High-Impact Grantmaking: Fueling High-Impact Philanthropy

The Greater Houston Community Foundation’s (Foundation) High-Impact Grantmaking initiative is an inclusive effort to provide our donors and partners an opportunity to invest in innovative solutions with catalytic community impact focused on Houston’s most pressing challenges. For 30 years, the Foundation has built deep relationships by honoring donor intent, providing excellent stewardship of assets entrusted to us, and igniting meaningful change with our clients—and this is not changing! The Foundation considers its High-Impact Grantmaking initiative, a key pillar of the Foundation’s Community Impact work, a valuable opportunity for donors and supporters to join forces with us, enabling them to engage with the causes they deeply care about while effectively addressing vital community needs.

In 2024, Greater Houston Community Foundation completed its inaugural High-Impact Grantmaking cycle, awarding $500,000 to three nonprofits with ambitious plans and impactful work to address intergenerational poverty and advance economic mobility in Houston.

Read on to learn more about our grant partners, our High-Impact Grantmaking initiative, and how the Foundation plans to build on the momentum gained from our newest Community Impact initiative.  

Table of Contents

• Goal of High-Impact Grantmaking
• Why Economic Mobility?
• Community Impact Fund Supports High-Impact Grantmaking
• The Community Grants Advisory Committee
• Inaugural High-Impact Grantmaking Award Recipients
• What’s Next?

Goal of High-Impact Grantmaking Initiative

The goal of our High-Impact Grantmaking initiative is to make meaningful and measurable impact on our greatest challenges by investing in and supporting organizations and/or collaboratives that advance economic mobility and address intergenerational poverty for children and families in Houston. The High-Impact Grantmaking initiative builds upon what the Foundation does best—helping donors maximize their philanthropic impact by supporting the highest-potential solutions for the community. The Foundation looks forward to continued learning, philanthropic partnership, and collective action that ensures Houston remains a place of opportunity for everyone. 

Why Economic Mobility?

Houston’s vibrant economy and entrepreneurial, welcoming spirit make it a city of opportunity—but for many, that promise remains out of reach. Nearly 1 in 4 children (300,000 children under 18) in Harris County live in poverty, compared to 16% nationally in 2023. Research shows that one in three children raised in poverty remain in poverty as adults, perpetuating cycles of hardship and limiting opportunities for upward mobility. For these children, escaping poverty can be an insurmountable climb with few footholds.

For Houston to sustain its economic growth and entrepreneurial reputation, opportunity must be broadly accessible. With nearly half (47%) of Harris County households struggling to afford basic needs, Houston’s long-term economic vitality is at stake. Economic mobility ensures that every resident can develop their full potential, creating a skilled workforce and fostering entrepreneurship—both critical to Houston’s future. When low-income children and adults can climb the economic ladder, families gain stability, experience a better quality of life, and help build vibrant, resilient communities. As Houston competes globally, ensuring the region remains a place of upward mobility is a strategic necessity to maintain economic competitiveness, strengthen civic trust, and support resilient growth for generations to come.

Read the latest trends on poverty and economic mobility here.

The Foundation recognizes the incredible work that has already been happening to address economic mobility in Harris County, and—as we heard from key stakeholders—as the region’s community foundation, we also have a role to play.

The selection of economic mobility was the culmination of a year-long learning journey for the Foundation, framed through a strength-based perspective of possibility and grounded in five guiding principles:  

Thanks to Understanding Houston, we had compelling data to begin our issue area selection. We first looked at quality-of-life indicators where outcomes in Harris County had stagnated or worsened since 2010, ultimately identifying 24 potential issue areas for focus.

As a next step, the Foundation engaged more than 100 community leaders—a combination of donors, Foundation Governing Board members, nonprofit professionals, and community residents—through an appreciative inquiry process in 2023. Appreciative inquiry is a collaborative, strengths-based approach that focuses on engagement through a positive lens to assess strengths, opportunities, and aspirations.

Read more about the themes that emerged from these interviews, which acknowledge the strengths of our community and discover how to leverage those strengths to create a more vibrant, thriving Houston.

We also conducted focus groups with 75 community residents, nonprofit professionals, and other stakeholders to hear their hopes and concerns. This process enabled us to refine our focus further, and in 2023, the Foundation’s Governing Board and a consensus among key stakeholders selected economic mobility as the first focus area for the Foundation’s High-Impact Grantmaking.

Community Impact Fund Supports High-Impact Grantmaking

The Foundation’s High-Impact Grantmaking initiative is powered by the Community Impact Fund, drawing support from a growing list of Houston philanthropists who are collaboratively dedicated to advancing the Foundation’s mission of community impact. A special thank you to our Community Impact Growth Committee Co-Chairs, Cullen Gieselman and Tym Tombar, and our Honorary Co-Chairs, Kate Fowler and Randa Weiner.

Learn more about the Foundation’s three pillars of community impact.

Thanks to Founder’s Circle, at the close of 2024, the Community Impact Fund raised over $6 million in commitments toward a longer-term $10 million goal by the end of 2027. These funds support all three pillars of our Community Impact work, which includes High-Impact Grantmaking, Greater Houston Disaster Alliance, and Understanding Houston. With this generous support, the Foundation committed to making a half-million dollar investment in high-impact grants annually, beginning in 2024. The collective generosity and dedication of our donors have made it possible to uplift and support organizations pursuing bold plans that advance a vision of shared prosperity in Houston. 

The Community Grants Advisory Committee

The Foundation was charged with investing $500,000 by the end of 2024 in one to three organizations that implement proven, promising, and/or innovative solutions that advance economic mobility and address intergenerational poverty for children and families in Harris County.

