From left: St. David's Foundation awards grants to more than 35 nonprofits in Central Texas. Showing the grant total are Austin Child Guidance Center Vice President Nici Huff, Austin Children's Services CEO Kelly White, St. David's Foundation Board Chairman Jerry Turner, St. David's Foundation CEO Earl Maxwell, Spirit Reins Founder Rhonda Smith, Board Member Lynn Sherman, People's Community Clinic CEO Regina Rogoff and Manos de Cristo Executive Director Julie Ballesteros.[/caption]More than three dozen Central Texas nonprofits got a boost from the St. David’s Foundation on June 16 as CEO Earl Maxwell presented $26.8 million in grant funds—the largest amount the foundation has ever awarded at once.
“This is a historic day in terms of the foundation,” Maxwell said.
He said the foundation’s goal is to make its five-county region the healthiest community in the world.
“Today we’re making progress toward that goal,” he said.
Jerry Turner, chairman of the foundation’s board of trustees, said St. David’s Foundation is on its way to becoming one of the top five largest health care funders in the country.
Grant recipients included People's Community Clinic, which was awarded $3.3 million. CEO Regina Rogoff said in addition to the clinic’s partnership with St. David’s Foundation, it also partners with many of the other grant recipients.
“We are all working towards the same goal,” she said.
Paul Scott, executive director of AIDS Services of Austin, which received more than $954,000, said the foundation’s funds helped the organization establish a dental clinic. When the clinic opened, he said, it enriched the lives of AIDS patients who were experiencing extreme dental pain that left them unable to eat or take medications.
Manos de Cristo, which provides low-cost dental care and basic necessities, received more than $550,000 from the foundation. Executive Director Julie Ballesteros said the nonprofit will use the grant money to help support its dental center, which recently tripled in size.
Spirit Reins, a horse ranch in Liberty Hill that provides trauma therapy for children, received more than $100,000. Founder Rhonda Smith said the grant money allows the organization to significantly increase its capacity to treat children and families who have experienced trauma.
In total, $11.5 million was awarded to mental health programs, $12.8 million was awarded to primary care and wellness programs, and $2.5 million was awarded to dental programs.
Maxwell said when the foundation awards its next series of grants in November, it will do so from its new facility at 1303 San Antonio St. For more information on the foundation, visit www.stdavidsfoundation.org.
