Leader - Winter November 2023

Leader

Winter 2023 · dallasfoundation.org

05 The Power of Connection 11 Ask An Expert

Investing in the Changemakers 07

About Leader Leader offers information and updates on The Dallas Foundation’s strategic priorities, highlights nonprofit and donor partners deeply engaged in the work alongside us, and showcases our leadership, expertise, and catalytic investments.

Contents 04 TDF People An overview of the Foundation’s team members, their accomplishments, and how the foundation is cultivating the next generation of nonprofit leaders.

About the Foundation The Dallas Foundation brings together people, ideas, and investments in Greater Dallas so individuals and families can reach their full potential.

Working closely with our donor partners, we share our expertise, leadership, and the opportunity to co-invest in solutions that match their interests and make a meaningful difference. We also support programs that benefit children ages birth to 3 as well as those that advance equity and inclusion, ensure community and economic resilience, and enhance our community’s nonprofit ecosystem, prioritizing partnerships that reduce intergenerational poverty and meet today’s pressing needs while positioning Greater Dallas for a brighter, more equitable tomorrow. #HereforGood

Leader is published by The Dallas Foundation. © 2023 Editorial Dawn Townsend

05 The Power of Connection Read about the Water Cooler at Pegaus Park and the commitment to bringing nonprofits together with resources to succeed.

in the 07 Investing Changemakers How three donors have partnered with The Dallas Foundation to bring about greater and more meaningful impact in the community.

11 Ask An Expert Torrey Littleton, the Foundation’s Chief Financial Officer, provides insight on how TDF manages investments and ensures best in class financial stewardship.

Creative Direction Sydney Brucker Contributing Writers Leighton Watts Photography Jason Janik Photography Kim Leeson Photography

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12 Upcoming Events Educational opportunities to inform and inspire your philanthropic journey.

Leading Off

A Letter from Julie Diaz

Leadership Interim President & CEO Julie Diaz Chief Financial Officer Torrey Littleton Chief Impact Officer Drexell Owusu VP, Marketing & Communications Dawn Townsend Senior Director of Administration Liz Vickers

Friends, We're all familiar with the saying that the "The only constant in life is change." Whether we're talking about the people in our lives, the stock market or the weather, nothing stands still and yet, most of us prefer routine, predictability, and the comfort of knowing what's up ahead.

Board of Governors

However, the very nature of our work in philanthropy, particularly at a place-based organization like ours, assumes that we are seekers of change. That we embrace new opportunities and intentionally invest in transformational solutions that make life better for the residents of our community. That we are not comfortable until all of our neighbors have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Chairman of the Board Lydia Addy

The theme of this issue of Leader is "Investing in the Changemakers" and features the stories of three Dallas Foundation fundholders who, in partnership with the Foundation, sought out and embraced the promise of change. We provide an update on the Water Cooler, a partnership between Lyda Hill Philanthropies and The Dallas Foundation to neighbor alongside, direct programming, and support 35 of Dallas' best in class nonprofit organizations working to effect change across myriad issues. We also share a few recent internal changes reflective of our team's ever-growing expertise.

Bobby Bisor Jaimee Eddington Steffen Fuchs Mark Okada Elizabeth Phillips Trevor Rees-Jones, III Catherine Rose Amber Scanlan Jeremy Smith Michael Sorrell

It's been my privilege to serve as Interim President & CEO for the past five+ months. And, while this has been a time of transition for the organization, what truly remains unchanged is our team's commitment to our donors and the Greater Dallas community because the very culture of The Dallas Foundation is grounded in those two priorities. We are squarely focused on tomorrow's Dallas and the many ways we can inspire our donors to envision what's possible and work alongside those who want to explore innovative ways to make a difference.

Vice Chair and Secretary of the Board Chris Luna

As we head toward the end of 2023, we thank you for the opportunity to partner with you, to lend our community and philanthropic expertise to your vision of what's possible.

