are high-performing organizations with annual operating budgets under $3 million that stand out as essential leaders in the Dallas nonprofit sector. The grantees include organizations that support a range of cause areas, including the arts, economic mobility, education, health, youth, and more.
“We have teamed up with CFT to expand our Nonprofit Empowerment Fund program and welcome a new group of small but mighty organizations,” shared Lyda Hill, Founder of Lyda Hill Philanthropies (LHP). “Too often, funders restrict dollars to programs. This fund does the opposite. It champions the health and capacity of each organization.”
Half of each gift will be designated for general operating expenses, while the other half supports expenses in one or more of these categories:
- Investments in human capital to improve employee recruitment, professional development, organizational culture, and retention.
- Capital expenses or physical assets that improve the organization’s ability to deliver its mission.
- Third-party technical assistance to augment teams with the right experts at the right time.
“Lyda Hill Philanthropies’ vision and commitment to our community’s nonprofits is inspiring,” said Robert Kent, CFT’s Chief Philanthropy Officer. “We admire the resilience and innovation the nonprofit grantees exhibit while meeting the needs of our region. Our recent survey data showed that nonprofits are navigating an increasingly challenging funding environment, and when we surprised these organizations with the grants, there were cheers and tears of joy.”
The Nonprofit Empowerment Fund is an extension of LHP’s history of investing in the nonprofit sector’s human capital and infrastructure, rooted in the belief that investing in the people and equipment needed to do the work effectively should never be a luxury. Over the past three years, Lyda Hill Philanthropies has invested more than $14 million in empowerment funding to support a network of agencies in Dallas and Colorado Springs. The initiative grew out of candid conversations with nonprofit CEOs who often face the difficult choice between investing in their staff and infrastructure or directing every dollar to programs.
“We know strong programs require strong organizations,” said Margaret Black, Managing Director at Lyda Hill Philanthropies. “The organizations in this cohort consistently deliver outsized impact, and this fund backs the people, tools, and expertise to keep pace with the growing needs of the sector.”
“Capacity building is about more than equipment or systems. It’s about strengthening the heart of an organization. Grants like this are extremely rare, and the flexibility to invest in non-program expenses is truly transformative for nonprofits like ours,” said Joy Hinkelman, Executive Director of grantee, Wellness Center for Older Adults.
“This investment in capacity building represents a profound commitment to the health and well-being of the communities we serve. Strengthening our capacity means expanding our impact and making a better world possible—and thanks to partners like Lyda Hill Philanthropies, we can continue to grow sustainably and reach even more lives,” said Aideé Granados, Founder and Executive Leader of grantee, SuperVive (formerly Rosa Es Rojo, Inc.)
“This grant is an investment in our people, our systems, and our future. It gives us the capacity to keep showing up for our students and parents, helping them believe that college and opportunity are truly within reach,” said Janet Morrison-Lane, Executive Director of grantee, Vickery Meadow Youth Development Foundation.
About Lyda Hill Philanthropies:
Lyda Hill Philanthropies catalyzes and funds game-changing advances in science and nature, and investments to empower nonprofits and local communities. Lyda Hill Philanthropies encompasses the charitable giving for founder Lyda Hill, and LH Capital comprises her investment portfolio, together unlocking significant impact. Learn more about Lyda Hill Philanthropies here.
