St. David’s Foundation donates over $24 million to 48 organizations in Central Texas

Sierra Martin | Managing Editor

HAYS COUNTY — The St. David’s Foundation has donated $24,513,946 to 48 organizations in Central Texas with their Spring Grant, with 20 of the recipients from Hays County nonprofits.

Among the Hays County recipients for the Spring Grant is the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center, which received $600,000 that will be utilized to help fund counseling, advocacy work and shelter services. The People’s Community Clinic received $500,000, which will promote mental health and social services to encourage healthy functioning youth.

Recipients are chosen by focusing on five strategic goals, including organizations that focus on fostering Resilient Children, Healthy Women and Girls, Older Adults Age in Place, Thriving Rural Communities and Clinics as Community Hubs for Health.

“The work of our spring grant recipients reflects efforts ranging from perinatal and infant-focused support to partnerships with rural school districts to increase parent involvement in their child’s education journey,” St. David’s Foundation states on their website. “Also reflected in this grant cycle is the value of the local health care infrastructure including free and charitable clinics across Central Texas, to creating a culture of health in the rural communities, including innovative solutions to support low-income adults with access to medical appointments.”

The money is distributed twice a year through Fall and Spring Grants and raised through a partnership with St. David’s Healthcare, which provides resources to the foundation to invest in the community.

Edward Burger, President and CEO of St. David’s Foundation, supports the Central Texas area’s health, wellness, and educational initiatives. Burger spoke about the extra focus on childhood development during the Spring Grant Cycle to help children whose learning was impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“I think that we do not fully understand the emotional impact on very young people due to the pandemic…” said Burger. “And so we are focusing on how to think about overcoming the issues that we don’t even understand yet. And so a lot of our investments were about childhood resiliency, to create and foster social infrastructure to support nonprofit communities and helping families and their children get back on track again.”

St. David’s Foundation puts some of its focus on supporting local nonprofits that help people throughout their lifetime, from birth to end-of-life experiences.

“I would say that St. Davids Foundation, we’re grateful that we can partner with these wonderful nonprofit organizations that are doing really important work in our community,” said Burger. “And that we hope to continue to engage in and learn from that body of work, and work together with communities and organizations, in thinking about how we can make our communities healthier and bring individuals to become even better versions of themselves, both today and tomorrow. And we’re excited about the work and we’re honored that we can partner with the organizations.”

Spring Grant Recipients Whose Work Supports Hays County

• AIDS Services of Austin / Vivent Health
• Alliance for Strong Families and Communities
• Any Baby Can of Austin, Inc.
• Austin Child Guidance Center
• Austin Clubhouse, Inc.
• Austin Community Foundation
• Austin Recovery
• Capital Area Initiatives Foundation
• Central Texas Allied Health Institute
• Combined Community Action Incorporated
• Communities In Schools of Central Texas
• Community Econsult Network Inc
• Family Independence Initiative
• Giving Austin Labor Support
• Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center
• Mission Capital
• People’s Community Clinic
• Spirit Reins
• Sustainable Food Center
• Swan Songs

A complete list of the 2021 spring grant recipients can be found here. You can learn about upcoming funding opportunities through the St. David’s Foundation here.