The Dallas Foundation 3000 Pegasus Park Drive, Ste. 930 Dallas, TX 75247

My best,

Web dallasfoundation.org Phone 214-741-9898 Email info@dallasfoundation.org

Julie Diaz Interim President & CEO

LinkedIn /the-dallas-foundation

The Dallas Foundation | 3

TDF People

Staff Updates

To learn more about us, visit: dallasfoundation.org/who-we-are/team

Special Accomplishments The Dallas Foundation staff prides themselves on being trusted partners in the community, always striving for the highest level of expertise. Several staff members have recently had notable professional accomplishments, and it is our honor to recognize the integrity and skill that they bring to TDF.

With her new role as Manager, Grants & Insights, Diana Guerrero joins the Community Impact team.

In this role, Diana supports the grant administration process while being a key member in developing the Foundation's data and insights strategy.

Brittani Trusty was recently promoted to Senior Director, Community Impact. In her expanded role, Brittani oversees all grantmaking at TDF, positioning the organization to better understand the community needs and trends across all annual grantmaking.

Mackenzie Causey was promoted to Director of Strategic Partnerships & Donor Engagement, where she leads the newly formed Donor Services Team. Her new role focuses on deepening relationships with donors and developing strategies for greater engagement.

Diana Guerrero, Manager, Grants & Insights, was recently selected for the Social Venture Partners Dallas 2023-2024 Dana Juett Residency, a program for young professionals to learn and be involved in venture philanthropy, with a focus on impact through social innovation.

Joining the Donor Servives Team is Madalene Garcia, Manager, Donor Services & Marketing. Through her new role, Madalene manages daily donor inquiries and requests, such as grant recommendations, grant history inquiries, and financial statements.

Donor Services

Kevin Betancourt, TDF's Advisor Relations Manager, recently received his designation as a Certified Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) bringing a higher level of expertise working with professional advisors and donors.

TDF's Chief Financial Officer, Torrey Littleton, was recently named one of The Dallas Business Journal's 2023 CFO of the Year honorees, recognizing the top financial executives throughout North Texas and their outstanding roles as financial stewards.

4 | Leader - Winter 2023

Community Impact

The Dallas Foundation’s staff continues to grow and evolve to meet the needs of the organization and provide the highest levels of service to our fundholders and partners.

We are excited to celebrate our team members' incredible accomplishments and latest promotions.

Paulino Lopez was promoted to Manager, Scholarships, as a member of the Donor Services Team. In this expanded role, Paulino manages all aspects of scholarship and hardship funds, processing all payments and serving as point of contact for recipients and educational institutions.

Power of Connection

The Water Cooler at Pegasus Park

Photos provided by Leukemia Texas, Trust for Public Land, Uplift, and Aspire.

By Leighton Watts, Director, Water Cooler at Pegasus Park

T

he Dallas Foundation has long been dedicated to supporting the nonprofit ecosystem in North Texas through our grantmaking, convening, and collaborating with partners across the Dallas social sector. One of the predominant ways in which the Foundation supports the nonprofit ecosystem is through our management of the Water Cooler at Pegasus Park.

Named after the serendipitous collisions over the proverbial office water cooler known to foster community and improve productivity, Water Cooler is the community of nonprofit and social impact tenants at Pegasus Park.

As one of the largest nonprofit shared spaces in the country, the Water Cooler is home to 35 social impact organizations across 5 floors and ~175,000 square feet of space, representing more than 700 nonprofit employees on campus. It is a vibrant community of best-in-class agencies working together to improve North Texas and beyond. In partnership with JSmall Investments and Montgomery Street Partners, the vision of Lyda Hill Philanthropies opened its doors in June of 2021 with The Dallas Foundation serving as an anchor tenant and the managing partner of the Water Cooler. Water Cooler members receive subsidized rent, access to philanthropic funds for furniture and infrastructure, and free or low-cost amenities and services designed to accelerate their respective missions. In July 2023, just two years after

opening, the Water Cooler at Pegasus Park was named a finalist for “Outstanding Innovation” in the D CEO Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards.

