Communities Foundation of Texas

What Communities Foundation of Texas does

Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) is a 501(c)(3) community foundation founded in 1953 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It is the largest community foundation in North Texas, administering a comprehensive suite of charitable fund vehicles — donor-advised funds (minimums from $25,000 to $100M+), business-advised funds ($5,000 minimum), scholarship funds, nonprofit agency endowments, and designated/field-of-interest funds — on behalf of individuals, families, corporations, and private foundations. CFT generates revenue primarily through administrative and investment management fees on these long-duration fund balances.

The organization's most visible platform is North Texas Giving Day, an 18-hour annual online giving event covering 20+ counties and 25+ cause areas; in 2025, it mobilized more than 94,000 donors to contribute $74.2 million to 3,500+ nonprofits, bringing cumulative inflows since 2009 to over $712 million. CFT's technology infrastructure includes a Salesforce Experience Cloud–based Fundholder Portal, a Nonprofit Gateway profile system used to source grantmaking candidates, and a Scholarship Applicant Portal, supplemented by integrations with The Giving Block (crypto donations) and VOMO (volunteer management). Its go-to-market combines direct relationship management by philanthropy advisors, a professional advisor referral channel (CPAs, estate attorneys, wealth managers) cultivated through the CAP® Study Group Program and an annual Professional Seminar, tiered corporate partnerships via the Center for Business Impact ($25K–$250K), and educational programming such as GiveWisely® workshops and the Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy cohort.

CFT's strategic priorities are executed through flagship initiatives including Educate Texas (statewide education access and policy), the W.W. Caruth, Jr. Fund (transformational risk capital for health, education, and public safety), and a newly announced $50 million, 5-year Housing Impact Fund targeting production, preservation, and policy. The organization maintains offices in Dallas (HQ), Frisco (Collin County), Austin, and Harlingen (Rio Grande Valley), with 101–250 employees and a Board chaired by civic leader Connie Blass O'Neill. Leadership includes President & CEO Wayne White, CFO Kristine Thomas, Chief Philanthropy Officer Robert Kent, Chief Investment Officer Gary Samberson, and Chief Information Officer Amir Tabei.

Name

Communities Foundation of Texas

Legal name

Communities Foundation of Texas

Website

https://cftexas.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Communities Foundation of Texas is a 501(c)(3) community foundation, the largest in North Texas, administering donor-advised funds, scholarships, and nonprofit endowments for individuals, families, and businesses, and operating North Texas Giving Day, the nation's largest community-wide giving event.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation & Philanthropic Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Finance Services (6199)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF), Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI), Corporate Foundations & CSR Grantmaking (BPAGAKAC)

Keywords

• Community foundation services
• Donor-advised funds
• Charitable giving administration
• Nonprofit grantmaking
• Scholarship fund management

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor-Advised Fund Management: CFT administers donor-advised funds for individuals, families, and businesses. Donors contribute assets ($25K+ minimum for donor-advised funds, $5K+ for business funds) and CFT manages investments, grantmaking, and administration, generating revenue through fees that offset operational costs and sustain foundation work.
2. Scholarship Fund Management: CFT creates and manages scholarship funds for donors, structuring scholarships for students at any education level or institution, with CFT handling fund creation through scholarship distribution.
3. Nonprofit Agency Funds: Nonprofits establish endowment or reserve funds at CFT. CFT provides investment management, administrative oversight, planned giving support, and board management services for a fee.
4. Designated and Field of Interest Funds: Donors create funds supporting specific nonprofits or issue areas, with CFT managing the fund and ensuring donor intent is honored.
5. North Texas Giving Day: CFT runs the nation's largest community-wide giving day event, channeling donations to local nonprofits. The platform drives engagement and visibility that supports broader philanthropic activity in the region.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) is a 501(c)(3) community foundation that administers charitable funds — including donor-advised funds ($25K+ minimum), business-advised funds ($5K+ minimum), scholarship funds, nonprofit agency endowments, and designated funds — for individuals, families, businesses, and nonprofits across North Texas. The organization operates North Texas Giving Day, the nation's largest community-wide giving event, which raised $74.2 million in 2025 from over 94,000 donors for 3,500+ nonprofits.

