Forces for Good: Bank of America Awards $1.3M to North Texas Organizations, Climate Friendly Do Good Chicken Launches, DFW Arts Groups Receive Grants, and $315K Is Awarded to Nine Local Nonprofits

From nonprofit funding to project grants to community service work, there’s been no shortage of social impact initiatives in North Texas.

We’ve seen a number of corporations, startups, and organizations make moves over the past months to help those who need it most, drive equity and inclusion, boost the burgeoning local startup ecosystem, and more. Here’s a roundup of locals making a difference right now with charitable donations, grantmaking, volunteer efforts, or positive disruption.

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Bank of America awards more than $1.3 million to North Texas nonprofits

Helping individuals and families build better economic futures is the goal of $1,318,800 in grants to 43 nonprofits across Dallas, Tarrant, and Collin counties, Bank of America officials announced in late July.

The funding will focus on programs that assist with workforce development, food insecurity, affordable housing, and reliable transportation. The grants come at a time when resources are stretched thin due to the massive influx of new residents in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. According to the U.S. Census, no metropolitan area grew faster than North Texas in the last year, adding more than 100,000 new residents. That growth fuels demand for education and housing. Compounded by inflation, that means many families struggle to cover basic needs.

Organizations receiving grants include Boys & Girls Clubs in both Dallas and Tarrant counties, Resource Center of Dallas, Southern Dallas Link, the Salvation Army, Meals-On-Wheels (both Collin and Tarrant counties), Children’s Advocacy Center of Collin County, and Women’s Center of Tarrant County.

“Investing in partnerships with nonprofit organizations addressing issues like affordable housing and access to healthcare is part of our approach to driving economic opportunity and social progress in North Texas,” said Jennifer Chandler, President, Bank of America Dallas, in a statement.

These grants are part of $25 million awarded to DFW charities by Bank of America since 2017. The local grants are included in a five-year commitment of $1.25 billion in funds Bank of America officials initiated in 2020 to help advance racial equality and economic opportunity across the country.

Justin Kamine, the CEO of sustainable chicken brand Do Good Foods, with Chef Tiffany Derry.

Do Good Foods launches carbon-reducing Do Good Chicken at area Kroger and Target retailers

How can chicken from the grocery store help the environment? When it’s Do Good Chicken.

New Jersey-based Do Good Foods is launching Do Good Chicken right here in North Texas. Do Good Chicken picks up healthy surplus food from local grocery stores and turns it into chicken feed that mimics their natural diet. The end result is less food waste and a more efficient system that’s easier on the environment. The chickens raised on the surplus are now packaged and sold in local Kroger and Target stores.

Each year, about 40% of fresh grocery food goes to landfills where it releases methane, a greenhouse gas that accelerates climate change. Do Good Foods aims to reduce that waste by upcycling it and providing tasty food that’s good for the planet.

To celebrate the launch, Tiffany Derry, Dallas chef and founder of Roots Chicken Shak and Roots Southern Table, will offer a first taste of Do Good Chicken with her own custom chicken recipe (below).

Do Good Chicken teamed up with Dallas native, Chef Tiffany Derry to offer a first taste of Do Good Chicken with the two-time James Beard finalist’s very own custom recipe. Derry is chef and founder of Roots Chicken Shak and Roots Southern Table. [Courtesy photo]

Moody Fund for the Arts awards $450,000 in grants to 52 organizations offering rich cultural experiences

Now in its fifth year, Moody Fund for the Arts recently awarded $450,000 in grants to 52 small and mid-sized Dallas arts organizations. This brings the five-year total to more than $1.5 million

According to Moody Fund for the Arts recipients reflect the rich, diverse and entrepreneurial nature of the Dallas cultural ecosystem, embrace ethnic and culturally specific communities and relevant subjects, and support programming in Moody Performance Hall and provide cultural experiences in parts of Dallas that are traditionally underserved.

Grants ranged from $4,750 to $12,000 and recipients included Asian Film Foundation of Dallas, Flamenco Fever, Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, Soul Rep Theatre Company, and The Writer’s Garret.

