COMMUNITIES FOUNDATION of TEXAS
2014 Impact Report
Giving Guide. The Giving Guide changed its focus from 2010 to 2013. Originally, it was meant to be a tool for donor-advised fund holders in their local grantmaking. In 2010–11, it was publicized as an opportunity through the CFT newsletter and personal phone calls. The results of the Giving Guide matches made were summarized in The Dallas Morning News and the CFT newsletter. In 2011–12, the same approach was taken, with an added focus on social-media communication. In 2012–13, a significant effort was devoted to further awareness of CFT’s Giving Guide as a grantmaking tool through tailored cover letters and direct-mail pieces targeted to donors, advisors, private foundations, friends, and prospects. The 2012 strategy was to seed media placements featuring Florence Shapiro and three or more local nonprofits in each of 11 neighborhood papers. After completing focus groups assembled to better understand the role of the Giving Guide as a tool for donors and prospects, the team evolved a Giving Guide for 2014 that better demonstrates CFT’s customized grantmaking services. CFT will also no longer seek specific media coverage for the Giving Guide as a tool on its own. Focus groups also helped the team to revise expectations of direct nonprofit fundraising that the Giving Guide can produce. Disaster Relief. CFT has continued to evolve disaster-relief response efforts, including protocols to note response suggestions on social media and online and/or create relief fund pages across 8+ disaster efforts between March 2011 and December 2013. In 2013, the Texans for West campaign that was raising funds through CFT gained significant media coverage in Culture Map, Yelp, DallasNews.com, Dallas Observer, Collin County Courier, ATTPAC.com, Advocate Magazine, MySweetCharity, and several other local blogs. CFT has continued disaster-relief support with ongoing coverage through newsletter articles about the Mass Care Taskforce, an annual report feature on the Neiman Marcus disaster relief fund, and frequent timely updates through social media.
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The Texans for West concert took place at Klyde Warren Park and raised $30,000 for the West disaster victims.