With deep expertise in community impact and strong relationships across the sector, The Dallas Foundation serves as the operational leader ensuring that tenant organizations have the office space, infrastructure, and technology they need to drive impact more efficiently and effectively, while also functioning as the connective tissue that facilitates collaboration taking place far more quickly and relationally than it otherwise might. Whether that is offering capacity building supports through services like BoardBuild, Bridgespan, Catchafire, McKinsey & Co., RevJen, and Second Day, discussing Public Relations 101 or Artificial Intelligence’s impact on the nonprofit sector through the recently launched Water Cooler University Initiative, or connecting our donors, fundholders, and partners to organizations doing impactful work in the community – the Water Cooler serves as both a hotbed of social innovation and a physical nexus where ideas, relationships, and collaboration can foster together.

It is our belief that, as both organizations and a Dallas community, we are better together. Through neighboring with like-minded agencies working towards improving the full spectrum

(Continued on p.6) The Dallas Foundation | 5

of social outcomes in Dallas, the Foundation is embracing our core vales of community connection and collaboration to ensure that we have a pulse on our community’s needs and that we connect people to the causes they care about and the resources that they or their organizations need.

While the Water Cooler initiative has come a long way in a short period of time, we are only yet starting to tap into the potential of what it can be. We strongly believe, and are witnessing,

that proximity increases trust, trust increases collaboration, and collaboration can drive impact in our communities. The Dallas Foundation is honored to play a role in this critical work at the heart of the Dallas nonprofit ecosystem.

List of Water Cooler Organizations » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » »

Advanced Technology International (ATI) Aspire Big Thought Carson Leslie Foundation ChildCareGroup Circuit Trail Conservancy (The Loop) City Year Dallas Commit Dallas Innovation Alliance DeliverFund Education is Freedom Engage Dallas Grant Halliburton Foundation Housing Forward Junior Achievement Keep America Beautiful – RETREET Leukemia Texas Lone Star Justice Alliance

» » » » » » » » » » » » » » » » »

OneStar Foundation Operation Homefront Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation Philanthropy Southwest Phillips Foundation Principal Impact Collaborative Social Venture Partners Dallas SWAN Impact Network Teach for America Dallas-Fort Worth Texas Trees Foundation TexProtects The 2.0 Collaborative The Dallas Foundation The Nature Conservancy Trust for Public Land United to Learn Uplift Education

Photos provided by Big Thought, Lonestar Justice, Junior Achievement, and United to Learn.

Spotlight: TDF Service Day at Bonton Farms Guided by The Dallas Foundation's organizational values of community connection, purpose, and collaboration, our TDF team completed a day of service at Bonton Farms in South Dallas earlier this year.

Bonton Farms' mission is to transform lives by disrupting systems of inequity and lay a foundation where change yields health, wholeness, and opportunity.

6 | Leader - Winter 2023

Feature

Investing in the

Changemakers

By Dawn Townsend, Vice President, Marketing & Communications

D

allas Foundation fundholders often call upon our team of philanthropic experts to serve as a thought partner as they explore new and innovative ways to deploy their charitable resources. These partnerships, combined with being proximate to the issues and developing a deeper understanding of the need, lead to impactful investments and deeply meaningful philanthropy - for the community and the donor.

The Reis-Bisor Foundation and Beacon Hill:

W

hen Bobby Bisor and Jim Reis embarked on their philanthropic journey with The Dallas Foundation, the couple planned to focus on awarding scholarships to high school students. Both Bobby and Jim had themselves received academic scholarships to pursue their educational goals and they deeply understood the impact that type of support can provide. But as they began exploring the many opportunities they had to make an impact toward alleviating the effects of poverty and building a stronger system for all children to access the dream of higher education, they realized the importance of collaboration and focusing their resources upstream. By developing an understanding of where the needs exist, through listening to community members and nonprofits organizations, and partnering with The Dallas Foundation, Bobby and Jim began to direct the giving of the Reis-Bisor Foundation toward organizations serving school-aged children and youth, particularly those that cultivate an excitement for learning.

“We think investing in the change we want to see is most valuable when funders, including the public and private sectors, move from their individual silos toward collaboration, learning, and dialogue with the goal of understanding the problems that need addressing, without imposing uninformed solutions or judgement on the people most affected by those challenges," said Bobby and Jim.

