In late 2021, The Dallas Foundation—the first community foundation in Texas—launched its Racial Equity Fund, which seeks to address the ongoing disparities that directly impact Dallas’ Black and Hispanic residents, “which start before birth and are seen at nearly every step of life,” according to the foundation.

Now the foundation has announced the first-ever 25 recipients of its Racial Equity Fund Grants. From a literacy organization to a farm and neighbor space to a nonprofit startup accelerator, the inaugural grantees were selected by a diverse grant committee reflecting Dallas’ racial makeup.

The over $2.5 million in investments focus on data-informed areas, the foundation says, “including housing/infrastructure, economic, education, criminal justice/government, and health.”

Propelling ‘true, tangible change in the community’

Matthew Randazzo, The Dallas Foundation’s president and CEO, sees the investments as having a lasting, positive impact on Dallas.

“We’re confident these investments from our Racial Equity Fund will propel true, tangible change in the community, where all of our neighbors can thrive and race no longer statistically dictates one’s social outcome,” Randazzo said in a statement. “These 25 grantees rose to the top of hundreds of worthy applicants, all of whom are striving alongside us to make Dallas a more equitable place for everyone, and it’s our privilege to support and spotlight their important work.”

The fund also aims to use the collective influence and resources of the foundation—along with its donors and partners—”to advance equity for Dallas’s BIPOC residents by strategically and purposefully directing philanthropic dollars to support organizations that combat systemic inequities.”

“This work directly aligns with the foundation’s strategic priorities to ensure a strong and healthy start in life and advance equity and inclusion, both of which are critical to helping Dallas reach its full potential,” the organization said.

This year’s inaugural recipients include:

• AES Literacy Institute Incorporated
• Bachman Lake Together
• Beacon Hill Preparatory Institute
• Big D Reads
• Black Heart Association
• Builders of Hope Community Development Corporation
• Dallas Black Dance Theatre
• Dallas Education Foundation
• For Oak Cliff
• Frazier Revitalization, Inc.
• H3 Diversity
• Healing Hands Ministries
• IF Institute – Young Leader Strong City
• Impact Ventures
• Los Barrios Unidos Community Clinic
• MEASURE
• Owenwood Farm and Neighbor Space
• Pasos for Oak Cliff
• Puede Network
• Rosa es Rojo, Inc.
• Southern Dallas Progress Community Development Corporation
• Texas Pride Impact Funds
• The Concilio
• Union Development Corporation DBA-Project Unity
• United to Learn

$34 million sought during application stage

“We received 258 requests seeking nearly $34M during the application stage of this first Racial Equity Funding Cycle,” said The Dallas Foundation’s Chief Impact Officer, Drexell Owusu, in the statement. “And while we’re very proud to invest over $2 million toward the trajectory-changing work of this year’s grantees, there’s a significant need for more donors and partners to work with us to close this gap.”

Leadership donors to The Dallas Foundation’s Racial Equity Fund include the Leland Fikes Foundation, Jaggers Family Fund, NexPoint Philanthropies, The Rainwater Charitable Foundation, The Reis-Bisor Foundation, The PKW Fund of The Dallas Foundation, Harold Simmons Foundation, Texas Capital Bank, Truist Charitable Fund, and the Paula Walker Fund of The Dallas Foundation, among other major donors.

For more information about both The Dallas Foundation and the fund, you can go here.

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