At Greater Houston Community Foundation, we are committed to making grant payments as efficient, reliable, and nonprofit‑friendly as possible. Recently, we’ve transitioned a growing portion of our grant payments to nonprofits from paper checks to ACH (Automated Clearing House) payments—and the advantages have been clear. If your organization currently receives grants by check from the Community Foundation, setting up ACH payments can significantly improve the speed, security, and efficiency of your funding.

Community foundations play a pivotal role in supporting philanthropy. They offer flexible platforms for charitable giving, allow donors to integrate giving into their overall financial and estate plans, and enable community members to contribute to a wide range of local needs, but how do community foundations work?

“Every Houston resident deserves a fair chance to succeed—regardless of ZIP code, age, gender, race, or family income. That future is within reach with partnerships, cohesive strategies, and a robust learning framework.” Dr. Flávio Cunha, Director of the Center for Economic Mobility at Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research Houston has the assets to be a national leader in economic mobility, but too many residents still face barriers to opportunity. Following strong interest after the inaugural summit in fall 2025, a group of organizations formalized that momentum into the Houston Economic Mobility Coalition (Coalition): Good Reason Houston, Greater Houston Community Foundation, Greater Houston Partnership, Gulf Coast Workforce Board, Harris County Housing and Community Development, the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University, and United Way of Greater Houston. With pro bono support from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the Houston Economic Mobility Coalition has started building a draft framework to guide its work. At the Second Houston Economic Mobility Summit in the spring of 2026, over 250 leaders across sectors came together to better understand Houston’s mobility landscape, strengthen cross-sector relationships, and shape the Coalition’s emerging approach.

Nonprofit organizations are frequently expected to achieve remarkable results despite working with limited resources. Yet the type of funding that best supports strong programs, general operating support, is still one of the hardest to secure.

In a city as vibrant and diverse as Houston, there’s no shortage of opportunities to make an impact. However, the landscape of nonprofit organizations can often feel overwhelming. Greater Houston Community Foundation’s Giving Guide to Houston’s Black-led Organizations (Giving Guide) is one tool designed to help you navigate this landscape. The Giving Guide serves as your resource to connect with Black-led organizations dedicated to uplifting our community, fostering cultural awareness, and executing impactful programs. This guide not only serves donors seeking impactful avenues for their resources but also encourages collaboration and empowerment within the community at large.

In today’s rapidly evolving philanthropic landscape, understanding and effectively leveraging donor advised funds is essential for every nonprofit. DAFs are the fastest-growing and most popular charitable vehicle among donors, offering flexibility, tax advantages, and a streamlined way to support causes they care about. At Greater Houston Community Foundation, donor advised funds make up 62% of all funds established—demonstrating their popularity and flexibility compared to other giving vehicles. In 2024 alone, Community Foundation fundholders recommended over $259 million in grants to 1,000 organizations in Houston and across the globe.

The Houston Philanthropy Circle and Greater Houston Community Foundation hosted a powerful panel discussion on human trafficking, an issue that deeply affects the greater Houston region. Each panelist is an issue-area expert bringing about systems change within this field to prevent exploitation, support survivors, and influence policy. Collectively, their skills and talents place them on the front lines of nonprofit collaboration, ending demand, state and federal advocacy, and service provision to Survivors. Continue reading to discover meaningful ways you can get involved, support survivors, and restore individual dignity and freedom.

True opportunity isn’t built through a single problem or service. In order for individuals and families to build stability and climb the economic ladder, they need access to the full fabric of conditions that make a good life possible such as nutritious food, healthcare, safe and affordable housing, high-quality education, employment opportunities, and the ability to participate in and shape the communities they call home. When any one of these conditions is missing or fragile, the others are harder to sustain. A child experiencing food insecurity struggles to focus on learning in the classroom. A family without reliable healthcare delays treatment until a crisis that can derail everything. But the inverse is equally true. When the right resources and conditions are in place, together, they reinforce one another in ways that a single programs never could. Stable housing creates the foundation for consistent school attendance. Access to healthy food supports the focus and energy required to learn and work. This is why place-based, holistic investment matters.

“Our commitment goes beyond funding—we’re investing in the leaders and organizations who are redefining what is possible for Houston.”- Steve Maislin, President & CEO of Greater Houston Community Foundation Greater Houston Community Foundation announced a $500,000 investment to expand education and career pathways for Houston’s young adults through the second year of its High-Impact Grantmaking initiative. The Community Foundation awarded $400,000 to San Jacinto College and $100,000 to BridgeYear , in partnership with Good Reason Houston .

Understanding Houston , an initiative of Greater Houston Community Foundation, and OpenRICE , an initiative of Rice University’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies, joined forces to share data identifying key drivers to increase economic mobility in Houston with national speakers from Opportunity Insights and local leaders.

In the rapidly changing world of funding, nonprofit organizations encounter fresh challenges that demand thoughtful navigation and strategic planning. Like the Foundation, these organizations must adeptly address the complexities associated with bifurcated gifts.

In June, the Will and Jada Smith Family Foundation —in partnership with IPIC Houston and Greater Houston Community Foundation—hosted a special screening of Bad Boys 4: Ride or Die . But this was not just any screening—it featured an audience of more than 400 community members, teens, and affiliates from 13 Houston-based nonprofit organizations that champion resilience, acceptance, and mental health in the Houston community.