Blog Posts
Benefits of Volunteering
For the past several years, as a part of the 18-hour online giving event known as East Texas Giving Day, donors have had a chance to not only provide financial support for area nonprofits, they have also been able to pledge to...
Communities We Call Home
On July 1, 2024, East Texas Communities Foundation reached another milestone, completing 35 years of service to the communities of our region. When the organization began operations in July 1989, the name and focus was different than what it is today. The organization...
Freedom of Speech
Independence Day reminds me of many of the freedoms we enjoy in this country. One of those freedoms that has been on my mind recently is the freedom of speech. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads, “Congress shall make no law… abridging the freedom of...
Supporting Enduring Values
It is graduation season, and happy students and proud parents are lining up at East Texas area auditoriums, gyms, and stadiums to celebrate educational milestones. Thousands of students around our region will graduate from high schools and colleges to begin the next...
Legacy Planning Priorities
The first part of the year is a great time to reflect on where you stand personally, professionally, and financially. How did last year go? Are you where you thought you would be at this point in your life? Is your family in a good place concerning their life choices?...
ETCF Announces New Scholarships for 2024
East Texas Communities Foundation is currently accepting applications from East Texas students for 97 scholarships to be awarded for the 2024-2025 academic year. The deadline for submission of the online application is March 1, 2024. Detailed eligibility criteria and...
Giving Resolutions for 2024
In the flurry of holiday activities including end-of-year work responsibilities, travel and preparing for company; making last-minute charitable gifts can seem rushed and disorganized. At the very least, it can seem less peaceful and fulfilling than a Norman Rockwell...
The Privilege and Responsibility of Giving
It has been my experience working with generous people, that many donors feel a profound sense of responsibility to give back to their communities. In the recent 2023 Bank of America Study of Philanthropy, giving was motivated by the desire to “give back to your...
YES For Women Scholarship Benefits Upshur County Students
East Texas Communities Foundation (ETCF) announces the creation of the Yamboree Empowerment Scholarship (YES) for Women to be awarded to females graduating high school from Upshur County, Texas. The scholarship was funded through a collaboration between Gilmer,...
Erickson Fund Awards Grant to Northeast Texas Community College
The Roy and Betty Erickson Charitable Fund for Nursing held at East Texas Communities Foundation (ETCF) in Tyler, Texas, awarded a grant to the newly renovated Northeast Texas Community College Nursing Program for the purchase of a ventilator for their simulation lab....