NBC Universal awards $315,000 in Project Innovation grants to nine local nonprofits

NBC Universal recently awarded a total of $315,000 from its Project Innovation grants to nine local nonprofits that provide innovative solutions in community engagement and youth education and empowerment.

The Beacon Hill Preparatory Institute in Dallas received a $55,000 Project Innovation grant. Beacon Hill fights educational inequality by providing math and reading tutoring to select public and charter schools. Extra tutoring is needed now more than ever due to the pandemic-induced education gap.

Others receiving grants: Kids Who Care Touring Company, an arts and leadership education program for school age children, received $75,000; CampFire received $50,000 for K-12 Virtual Reality Learning after-school programs. The Concilio‘s Latino Community Engagement & Outreach received $37,500; Network of Community Ministries‘ Community Market received $30,000 for providing food at no cost to Dallas residents in need; Metrocrest Services‘ Thriving Seniors Initiative received $25,000; Grant Halliburton Foundation received $20,000 for Mental Health Education in Title 1 Schools; Girls Incorporated of Metropolitan Dallas received $15,000 for its Eureka! STEM Program for underserved girls; and Casa Mañana received $7,500 for Musical Theatre Production for Students with All-Abilities.

PLUS

⟫ Envision Dallas is expanding its operations and has received new funding to help with the effort. The nonprofit, which offers employment opportunities and resources for the blind and visually impaired, has kicked off a $15 million fundraising campaign with a $6 million donation from the LC Industries Foundation—the largest gift in Envision’s history.

⟫ Dallas-based Kimberly-Clark is celebrating 150 years in business by awarding three $150,000 grants to global nonprofit organizations working to improve the well-being of people around the world. The global nonprofits are: Water.org, which has helped 45 million people access safe water or sanitation; She’s the First, a grass-roots organization aiming to ensure girls everywhere are educated, respected, and heard; and Project HOPE, which helps nurses and midwives gain skills to save the lives of mothers and babies around the world.

⟫ Fort Worth-based American Airlines through its American Airlines Education Foundation recently awarded $1.2 million in scholarship funds to 452 children of employees based in eight countries. Each recipient received at least $2,500; 107 recipients were first-generation college students who received an additional $1,000.

⟫ Dignitaries and survivors of the Korean War Battle of the Chosin Reservoir (also known in Korea as the Battle of Lake Jangjjn) gathered July 9 at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery to dedicate a new “Chosin Few” Memorial, sponsored by the Metroplex Military Charitable Trust and the North Texas Chapter of the Chosin Few.

⟫ Leadership Dallas Class of 2022 recently completed a renovation and expansion of the Jubilee Park and Community Center‘s Food Pantry. The 2022 Leadership Dallas Class raised $200,000 for the project, more than any other Leadership Dallas class in the history of the program.

⟫ Sammons Enterprises recently made the largest single donation in the 22-year history of the Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas. The gift of an undisclosed amount will empower pioneering advancements in brain health and performance, center leaders said.

⟫ The South Dallas Cultural Center just announced the 2022 recipients of the Juanita J. Craft Artist Residency: Camika Spencer, Ebony Lewis, Jessica Bell, and Linda Jones. The residency aims to “encourage artists of the African Diaspora in all disciplines to explore new working methods and to develop socially engaging, interactive art experiences immersed within the neighborhoods of the South Dallas area.”

⟫ PNC Bank aims to bring financial empowerment and education to underserved DFW communities. The Pittsburgh-based bank is rolling its mobile banking units into DFW. At the mobile units, residents will be able to access an ATM, replace debit cards, open accounts, and apply for loans. The units will be hitting up community centers including Jubilee Park and Community Center, CitySquare, and Foundation Communities, among others, according to the Dallas Morning News.

⟫ The Salvation Army of North Texas said it’s welcoming a married couple, Majors Paul and Dawn McFarland, back to Dallas-Fort Worth as the newly appointed area commanders of the region’s largest social services provider. The McFarlands are the former leaders at the Adult Rehabilitation Center in Dallas and will oversee operations that support those combatting poverty, addiction, and homelessness in Dallas, Tarrant, Ellis, Denton, and Collin counties.