The Amarillo Area Foundation strengthens our community in many ways. Its purpose is to bring together generous donors and innovative ideas to make the Texas Panhandle a better place for the generations who will come behind us. The Foundation identifies potential issues in the Texas Panhandle and then creates programs and initiatives, and supports nonprofit organizations that are generating solutions to things that matter most.
Together, the Amarillo Area Foundation and The Don and Sybil Harrington Foundation Boards awarded grants totaling $4,908,969 in 2014. The demographic breakdown is shown here.
A Time to Share | $37,748 | Hundreds of Amarillo-area residents who are elderly or disabled and on limited incomes can celebrate Christmas thanks to the A Time to Share Christmas project. A Time to Share gets referrals from Amarillo-area agencies that serve people age 60 and older who have limited contact with family or friends and who have limited financial resources. The grant they received replaced their warehouse parking lot. |
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$60,000 |
CASA is made up of volunteer advocates who represent abused or neglected children in court, school, and the community. The advocates are the voices of the children throughout the case process providing unbiased information for the judge to help the court make the best decision for the child. The Amarillo Area CASA has been awarded a grant to use for recruiting and training of special court-appointed advocates. |
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$25,000 |
The Amarillo Habitat for Humanity is a Christian-based nonprofit that hopes to show God’s love through action by using the community to build homes, communities, and hope. These homes are given to low-to-median income families with a 25-year no interest mortgage loan. AAF has awarded a challenge grant to help expand the donor base in order to have the ability of gaining more sponsors. |
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$25,000 |
The Amarillo Museum of Art is dedicated to enriching the lives of the diverse people of the Texas Panhandle area, bringing them together for the experience of art through exhibitions, education, and collections. AMOA received a match for the Still Water Foundation capacity-building grant. |
Amarillo Senior Center Coalition Fund at AAF |
$5,000 |
The Senior Center Coalition is comprised of several local nonprofit organizations that currently serve senior citizens. This grant will support the development and blueprint of a new model for serving senior citizens in the Texas Panhandle. |
|
$20,000 |
The Amarillo Tri-State Exposition provides a wholesome, educational, cultural and recreational experience for area citizens by hosting the Tri-State Fair and Rodeo and other events to strengthen the Amarillo economy. With this grant, a new PA system was purchased for the fairgrounds. |
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$25,000 |
Rehabilitation, Reconciliation, and Community Safety. Bridges To Life brings healing to victims of crime, reduces recidivism among offender graduates of the program, and helps make our community a safer place. This grant benefitted support programs in local prisons. |
|
$10,000 |
CASA of the Rolling Plains provides a vital link between the child, the court and child protective services. CASA volunteers are appointed by judges to watch over and advocate for abused and neglected children, to make sure they don’t get lost in the overburdened legal and social service system or languish in inappropriate group or foster homes. Technical support and a challenge grant to support programs were provided by this AAF grant. |
|
$30,000 |
Ceta Canyon Camp lives off their mission statement, “A special place where God is experienced and lives are changed.” Camp programs include summer and family camps, worship courses, leadership programs, and business and religious retreats. The camp is located in Happy, Texas, and is enclosed by a beautiful canyon. In addition to being around nature, there are many locations on the now 436-acre camp specifically for worship and praying. This grant will be used for a new double water slide at Ceta Canyon. |
|
$15,000 |
The Comanchero Canyons Museum is a 501(c)(3) Texas nonprofit corporation organized to research and display artifacts and replicas depicting the history of the canyons and land surrounding them located in Briscoe, Floyd, Hall, Motley and Swisher counties prior to the 20th century. Building renovations were made with this $15,000 grant. |
|
$9,560 |
The Council on Foundations is a nonprofit leadership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations. It provides the opportunity, leadership, and tools needed by philanthropic organizations to expand, enhance and sustain their ability to advance the common good. AAF's 2015 Membership was paid through this grant. |
|
$3,150 |
The Dalhart Education Foundation was created to provide out-of-the-box educational programs for students and staff of Dalhart schools. Some innovative programs are designed to advance skills, enhance cultural knowledge, encourage participation, and increase community involvement. The Dalhart Education Foundation received a grant to support the 2014 Summer Lego and Drama Camps for the students of the Dalhart area. |
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$10,000 |
