Community Foundation reports large relief fund, $9.75 million granted so far and new Ingram ISD support
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Summary
The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country described a rapid fundraising campaign and a slate of emergency grants for households, businesses, first responders and Ingram ISD; the foundation said it had raised large donations and committed $9.75 million in grants to vetted nonprofits, with a $1.25 million grant for Ingram ISD.
Austin Nixon, chief executive officer of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, told the court the foundation opened the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund within hours of the flood and is managing both short- and long-term philanthropic responses.
"On at 09:46 in the morning on July 4, the Community Foundation created the Kerr County Flood Relief Fund," Nixon said, adding that the fund had drawn national and international donations. He told the court the organization had "raised over $60,000,000 in that fund alone" and "granted almost $10,000,000, $9,750,000 to vetted non profits so far." Nixon described an initial grant package of $5 million announced within a week and detailed targeted grant categories: emergency family assistance, small-business stabilization, first-responder support, and crisis-assistance operations.
Nixon said the foundation awarded operating grants to volunteer fire departments and provided other rapid support: "Our board allocated $250,000 initial grants for general operating support to CenterPoint, Divide, Hunt, Ingram, and Mount Phoane volunteer fire departments." He also described a $1,250,000 grant to Ingram ISD after the district reported major facility losses and said H-E-B has committed to rebuild Ingram’s security fence.
Nixon told the court the foundation intends to form a 12–15 person advisory committee to steer medium- and long-term fund deployment and that most grants so far are restricted to local nonprofit organizations, with limited exceptions for national partners working through local groups (for example, World Central Kitchen and Mercy Chefs).
He also announced plans for a Hill Country Camp Recovery Fund to address needs of summer camps and other for-profit entities that may qualify for narrow charitable grants managed under the foundation’s 501(c)(3) structure.
Ending: The Community Foundation posted fund details and a grantee list on its website and said it will continue to vet requests and work with local partners, county officials and federal recovery teams as needs evolve.