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One organization that aligned closely with Bobby and Jim's goals is Beacon Hill. Designed to increase comprehension and retention for participants in its in-school tutoring program, Beacon Hill connects academics to fun, encouraging students to enjoy themselves while they learn.

"All of the data demonstrates the importance of children reading on grade level by 3rd grade," said Bobby. "That, combined with the benefits of exposing students to the joy of learning, provides significant opportunities to impact more young people and to create stronger pipelines, both of students who will be inspired and ready to pursue a post-high school education and of community-focused organizations intent on building a continuum of services to support them and their families."

And building such a pipeline adjacent to, but outside of class time is needed. According to Bobby, one of the challenges they have witnessed is the tendency for entities within the education space to operate in silos. Smart public policy can provide a lever to encourage integration of programs and services that bolster academic performance and provide sustained support to students.

Jim and Bobby champion organizations such as the Commit Partnership and Texas 2036, both of which are playing critical roles with policy makers to ensure that where there is promise there are resources to benefit students.

"At Beacon Hill, we believe that talent is distributed equally but opportunity is not. Our team is dedicated to ending inequity in education, and we annually provide reading and math tutoring to 1,400+ low-income high-risk students in Southern Dallas, surrounding communities, and Fort Worth via in-school, after-school, virtual, and summer programs at 25 schools and community sites," said Charnella Derry, President and Founder of Beacon Hill. "Beacon Hill knows that it cannot accomplish its vision alone, so it works collaboratively with school districts, churches, after-school and summer programs, community

Jim Reis and Bobby Bisor

organizations, and funders like Bobby and Jim to provide the comprehensive support students need for success."

Beacon Hill's recent strategic plan outlines ways the organization will extend its services in the coming years beyond in-school tutoring toward cultivating partnerships with nonprofit organizations in order to build a Photo provided by Beacon Hill comprehensive range of services for both students and their families. Their North Star goal aims to close gaps in order to provide a broader and longer-term network of support for all students, regardless of their circumstances and where they are on their educational journey.

"When you walk into a Beacon Hill Learning Lab, you can see the light in the students' eyes," said Jim. "It is so powerful to watch that spark, to see their self-confidence grow, and to know that they are changing outcomes, for one student, one family and one community at a time."

Laura and Tommy McBride and Builders of Hope:

W

est Dallas has been in the hearts and the philanthropic portfolio of Laura and Tommy McBride and their children for more than two decades. The McBride’s initially became involved at West Dallas Community School when their children attended its sister school, Providence Christian.

Since that time, the family has grown its support to other West Dallas-based organizations including Advocates for Community Transformation (ACT), Mercy Street, and West Dallas Community Church. Over time and through building relationships and participating in community service projects they realized that they wanted to do more.

“Being proximate to this community afforded us a perspective that we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Our point of view naturally broadened and became more nuanced as we’ve become more involved in West Dallas,” said Laura, who also served on the board of the West Dallas Community School. “That

8 | Leader - Winter 2023

perspective is what has motivated us to seek out other ways to help and to support this community over the long-term.”

As one of Dallas’ most respected professional advisors to high net worth individuals, Tommy has long worked closely with The Dallas Foundation, referring charitably minded clients to establish donor advised funds to support the causes they care most about and serving as a member of the Foundation’s Advisory Council. He and Laura established their own family fund at the Foundation in 2011.

Tommy believed so strongly in the power of place-based philanthropy that, after working closely with the local market leaders at Merrill Lynch and Bank of America, he helped design and advocate for the Merrill Lynch Alliance, an innovative local partnership with The Dallas Foundation that allows a donor to create a donor-advised fund with the guidance of a Merrill Lynch Financial Advisor. The program has been in existence for over 10

Tommy and Laura McBride along with their children/Photo provided by the McBride Family

years, resulting in clients in the Alliance making a collective impact of $28.4 million in grants over just the last five years.

In 2023, Tommy and Laura approached the Foundation to learn about other nonprofit organizations focused on positively impacting the residents of West Dallas. Chief Impact Officer Drex Owusu and Senior Director of Family Philanthropy and Donor Services Kim Montez introduced the couple to several different opportunities, all with a focus of leveraging the couple’s investment and making a meaningful difference. One of those organizations was Builders of Hope, a 2022 Racial Equity Fund grantee with whom a nascent pilot project was being explored.