Driskill House is a faith-based, sober living residence located in the Texas Panhandle. Residents attend church, weekly recovery meetings, daily devotions, are assigned house chores, and are encouraged to find work. The AAF supported Driskill House with a grant for capacity building and general support. |
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$100,000 |
Eveline’s Sunshine Cottage is a safe, comfortable, and inexpensive living place for single parent families and their children to reside while working towards a better future. The Cottage was designed for low-income or homeless single mothers who have the desire to become independent so they can provide for their family, and the determinations to pursue a college degree. This grant went to rebuild a house that was destroyed by fire. |
|
$50,000 |
For more than 50 years, the High Plains Retreat Center has served as a place of inspiration and growth for individuals, groups and families. People visit the Retreat Center to enhance relationships, productivity and knowledge in a beautiful and rustic setting. A $50,000 grant was given for HPRC's new pool and pool house, which is in Phase 1 of their property renovations. |
|
$10,000 |
The Jerry C. Waggoner Medical Foundation is a nonprofit foundation created in 1991 in honor of the late Jerry C. Waggoner, founding father of the Hutchinson County Hospital District. The Foundation’s charitable purpose is to promote, sponsor and carry out health education and health service activities and objectives of the Hutchinson County Hospital District. Emergency dental care for indigent adults in Hutchinson County was provided thanks to this grant. |
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$40,000 |
King’s Manor Methodist Retirement System is a not-for-profit, religion-based retirement center that provides all levels of care for retired citizens. Their goal is to embrace each individual through hands-on care, pet therapy, activities, and spiritual care. To help staff, a grant was given to support the addition of the Roam Alert Patient Wandering System in the nursing facility. |
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$5,000 |
Area Lions and volunteers collect used eyeglasses and deliver them to regional Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centers. LERC volunteers clean, sort by prescription strength and package the glasses. Most of the recycled glasses are distributed to people in need in developing countries where they will have the greatest impact. Exams and eyeglasses for disadvantaged children were given thanks to the AAF grant. |
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$10,000 |
The Muscular Dystrophy Association is devoted to fighting muscular dystrophy, ALS, and other neuromuscular diseases. MDA finds treatments and cures through worldwide research, providing support to the families of the diagnosed and raising awareness about the diseases. The MDA summer camp program is a place designed for children diagnosed with various muscle diseases to participate in camp activities despite their disadvantage. MDA received a grant to support the 2014 MDA summer camp at Ceta Canyon. |
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$23,226 |
Opportunity School helps young children, primarily from low-income families, succeed in school and in life. Opportunity School has a Central Campus in Downtown Amarillo and a Grand Street Campus in Northeast Amarillo. The AAF grant helped expand two classes to become full-day classes at the Central Campus. |
|
$30,000 |
Panhandle Community Services is a non-profit located in the panhandle of Texas. Based out of Amarillo, PCS provides assistance to families and individuals with a wide variety of programs. Technological access for low-income and elderly Panhandle residents was provided through the AAF grant. |
|
$1,750 |
Philanthropy Southwest is the most enduring association of grantmakers in the United States. Philanthropy Southwest actively promotes opportunities to exchange ideas, build relationships and advance philanthropic excellence. |
Samaritan Pastoral Counseling Center of Amarillo |
$26,225 |
The Samaritan Pastoral Counseling Center is dedicated to healing emotional wounds and giving the people of Amarillo hope through professional counseling and psychiatric services. They strive to provide accessible and affordable counseling, especially to low-income families and military veterans. The Counseling Center received a challenge grant to support the Clinical Internship Program, enabling the center to continue hiring the best staff available. |
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$5,000 |
At Wildcat Bluff Nature Center, more than 600 acres of rolling grasslands are threaded with nature trails offering a sense of isolation and tranquility. It is a place where you can reconnect with the timeless rhythm of the natural world and ponder the impact of civilization. The $5,000 AAF grant provided capacity-building support for the center. |
2014 AAF Discretionary Grants Total |
$576,659 |
ACE Endowment Fund at AAF | $506,000 | Twenty years ago, the ACE Scholarship Program was born to keep kids in high school. The ACE Scholarship Program provides WTAMU or AC scholarships to students graduating from Palo Duro, Caprock, and Tascosa High Schools. Students must maintain an 85 GPA, 95% attendance, and appropriate behavior to receive the scholarship. $506,000 was granted by the Harrington Foundation to the $2 million ACE expansion campaign. |