Product overview

Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) operates as a comprehensive philanthropic services organization offering charitable fund management and community giving programs. The core product portfolio centers on fund administration including Donor-Advised Funds (with minimums from $5,000-$25,000), Scholarship Funds, Nonprofit Agency Funds, and Designated Funds. Major branded initiatives include North Texas Giving Day (the nation's largest community-wide giving event), GiveWisely (values-based giving education), the Center for Business Impact (corporate philanthropy services), and Educate Texas (education initiative). Supporting infrastructure consists of online platforms including the CFT Fundholder Portal (Salesforce-based), Nonprofit Gateway, and Scholarship Applicant Portal. CFT also manages the W.W. Caruth, Jr. Fund ($50M Housing Impact Fund) as transformational capital funds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Educate Texas: An initiative of Communities Foundation of Texas that leads programs, policy, and partnerships to make education more accessible for all to improve the overall health and wealth of Texas communities.
• North Texas Giving Day
• GiveWisely
• Center for Business Impact
• W.W. Caruth, Jr. Fund
• Live Oak Society

Products and services

• Donor-Advised Funds Charitable giving accounts that allow individuals, families, and businesses to contribute assets (minimum $25,000 for individual/family, $5,000 for business) and recommend grants to vetted nonprofits over time, with CFT managing investments, administration, and grantmaking support.
• Scholarship Funds Charitable funds established by donors to provide educational scholarships to students at any education level or institution, with CFT handling full fund creation, administration, and scholarship distribution.
• Nonprofit Agency Funds Endowment-building funds for nonprofit organizations providing long-term revenue sources, professional investment management, administrative oversight, planned giving support, and board management services for a fee.
• Designated Funds Charitable funds supporting specific nonprofit organizations or issue areas chosen by donors, with CFT managing the fund and ensuring donor intent is honored through ongoing funding, planned giving, and investment management.
• Business-Advised Funds Corporate philanthropic funds providing grantmaking, volunteer coordination, site visits, and community updates for business donors, with $5,000 minimum contribution.
• North Texas Giving Day An 18-hour online giving event platform covering 25+ cause areas across 20+ North Texas counties, recognized as the largest community-wide giving event in the nation, facilitating donations to 3,500+ nonprofits annually and powered by sponsor support.
• GiveWisely® A values-based giving education program and registered trademark helping donors identify core values, passions, and optimal giving strategies through workshops, available complimentary to fundholders and as customized sessions for families, groups, and businesses.
• Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy (ELP) A 9-month cohort-based professional development program for rising leaders in grantmaking with 3-10 years of experience, offered in partnership with Philanthropy Southwest with in-person sessions, virtual meetings, and a travel component.
• Center for Business Impact A division of CFT that empowers businesses to mobilize resources, engage employees, and create meaningful change through strategic giving, volunteer programs, and professional development offerings, structured across four partnership tiers ($25,000 to $250,000 annually).
• CFT Fundholder Portal Online Salesforce Experience Cloud-based platform allowing fundholders to access their charitable funds, recommend grants, view account information, and manage their philanthropic activity 24/7.
• Nonprofit Gateway Online portal where nonprofits submit organizational profiles covering mission, programs, and populations served, allowing CFT's philanthropy team to evaluate them for invitation-only grant opportunities.
• Scholarship Applicant Portal Online portal where students view and apply for scholarship opportunities managed and administered by Communities Foundation of Texas.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $10M in grants awarded to advance education in North Texas, supporting 415 student scholarships and multiple nonprofit recipients in a single cycle.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, key account and grantee.

