Community Impact Giving About Us Search Fund Advisor Login Donate 1958 Waco native R.B. Parrott and his wife, Edith Heinze Parrott, donated $30,000 to establish a community foundation in Waco, the Waco Perpetual Growth Foundation. A board of governors was selected to distribute funding for community projects. 1963 The first grant was made to the YWCA for $2,500 to pay for additions and improvements to the grounds of the Blue Triangle YWCA at 301 Cherry Street. 1967 Historic Waco Foundation and McLennan County Medical Society established the first funds under the Foundation's management. McLennan County Medical Society donated $37,000, bringing total Foundation assets to $400,000. 1974 Following the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Parrott, Waco Foundation received an additional $311,000 from the Parrott estate. 1983 Waco Foundation began a more robust annual grantmaking strategy as it entered the 80s, making distributions to multiple organizations each year. 1991 Stephen Goldstein left his estate of $14 million to Waco Foundation to benefit his hometown and fulfill his family’s shared desire to help the community. 1993 Waco Foundation hired new Executive Director Jerry Burks. 1995 The MAC College Money Program was established by Malcolm and Mary Ruth Duncan to give every local student the opportunity to attend college. 1996 Local philanthropists Paul and Jane Meyer established Passport to Success to fund scholarships for local students through Waco Foundation’s MAC College Money Program. 1997 Waco Foundation hired new Executive Director Tom Collins. 1998 Miss Margaret Horsfull arranged for the majority of her estate to be held in trust in honor of her brother, John F. Horsfull, Jr., for “public, charitable and benevolent” purposes to better the city of Waco and its citizens. Funds from the John F. Horsfull, Jr. Fund at Waco Foundation have been used to support many local nonprofits, including the Humane Society of Central Texas, World Hunger Relief Farm, Cameron Park Zoological and Botanical Society and Waco Symphony Orchestra. 2001 Executive Director Tom Collins created the Community Grant Writer Program (now the Capacity Building Program) to help local organizations access funding from a variety of resources, including those from outside the community. The J. Carroll and Doris W. Wood Fund was established at Waco Foundation nearly 20 years ago by the generous Wood family to support several local charities. The Woods' fund was created to facilitate the charitable goals of many family members. Mrs. Doris Wood has been known to tell folks, “We could have lived anywhere, but Waco is a great place to raise a family.” The J. Carroll & Doris W. Wood Fund continues to support Waco nonprofits that represent the heart of the community. 2007 Waco Foundation hired new Executive Director Ashley Allison. Waco Foundation was named the beneficiary of a $6.5 million charitable remainder trust from Lyle Kay Masterson in memory of her mother, Lyle Seley Masterson. James Newberry Todd designated a portion of his estate to establish the Louis and Rosa Conti Fund in honor of his grandparents for the betterment of Waco. The fund has been used to support various charitable organizations and causes, including Animal Birth Control Clinic, Caritas of Waco and early childhood programming. 2008 Waco Foundation was awarded the Council on Foundations' National Standards of Excellence designation. 2011 The LeadershipPlenty® Institute-Waco was launched to further develop community leaders who represent the rich diversity of the community. Barbara LeBar bequeathed a $650,000 estate gift to provide ongoing support for local libraries, of which she had always been an avid supporter. The SmartBabies Early Childhood Initiative was launched to improve early childhood quality of life in McLennan County. 2012 The Jerry and Patsy Cartwright Family Fund was established in 2012 to honor Jerome Cartwright (pictured at center), the executive director of Waco Foundation from 1958 – 1993. The fund supports initiatives that aid children and improve education and poverty. 2015 The Foundation received a $500,000 bequest from William Travis Clarke, Jr. A portion of his gift was granted to the Doris Miller Memorial. 2017 Waco Foundation launched the Pie Society, a community-wide legacy society comprised of generous donors who have promised to leave a portion of their estate — or a piece of their pie — to charity. 2018 Waco Foundation received an $8 million dollar estate gift from Kent Keeth. This generous donation will be used to advance the Foundation's mission and improve quality of life in McLennan County. Dr. George Jurek, retired dentist and local philanthropist, is passionate about access to dental health resources, especially for those who have behavioral health needs. Dr. Jurek’s vision is to replace fragmented dental care with an inclusive model that encompasses dentistry as part of primary care for patients with behavioral health needs or developmental disabilities. To further realize his vision, Dr. Jurek generously established the Dr. George Jurek Dental Services Fund at Waco Foundation that provides funding to help patients with behavioral health needs attain access to dental healthcare. Dr. Jurek has made a planned gift provision and will leave a portion of his estate to provide for future dental health needs in perpetuity. Mart, Texas native James Lee Davis, JL for short, cares deeply for his hometown and believes it is important to give back to the community that helped raise him. In the past two years, JL has donated $6 million toward the construction of the new Mart High School and $400,000 toward city infrastructure. In addition to these generous gifts, he recently established two funds at Waco Foundation: the Dorothy Schneider Davis Endowed Scholarship Fund with a $1 million gift in honor of his late wife, and a fund for Mart road projects, to which he gave $850,000 in matching funds to assist the City of Mart as its citizens invest in local road and infrastructure improvements. About Us Mission & History Explore Our Timeline Finances & Investments Staff & Board Annual Reports Careers News & Updates Contact Share this page Facebook Twitter Email CONTACT 1227 N. 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