February 28, 2020 - East Texas Communities Foundation (ETCF) staff, donors and board members gathered to celebrate a $50,000 grant to the Children’s Advocacy Center of Smith County on Monday morning. With this award, ETCF has now distributed more than $100,000,000 in cumulative grants over the course of 30 years.
“We don’t usually celebrate the overall dollar amount of the grants we make in a year, but this year is special,” said Kyle Penney, President of East Texas Communities Foundation. “We made more than $12 million in grant distributions in 2019, making it our third highest grant-making year. We are honored to celebrate crossing the milestone of $100 million in cumulative grants so early into the New Year and to do so with an incredible community partner as the Children’s Advocacy Center of Smith County.”
Established in 1989, East Texas Communities Foundation supports philanthropy by offering simple ways for donors to achieve their charitable goals. ETCF currently manages more than $110 million in assets through 370 unique charitable funds. “Our fund holders have recommended thousands of grants over the years to nonprofit organizations not only in our region, but throughout the state and country, affecting a broad range of needs” said Penney. “While this grant is special to the Foundation because of the milestone it signifies, most importantly, it is special because it illustrates a commitment to the work of the Children’s Advocacy Center and the services they provide.”
The Children’s Advocacy Center of Smith County (CACSC) serves children who have been victims of physical and/or sexual abuse, witnessed a violent crime or been exposed to community violence. In 2019, the CACSC served their greatest number of clients to date, assisting 819 children.
“This grant will help us plan for and build towards the future to ensure our clients are able to receive support and services in a discreet and comfortable setting,” said Terri Smith, Executive Director for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Smith County. “We saw a 73% increase in the number of clients served from 2018 to 2019. The increased demand for the services we provide is staggering. In order to accommodate the growing number of clients, and to ensure we have the staff needed to serve them, we have future plans to expand our current building. This grant is significant to helping us meet those goals.”
