Blog Posts
New Tools for Charitable Donor
In my opinion, some of the finest signs of progress and growth in Tyler over the last 10 years have been the opening of Northern Tool and Equipment and Harbor Freight Tools. I love tools. Perusing the aisles of Harbor Freight Tools is just as fun for me as going to...
Year End Reflections and Resolve
Depending on when you are reading this article, it may be too late to make a gift that will count toward your 2017 itemized deductions, but it is not too late to consider how your gifts impact the lives of others. You are probably not alone if you are attempting to...
Commerce Drives Philanthropy
It is a great pleasure for East Texas Communities Foundation to receive the 2017 Small Business of the Year Award from the Tyler Area Chamber of Commerce. When you think of local small businesses contributing to the economic vitality of our community, most people...
Art Education
I do not consider myself to be an art aficionado, but I do appreciate art that clearly tells a story. Perhaps it is the accounting major in me that is drawn to the intricate details of art, such as the iconic western scenes of Frederic Remington and Charles Russell....
Grace Under Pressure
Reflecting on 9/11 and witnessing the response to recent hurricanes in Texas and Florida, reminds me that most people respond to hardship and tragedy with tremendous grace and compassion. This innate response is the very root of the word philanthropy…loving people....
Home is Where The Heart Is
Summer is a time for many families to hit the road and explore America. Our family has had our share of the open road and interesting destinations this summer. I hope you have too. Early August is an especially popular time for many East Texans to seek refuge from the...
The Summer Giving Slump
Summertime has arrived in East Texas. The cool evenings and enjoyable 80 degree days of late spring have begun to yield to the uncomfortably warm southerly winds ushering in what I like to call Texas convection cooking, where we are all slowly cooked by the wind....
Honor Thy Mother this Mother’s Day
The celebration of Mother’s Day is an opportunity to reflect on one of life’s most amazing gifts, the gift of motherhood. Some columns I write do not pertain to everyone in the reading audience, but not this one. First and foremost, what a blessing it is for each of...
Early spring: Get a jump on East Texas Giving Day this year!
As the azaleas in my yard attest, spring came a little early this year. There are still beautiful flowers and trees in abundance around town (as my allergies faithfully remind me), but the brief annual burst of azaleas was just slightly ahead of the festivities that...
Examine Why You Give
As the Trump administration and the 115th Congress begin implementing executive and legislative reforms that their constituents sent them to Washington to enact, the one thing that is certain in the coming days is change. As the recent recipient of a notification that...