St. David's Foundation

REMINDER — The deadline to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) for our We All Benefit 2.0 Funding Opportunity is on April 27, 2026 at 5 PM CT.

If your LOI demonstrates a strong alignment with the goals of the funding opportunity, your organization will be invited to submit a full application due by June 18.

Through this funding opportunity, we seek to invest in local, community-informed organizations providing core economic stability services (income supports, food security, and healthcare access) to the communities with the greatest health needs in Central Texas, with a focus on increasing enrollment in public benefits that foster economic stability.

Learn more and apply at stdavidsfoundation.org/funding.

What happens when one action sparks change across an entire region?

Community leaders, intermediaries, grassroots changemakers, funders and students came together this week to explore how one bold action can ripple outward to transform lives, particularly in rural communities, at the third annual Rural Reckoning Summit, hosted by HEAL Alliance and Central Texas Health & Wellbeing Network.

St. David's Foundation joined Central Texas Community Foundation and the Greater Fayette Community Foundation for the “Belonging, Collaboration & Regional Impact” panel. One of our program officers, Joycelyn Jurado, reflected on the Foundation’s role in the unintended positive impacts of rural philanthropy and strategies to deepen networks. Thank you K. LaFleur-Anders for hosting the panel and for the thoughtful questions.

“At St. David’s Foundation, I’ve been inspired by the intermediaries who bring community-directed giving to life, reaching deep into their communities and closest to the challenges they face. It’s exciting to see movement in community organizing. How can St. David’s Foundation be even more intentional in supporting grassroots efforts?” —Joycelyn Jurado, Program Officer

Sergeant. Workhorse. Advocate. Energizer Bunny. These are just a few ways people lovingly describe Janice Bruno, the executive director of Career Tracks in Smithville, Texas. Her work is grounded in a mission: empower the rural workforce and provide local employers with job-ready talent.

Removing economic barriers is central to improving health outcomes. By investing in collaborative, region-wide efforts to create pathways to employment opportunities in the healthcare sector, we can address critical workforce shortages and foster economic stability – particularly for individuals from historically marginalized communities.

The January ribbon-cutting ceremony for Career Tracks marked more than a new building, the Smithville community celebrated a vision and commitment to expanding education and workforce opportunities. St. David’s Foundation awarded an initial grant in 2020 to Career Tracks to help launch Bruno’s vision and support staffing for the future center. Today, students from the four-surrounding counties are served by Career Tracks and the program partners with 160+ companies.

Learn more about Career Tracks’ impact at stdavidsfoundation.org/news-and-stories/career-tracks-smithville/.

This week, Dr. Edward Burger joined the Leadership Austin Essential Program’s Health and Environment session to share insights into effective thinking, leadership, and change management. To illustrate these practices, he offered a deep look at the work of the Foundation and explored barriers to health facing many Central Texans. What followed was a thoughtful conversation with the impressive cohort of this year’s class about access to care and opportunity to thrive in our community.

Thanks to Leadership Austin for building a space where leaders in Central Texas can connect, learn, and grow.

New Job Opportunity 📣 St. David's Foundation is seeking a Program Associate to join the Community Investments team!

The Program Associate coordinates and manages data, processes, and engagements in support of the Foundation's mission. The Program Associate is a member of the Foundation's Community Investments team, which works collectively to improve the health and well-being of our Central Texas neighbors through grantmaking efforts.

This position works across the Foundation's community impact goal areas: access to care, economic stability, and community driven change.

Learn more and apply at stdavidsfoundation.org/careers.

: Announcing Recipients of Healthy Births, Healthy Communities Rural Funding Opportunity

Nine grants totaling $4.6M have been awarded to organizations providing culturally responsive, community-informed perinatal support to improve maternal health and birth outcomes in Central Texas.

This announcement comes during , a national observance that celebrates the leadership and expertise of Black community-based organizations necessary in advancing equity and ensuring transformative, durable improvements in Black maternal health.

Read the full announcement and view the full list of grant recipients here: https://bit.ly/4spCg8K

Earlier this year, St. David’s Foundation launched an open call funding opportunity to support local media organizations and community-centered journalism, with a focus on strengthening coverage of health and social issues impacting Central Texans—particularly those experiencing the greatest health disparities.