Guided by their mission to transform Dallas and surrounding communities by building and preserving quality affordable housing and creating opportunity for economic mobility, Builders of Hope (BOH) had embarked upon discussions with The Dallas Foundation to launch a tax displacement pilot program in the 75212-zip code in West Dallas. The project would pay the property tax increment above 2022 levels for ~1,000 homeowners and help families realize that incremental value appreciation to support the growth of generational wealth and asset-building while gaining valuable insight for ongoing policy discussions.

The McBride’s were excited by the opportunity to make a grant to

James Armstrong, Drexell Owusu, and Cullum Clark speak during TDF's Community Matters event.

support the project and the neighborhood that means so much to them.

“This project offered an opportunity to keep people in their homes and empower those individuals to benefit from the increased value of their property brought about by neighborhood development and Dallas’ booming housing market,” said Tommy. “We don’t yet know what the outcome of this pilot project will be, but we know that it will make an impact and and allow West Dallas residents to be able to stay in their homes.”

Kay Winzenried: Center for BrainHealth®

T

he Center for BrainHealth® had been an interest of Kay Winzenried's for several years. She had attended their well-known lecture series, participated in a site visit to the organization with The Dallas Foundation's Women's Philanthropy Institute, and was aware of the scope of the Center's scientific research projects. So, when she began exploring opportunities to expand her philanthropy in bold and innovative ways Kay was excited when friend and fellow philanthropist Ruth Fitzgibbons introduced her to Dr. Sandi Chapman, Ph.D., one of the nation’s preeminent cognitive neuroscientists and the Chief Director of Center for BrainHealth® at The University of Texas at Dallas and Dee Wyly Distinguished University Professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at The University of Texas at Dallas.

In 2020, the Center for BrainHealth had piloted The BrainHealth Project, a landmark scientific study to measure and track one’s own brain fitness. Driven by an online platform, with an mobile app currently under development, the Project aims to reach adults, age 18-100, across the U.S. and beyond, to participate. In order to reach such a vast audience during its 25th anniversary year, the Center needed funding for a professional agency to develop and execute a national marketing campaign to elevate awareness about the Center's work and expand participation in the Project.

Kay appreciated that the Center for BrainHealth team asked for exactly what they needed.

“Kay’s drive to make an impact investment combined with her The Dallas Foundation | 9

(Left) Kay Winzenreid (Above) Center for BrainHealth®

desire for action makes her a unique philanthropic partner in our effort to change the conversation around brain health from brain drain to gain," said Dr. Sandi Chapman, Chief Director of Center for BrainHealth®. "The timing of her gift could not have been more perfect to fuel our global efforts to engage younger audiences. Kay’s investment allows us to launch our first national marketing campaign which will be transformational to attracting and empowering young adults to take simple steps to build a better future, driven by scientific discoveries from the Center for BrainHealth.”

Over the past several years, Kay has developed the confidence to express her philanthropy in ways that are both meaningful to her and to those impacted by the grants. Working alongside The Dallas Foundation has been important to that journey. Kay attributes her partnership with the Foundation for giving her the courage and the tools to evaluate the funding opportunities put before her so that she can make sound decisions with the resources of the charitable trust she and her late husband, Peter, established in 1999.

Kay's background in retail and marketing combined with her interest in project-oriented philanthropic investments, allowed her to immediately see the potential for such an grant to help tens of thousands of individuals learn about, practice, and adopt brainhealthy habits.

The Center invited Kay to serve as an advisor in the selection process for the marketing agency. And while she did not influence the final decision, being part of the conversation was a tremendous and exhilarating experience, one that allowed her to witness the creativity inherent to such a process.

"We focus on the health of our bodies, such as nutrition and exercise, but this is an opportunity to expand the conversation to include our brains, the most powerful tool in our fitness toolkit," said Kay. "There are positive and proactive ways to influence our brain's health, and this Project can change the conversation, to help others learn how to improve our brain's functions, rather than accept what is."

Invest in tomorrow’s Dallas.