• Greenlight FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 November 2025Greenlight Fund expanded to Dallas as its 15th location, with over $5 million co-invested by more than 100 local philanthropists to address unmet social needs. The nonprofit identifies local issues, vets evidence-based programs, and supports community-impact projects through local advisory councils.
• Dallas Economic Development Corporation (Dallas EDC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 November 2025Dallas EDC received a $1.5 million multiyear grant from CFT to support its operations and strategic initiatives through May 2028, aimed at boosting Dallas's economic future amid downtown uncertainties.
• The Real Estate Council (TREC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFT partnered with TREC and JP Morgan Chase to establish the Dallas Community Land Trust, a shared equity home ownership model that keeps homes permanently affordable while building generational wealth.
• The Moody FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Moody Foundation partnered with CFT on significant gifts to Halperin Park, a landmark bridge park project in Southern Dallas, expected to open Spring 2026.
• HCA Healthcare FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHCA Healthcare Foundation partners with Educate Texas (a CFT initiative) on workforce development programs connecting students to healthcare career pathways.
• McBride & Associates at Merrill LynchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-administrator of the CAP® Study Group Program in North Texas, bringing together professional advisors and nonprofit leaders for philanthropic planning education and networking.
• The Dallas FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-administrator with CFT and McBride & Associates of the CAP® Study Group Program, equipping financial planners, CPAs, estate attorneys, and nonprofit professionals with philanthropic planning knowledge.
• Philanthropy SouthwestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilanthropy Southwest now leads the Emerging Leaders in Philanthropy (ELP) program, originally founded by CFT. The 2026 cohort runs February–October 2026 with sessions in Dallas, Denver, Tucson, and optional Washington DC.
• Neiman Marcus Groupkey accountStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeiman Marcus Group partners with CFT's Center for Business Impact for strategic, equitable, and transparent corporate grantmaking, with CFT helping structure and manage their ESG and belonging-aligned philanthropy.
• buildingcommunityWORKSHOPgranteeStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity development organization receiving grant funding aligned with CFT's housing strategy pillars focused on production and preservation.
• Dallas Community Land TrustgranteeStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in partnership with TREC and JP Morgan Chase, the Dallas CLT is a shared equity home ownership model ensuring permanent affordability and building generational wealth for families.
• Dallas Housing CoalitiongranteeStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of housing nonprofits receiving grant funding as part of CFT's housing strategy pillars (production, preservation, partnership and policy).
• Frazier RevitalizationgranteeStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity development organization building CLT homes in South Dallas as part of CFT's housing preservation and production strategy.
• LISC (Local Initiatives Support Corporation) — Dallas Housing Opportunity FundgranteeStrategic or Co-development PartnerReceiving grant funding through CFT's housing strategy to support the Dallas Housing Opportunity Fund for affordable housing development.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Chicago Community Trust: A large legacy urban community foundation operating since 1915 with donor-advised funds, competitive grant cycles, and donor education programs comparable to CFT's GiveWisely and CAP offerings.
• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: A high-profile community foundation managing very large DAF balances from tech wealth, with similar fund-type offerings (DAF, scholarship, agency funds) and tech-forward online platforms analogous to CFT's Salesforce-based portals.
• New York Community Trust: One of the largest U.S. community foundations, offering donor-advised funds, permanent funds, and competitive grantmaking across the New York metro — comparable operational scale and product set to CFT.
• Dallas Foundation: The Dallas Foundation is another major community foundation serving the North Texas region, co-administering the CAP Study Group Program with CFT and competing for the same donor pool, advisor relationships, and corporate accounts.
• Greater Kansas City Community Foundation: A Midwest community foundation with a comparable mix of donor-advised funds, business-adviser funds, and annual community-wide giving days, serving as a structural analog to CFT's North Texas Giving Day model.
• Cleveland Foundation: The first U.S. community foundation (1914), offering donor-advised funds, scholarship programs, and competitive grantmaking — a direct operational comparator at similar scale.
• California Community Foundation: A statewide California community foundation offering DAFs, scholarship funds, and competitive grant cycles across many cause areas, with comparable scale and product breadth to CFT.
• Greater Houston Community Foundation: One of the largest Texas community foundations, operating a comparable model of donor-advised funds, scholarship administration, and large-scale community grantmaking in a major Texas metro.

Broad incumbents

• Fidelity Charitable: The largest U.S. donor-advised fund sponsor, operated as part of Fidelity; competes with community foundations like CFT for DAF balances, but at a national scale and with a financial-services parent.
• Schwab Charitable: A national donor-advised fund program sponsored by Charles Schwab, operating at scale similar to Fidelity Charitable and representing the largest competitive threat to community foundations like CFT in the retail DAF segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/givewisely
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TheCFTexas
• Facebookfacebook.com/CFTexas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/communities-foundation-of-texas
• Instagraminstagram.com/communitiesfoundationoftexas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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M&A

Investments15 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Communities Foundation of Texas