|
$150,000 |
The Amarillo Botanical Gardens serves the community by inspiring interaction with plants and the environment, creating adventure and conveying knowledge. A Plant Select Demonstration Garden was intalled with the funds from this grant. |
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$10,000 |
Canadian River Art Center is a combination art gallery and fine art academy located at 314 Main Street in Canadian, Texas. They sell quality original fine art by some of the most talented artists of the American West and offer certified art instruction for youth and continuing art education for adults. These funds were granted as a challenge grant to support education programs. |
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$9,560 |
The Council on Foundations is a nonprofit leadership association of grantmaking foundations and corporations. It provides the opportunity, leadership, and tools needed by philanthropic organizations to expand, enhance and sustain their ability to advance the common good. The Council on Foundation's HF 2015 Membership was paid for through this grant. |
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$75,000 |
The mission of Don Harrington Discovery Center is to spark curiosity, inspire lifelong learning, and bring families and communities closer together. The Discovery Center's extraordinary programs strengthen our community and foster enthusiasm for learning the wonders of science. $75,000 matched a challenge grant to support the new Roaming Educator Program. |
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$25,000 |
Good Samaritan Christian Services provides several forms of assistance to area residents like a food pantry, utilities, transportation, medical services, clothing, and a Christmas program. Good Samaritan Christian Services received this grant to assist clients with food, utilities, medical transportation, and lodging. |
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$200,000 |
The High Plains Food Bank collects, warehouses, and distributes surplus and donated food to those in need to 165 agencies throughout 29 counties of the Texas Panhandle. Their Kids Cafe program is in its 12th year, and recently built its Kids Cafe Kitchen which opened in September. Kids Cafe sends out about 1,000 meals every day to feed kids in Amarillo. This grant assisted with the cost of constructing the new Kids Cafe Kitchen located across from the HPFB warehouse. |
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$150,000 |
The Interfaith Campaign for the Homeless is an annual campaign to raise funds for multiple agencies that help the homeless people in the Amarillo community. It serves as a way to unite groups of faith and agencies in the area that support the efforts to end homelessness. This grant matched funds raised through the 2014-15 campaign. |
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$1,750 |
Philanthropy Southwest is the most enduring association of grantmakers in the United States. Philanthropy Southwest actively promotes opportunities to exchange ideas, build relationships and advance philanthropic excellence. This grant went to the organization's HF 2015 membership. |
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$100,000 |
In the state of Texas, 27.1% of kids endure food insecurity. Snack Pak 4 Kids was created to help a small group of hungry children, and quickly expanded to a large nonprofit organization that became dedicated to end food insecurity for suffering children in the Texas Panhandle and South Plains. This grant purchased 2406 SW 3rd Avenue for operations. |
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$50,000 |
AMBUCS is a non-profit service organization consisting of a diverse group of men and women who are dedicated to creating mobility and independence for people with disabilities. The organization recieved this grant to construct an inclusive playground at Medical Center Park. |
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$50,000 |
Turn Center is a private, non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing outstanding speech services, physical therapy, and occupational therapy to the children of the Texas Panhandle. Their mission is to provide outstanding therapy services while instilling hope in the families they serve. Turn Center received these funds as a challenge grant and for general support of the organization. |
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$3,000,000 |
The premiere higher-education facility in the Texas Panhandle is West Texas A&M University. Since 1910, WTAMU has shaped the educational landscape promoting innovation, creativity, integrity and diversity. The Harrington Foundation granted $3,000,000 to support the WTAMU Amarillo Campus project. |
|
$5,000 |
Children can visit the Women's & Children's Healthcare Center for checkups, immunizations and other preventive care measures. In addition to gynecological care, women can come in for pre-pregnancy checkups, ultrasounds and other prenatal services. Books for underpriviledged patients 6 months to 5 years of age were provided with this gran to promote early literacy through the Reach Out and Read® program. |
2014 HF Discretionary Grants Total |
$4,332,310 |