By utilizing data-driven insights, the Committee analyzed community needs and nearly 300 letters of interest from local organizations proposing impactful economic mobility strategies. After thorough reviews and site visits, the Committee identified three transformative organizations with innovative strategies to advance economic mobility in Harris County to recommend to the Foundation’s Board for funding and support.

So, who is on this Committee, and how did the Foundation connect with them? The 2024 Community Grants Advisory Committee was composed of 14 community leaders, with 12 members being external to the Foundation. The Committee members possess diverse personal and professional experiences related to economic mobility and intergenerational poverty, along with deep knowledge of neighborhoods and community initiatives in Greater Houston. Comprising leaders from Houston’s philanthropic, nonprofit, civic, and business sectors, the Committee brings unique perspectives and insights to the grantmaking process.

Inaugural Grant Partners

Following the recommendation from the Committee and presentations at the Foundation’s Community Impact Celebration, the Foundation’s Governing Board approved grant awards to all three finalists of our inaugural High-Impact Grantmaking cycle. These nonprofits demonstrated a clear, credible, and compelling vision and plan for significant impact in Houston. Their proven track record of success, coupled with their focus on addressing the root causes and systemic issues of intergenerational poverty, made them stand out. What’s more, each of these organizations is on the precipice of scaling their work such that the Foundation’s support will be leveraged to have an outsized impact.

Connective: Public Benefits Hub

Connective transforms social services into a more connected, empathetic, and accessible system. With this $200,000 investment, Connective will continue its Public Benefits Hub pilot through 2025, providing a one-stop-shop for low-income families in Harris County to access essential public benefits like food assistance, health coverage, and utility bill aid. By partnering with community-based organizations and leveraging technology, Connective will screen over 2,250 households and support at least 450 households to apply for benefits, track progress, and stay connected to the social service ecosystem. This initiative empowers families to increase their income, reduce poverty, and achieve economic mobility, breaking down silos and creating a sustainable, equitable support system.

Grameen America: Expansion in Houston

Grameen America helps entrepreneurial women build businesses to enable financial mobility. With this $100,000 investment, Grameen America aims to continue expanding its footprint and impact in Houston as a priority city, providing microloans to women, along with financial literacy, education, and technical assistance to help entrepreneurs build skills and resource connections that support achieving long-term financial goals. In 2025, Grameen America’s second Houston Branch will distribute $30 million, serve 5,200 members, and provide 18,000+ hours of loan counseling, financial literacy, and small business education to help underserved women build their financial identities through their businesses.

Prison Entrepreneurship Program: Collider Program

Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP)unites business executives and incarcerated individuals through entrepreneurial passion and servant leadership to transform lives, restore families, and rebuild communities. With this $200,000 investment, PEP will expand its Collider Program, a dynamic social and economic community center serving Houston’s returning citizens. This expansion will provide comprehensive reentry support, education, employment pathways, mentorship, business incubation, and access to capital – empowering 500 formerly incarcerated individuals and their families (impacting over 1,900 lives) to achieve lasting economic independence and break the cycle of poverty.

What’s Next?

We are committed to the success of our 2024 grant partners. The three grantees of the Foundation’s inaugural High-Impact Grantmaking cycle will be supported in ways that go beyond the check. The Foundation has already begun to collaborate with each grant partner to develop a plan to enhance the visibility and impact of their work through multiple platforms, including social media, blog posts, and newsletters. We will highlight their successes using compelling data and client stories to effectively showcase their achievements. Our goal is to connect these impactful organizations with our donor network and other potential funders, opening doors to additional resources and partnerships. We will also provide customized support in other ways we can support their efforts to enhance programs and assess their impact.

Additionally, we will run a second grant cycle in late Spring to make another half-million-dollar investment in organizations and collaboratives that effectively advance economic mobility for Houston-area families. Be sure to stay informed by subscribing to the Insider Update newsletter and following us on social!

Building Community Through High-Impact Philanthropy

We are excited to continue amplifying giving through our High-Impact Grantmaking initiative, which serves as another avenue for attracting resources and highlights the highest-potential solutions in Houston. Through our High-Impact Grantmaking, we aim to serve as a catalyst and collaborative partner, deepening our impact through data, convening, and strategic partnership where high-impact philanthropy happens. 

Ready to get involved or learn more about our High-Impact Grantmaking initiative? Reach out to Diana Zarzuelo, Vice President of Community Impact.

If you are interested in contributing to the High-Impact Grantmaking initiative or joining the list of dedicated Houstonians on our Community Impact Fund Founder’s Circle, please contact Tyler Murphy, Senior Advisor for Charitable Solutions.

More Helpful Articles by Greater Houston Community Foundation

• Understanding Houston: Leveraging Data for Action
• Building a Stronger Houston: A Committee’s Commitment to Impactful Grantmaking
• The Power of Place-Based Initiatives: Transforming Houston’s Communities
• Tips for Disaster Giving
• Building Community Resiliency: Our Disaster Response Journey

The selection process for the High-Impact Grantmaking initiative incorporated a robust multi-level review process designed to ensure maximum fairness, transparency, and comprehensiveness in evaluating all submissions. The outcome of this process reflects the recommendations made by an independent Community Grants Advisory Committee. The recommendations put forth by the Committee were closely reviewed and approved by the Foundation’s Community Impact Committee and its Governing Board.

This website is a public resource of general information that is intended, but not promised or guaranteed, to be correct, complete, and up to date. The materials on this website, including all comments and responses to comments, do not constitute legal, tax, or other professional advice, and is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute, nor should it be considered an invitation for, an attorney-client relationship. The reader should not rely on information provided herein and should always seek the advice of competent legal counsel and/or a tax professional in the reader’s state or jurisdiction. The owner of this website does not intend links on the website to be referrals or endorsements of the linked entities.