Austin Community Foundation is focused on closing the opportunity gap in Central Texas, and doing so will take deliberate convening and collaborating across nonprofit, corporate and public sectors.
The Women’s Fund and the Hispanic Impact Fund are the Foundation’s two signature programs focused on closing this opportunity gap. By partnering with the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service at UT Austin, the Foundation has been able to provide reports and analysis on community needs. This data shows that not all Central Texans have access to the economic growth Austin has enjoyed in recent years. But, what we know that Austinites are hard-working, resilient, and eager to create the best lives for themselves and their families.
Recently, ACF awarded nearly $400,000 through these programs, each with a strategic and thoughtful process aimed at closing the opportunity gap in Central Texas.
Three out of four of Central Texas jobs do not pay a living wage for a single mom with two kids.
The Women’s Fund recognizes that when women are economically secure, our whole community thrives. For many families, economic security is more than just a well-paying job. It’s knowing your children are safe in child care. It’s having access to housing that’s affordable and offers supportive services to set your family up for success. It’s having access to education as a pathway to a skillful career. And it’s preventing unintended pregnancy, which disproportionately limits young mothers to a life in poverty.
This year, the Women’s Fund investors granted $200,000 to four organizations working in the focus areas of housing, child care, education and unintended pregnancy prevention.
The poverty rate for Hispanics in Travis County is more than twice the poverty rate for whites.
The Hispanic Impact Fund knows that when Hispanics rise, Austin rises. In 2017, Austin Community Foundation launched the Hispanic Impact Fund with community leaders and stakeholders to invest in the economic security and advancement of Latinos in Central Texas.
Children who are kindergarten ready have a greater chance of receiving a post-secondary degree and attaining a well-paying job than those who are not. When a family is healthy, there is less financial burden and greater opportunity for success. And when families are trained in job skills and entrepreneurship, they gain the necessary tools to create a thriving community.
Through a thoughtful grantmaking process, the Hispanic Impact Fund awarded $180,000 to six organizations working in the focus areas of early childhood education, health and wellness, and job skills and entrepreneurship.
Austin Community Foundation is committed to closing the opportunity gap in our region. By becoming an investor in either the Hispanic Impact Fund or the Women’s Fund, you are working directly to close gaps and create opportunity for all Central Texans to thrive.
Learn more about the Women’s Fund or Hispanic Impact Fund.