The "Strengthening Local Media to Advance Community Health" initiative awarded over $3M in grants to 21 organizations to deepen local coverage of health and social issues in Central Texas.

Read the full announcement here: https://stdavidsfoundation.org/news-and-stories/2026-grantmaking-announcing-recipients-of-strengthening-local-media-to-advance-community-health-funding-opportunity/

There’s still time to register for our informational webinar to learn more about our new open call funding opportunity, We All Benefit 2.0: Building Economic Stability, happening Wednesday, April 1 at 11:00 AM CT.

Through this funding opportunity, we seek to invest in local, community-informed organizations providing core economic stability services (income supports, food security, and healthcare access) to the communities with the greatest health needs in Central Texas, with a focus on increasing enrollment in public benefits that foster economic stability.

This webinar is optional to attend and not required to submit an application. A recording will be available on our website after the webinar.

Learn more and register for the webinar here: https://stdavidsfoundation.org/how-we-work/grantmaking/funding-opportunities/we-all-benefit-2-building-economic-stability/

New Funding Opportunity 📣 We All Benefit 2.0: Building Economic Stability

Through this new open call funding opportunity, we seek to invest in community-informed organizations providing core economic stability services (income supports, food security, healthcare access) for historically marginalized communities, with a focus on increasing enrollment in public benefits that foster economic stability.

To apply, organizations must submit a Letter of Intent by April 27 at 5 P.M. CT. If your LOI demonstrates a strong alignment with the goals of the funding opportunity, your organization will be invited to submit a full application due by June 18 at 5 P.M. CT.

More information and FAQs are available now at stdavidsfoundation.org/funding.

Starting high school is a major transition for any teenager, but for Wayde Sali, it was especially difficult. Having emigrated from the Philippines, Sali entered high school as a junior in 2022 after his parents moved to America in search of better economic opportunities.

By 2024, Sali not only graduated from high school but also earned the distinction of becoming a recipient of the St. David’s Neal Kocurek Scholarship Program. Now a sophomore at Austin Community College, he is pursuing a nursing degree and participated in the 529 College Savings Pilot, a forward-thinking initiative aimed at addressing scholarship displacement by accelerating access to funds and providing students with the flexibility to use their awards beyond tuition and books.

St. David’s Foundation proudly operates the Neal Kocurek Scholarship Program, the largest health care scholarship initiative in Texas. Over the past 20 years, the Foundation has disbursed over $27 million dollars of scholarship to students in Central Texas pursuing healthcare education. More than 850 scholarships have been awarded. The program is committed to eliminating economic barriers for students from marginalized communities to foster pathways to pursuing financially stable careers in healthcare.

Scholarship displacement occurs when an external scholarship, such as the Neal Kocurek Scholarship, reduces other forms of student financial aid—including grants, loans, federal work-study, or additional scholarships. Institutions may trigger displacement by considering a student “over-awarded” if their total aid exceeds the school’s cost of attendance.

Sixteen Neal Kocurek scholars were invited to participate in the pilot program and 100% of the students were satisfied with their experience using this approach, with most finding the flexibility of the pilot program especially valuable.

Learn more about Sali's experience with the 529 College Savings Pilot at stdavidsfoundation.org/stories (link in bio).

New Funding Opportunity Coming Soon 📣 We All Benefit 2.0: Building Economic Stability

Investments in community-informed organizations providing core economic stability services (income supports, food security, healthcare access) for historically marginalized communities, with a focus on increasing enrollment in public benefits that foster economic stability.

Join our informational webinar to learn more about this funding opportunity on Apr 1, 2026 at 11:00 AM CST. There will be an opportunity for questions & answers. This webinar is optional to attend and not required to submit an application. Register for the webinar here: stdavidsfoundation.org/funding.

The application and full details on this funding opportunity will be announced Monday, March 30.

We're hiring! 📣 St. David's Foundation is currently accepting applications for two Rotational Dental Assistant positions!

This role supports our Dentists and Dental Hygienists in providing dental care to patients within our Dental Program at various clinic sites in Central Texas.

Learn more and apply at stdavidsfoundation.org/careers.