W.W. Caruth Jr. Foundation Fund of the Communities Foundation of Texas
Foundation Spotlight

November, 2006

W.W. Caruth Jr.

With roots back to 1953, the Communities Foundation of Texas has long been a staple in Texas philanthropy. Awarding more than $785 million in grants since its inception and with current assets of more than $650 million, the Dallas-based foundation has become one of the largest community foundations in the nation in terms of total assets and gifts awarded and received. Although the foundation supports a number of initiatives in the region and the country through donor-advised and competitive grants, the Communities Foundation of Texas made history when the W.W. Caruth Jr. Foundation Fund awarded the city of Dallas Police Department $15 million dollars over three years to assist them in upgrading and replacing their police equipment. It is one of the largest grants from the Communities Foundation of Texas and is believed to be the largest ever awarded to a police department in the country.

For the eighth year in a row, Dallas has had the highest crime rate for cities over a million people. The Department’s Safer Dallas, Better Dallas initiative is working to raise funds in order to equip police officers with new equipment, technology, training, and advertising money to boost officer recruitment. The groundbreaking contribution from the W.W. Caruth Jr. Foundation Fund will assist in this mission. The Department received the first $5 million dollar installment from the Foundation last year, using it to buy cell phones for detectives, in-car cameras and cages for squad cars. The additional funds in 2006 and 2007 will be used to provide for the design, planning, and implementation of an innovative investment that will ensure the sustainable capacity of the DPD to serve the community and reduce the crime rate.

To find out more about the Communities Foundation of Texas and to obtain their grant guidelines, visit TXNP’s comprehensive Foundation Directory at www.txnp.org. This service is only accessible to TXNP Members so JOIN NOW to obtain complete access.