A Fund Powered by Join us in creating a brighter and more equitable You future for Greater Dallas.

Since 1929, The Dallas Foundation has connected people to the causes they care about - improving and making progress you can see across North Texas. Through our Community Impact Fund, we support innovative and scalable solutions to our community’s biggest challenges.

But we cannot do this work alone. Generous, forwardthinking individuals like you know that a gift made today can create meaningful change for generations to come.

Together, we can be here for good.

Donate to the Community Impact Fund today.

Visit dallasfoundation.org to learn more.

Ask An Expert:

Investing for Impact

From a financial point of view, what makes a community foundation unique?

The Dallas Foundation was established as a community foundation to serve as a permanent source of charitable funding for Dallas County. We offer donors all the tax advantages of giving to a charity, plus the long-term benefits of endowment funding, with the option to establish a fund in their name or that of a family or a loved one. The Foundation stewards more than 700+ of these types of funds established by individuals, families and organizations. We are able to accept a range of contributions, from cash to stock to complex and illiquid assets. We also provide grant support to nonprofits throughout Dallas County and beyond, depending on the charitable priorities of our donors, and serve as back office to several charitable and civic initiatives.

It's a complex business model shaped heavily by accounting standards and the IRS’ guidelines that are unique to our sector.

How does The Dallas Foundation manage its investment portfolio?

Torrey Littleton Chief Financial Officer

With support from his team of seven, Torrey oversees the strategic management of the organization’s $550M+ in assets and the operational infrastructure that, in 2022 alone, received $167M in contributions, and disbursed $74M in grants. Torrey’s oversight of these financial resources while the Foundation continues to experience record-breaking growth across every aspect of our work has been crucial, allowing us to maintain our reputation as a trusted community partner.

Alongside daily stewardship of assets by senior staff and several members of the Finance team, The Dallas Foundation engages the expertise of an external investment manager, overseen by an Investment Committee comprised of current and past members of the Foundation's Board of Governors. The emphasis across each aspect of this management spectrum is long-term preservation of our assets and maximizing growth so that both the Foundation and our donors have more charitable dollars to support our community.

What steps are taken to ensure that the resources of the Foundation are Here for Good?

The Foundation prioritizes our role of being a trusted expert and partner to our fundholders and the community, ensuring transparency and maximizing collaboration with every donor, non-profit organization, or financial advisor we work with. At the same time, we intend to be a resource for Dallas for the next 100 years. To that end, our team takes a forward-looking approach to our investment management and have undertaken the process of reviewing our governance structure related to our investment oversight and evaluating the current pool options and the range of investment products we provide.

The Dallas Foundation | 11

Together, we can advance equity and inclusion in Dallas.

Your zip code shouldn’t dictate your outcome.

Yet, many Black and Hispanic residents in Dallas face that reality, experiencing systemic and persistent gaps in outcomes that affect nearly every step of life.

The Racial Equity Fund of The Dallas Foundation will strategically and purposefully support organizations that combat systemic inequities in our community.

Join a collective of like-minded donors who have already invested nearly $1.5M in this fund to create a more inclusive Dallas for all of our neighbors.

Become a partner today.

Visit dallasfoundation.org or contact Angela Woodson, Director of Stewardship & Strategic Initiatives: awoodson@dallasfoundation.org.

Upcoming Events 2023-2024 Dec 06

Feb 23

Year-End Deadlines

December 14 Grant Recommendations

Women's Philanthropy Institute End of Year Luncheon WPI members come together to once again hear from the organizations visited throughout 2023 and to award grants from the WPI Grant Pool.

2024 Professional Advisor Seminar Hear from Susan R. Schoenfeld, JD, LL.M. (Taxation), CPA, MBA, founder of Wealth Legacy Advisors LLC. Schoenfeld to discuss The Influence of Affluence: Helping Your Clients Navigate Family Wealth Dynamics.

December 20 IRA Rollovers & Qualified Distributions

December 27 Publicly Traded Securities

December 31 Donations by Check or Credit Card

Visit dallasfoundation.org/connect/events for the latest information on upcoming events and activities and other important year-end deadlines.