UHV Nonprofit Center receives $50,000 grant
The Meadows Foundation recently donated $50,000 to the University of Houston-Foundation to support the University of Houston-Victoria Nonprofit Center and expand the center’s efforts to offer resources to nonprofit organizations in the Victoria region.
“We are beyond excited to receive this funding, which will allow us to continue our work providing affordable training to nonprofits, as well as launch our new Nonprofit Leadership Academy,” said Brooke Garcia, UHV coordinator at the Nonprofit Center. “This will provide a great opportunity for current and aspiring nonprofit leaders to develop their skills and build connections with others in the sector.”
The UHV Nonprofit Center was created to offer affordable resources, training and services to nonprofit organizations in Victoria and the surrounding regions, giving them the proper resources to maintain sustainable growth, Garcia said. Since the center began hosting workshops in July 2023, the center has seen more than 70 nonprofit leaders, board members and around 50 organizations in Victoria and surrounding rural areas attend the workshops.
The University of Houston Foundation was created in 1960 to provide independent support of the University of Houston, at a time when the University of Houston became a state-supported university. Over time, the University of Houston Foundation provided support to the University of Houston System, the University of Houston, University of Houston-Downtown, University of Houston-Clear Lake and the University of Houston-Victoria.
“We are so honored and appreciative of The Meadows Foundation’s generous grant for the Nonprofit Center at UHV,” said Amber Countis, UHV vice president of Advancement & External Relations. “This will be a gamechanger in the important work that Brooke Garcia is doing. They share our vision to support and advance our rural nonprofits and provide much-needed resources and training to help our greater community. The Meadows Foundation has been a great partner thus far in how to craft and create a compelling story. We look forward to the impact and outcomes this gift will provide and sharing those results along the way.”
Besides the workshops, the center has hosted a number of events which include Grant Writing, Business Partnerships, Organizational Stability and a Board Boot Camp. Nearly 25 percent of the organizations attending the UHV Nonprofit Center’s events drove in from outer areas, specifically from Port Lavaca, Cuero, Yoakum, Yorktown and Schulenburg.
“The funding is going to allow us to do more and will allow us to work with select nonprofits to do full organizational analysis, such as figure out what areas they need to work on a bit more and for us to be able to assist with that, whether it be helping them with consultants or possibly class projects” Garcia said. “There’s a lot of excitement around all of this right now.”
Additionally, the grant will allow the center to provide the community with the Nonprofit Leadership Academy, which will begin this Fall, Garcia said. The academy, a 9-month leadership program, is designed for current or aspiring leaders in the Victoria area who are looking for skills to improve their nonprofit organizations. The Nonprofit Leadership Academy began accepting applications for its first cohort in July, and the program will start in September and run until May of next year.
The Meadows Foundation was established in 1948 by Algur H. and Virginia Meadows to benefit and serve the people of Texas. The Foundation has disbursed more than $1.38 billion to 3,800 organizations across the state. Grants are awarded to 501(c)3 organizations and public institutions in arts and culture, civic and public affairs, education, environment, health, and human services, and initiatives focused on postsecondary completion, educator preparation, water conservation, depression, and homelessness. For additional information, visit www.mfi.org.
The University of Houston-Victoria, located in the heart of the Coastal Bend region since 1973 in Victoria, Texas, offers courses leading to more than 50 academic programs in the schools of Arts & Sciences; Business Administration; and Education, Health Professions & Human Development. UHV provides face-to-face classes at its Victoria campus, as well as an instructional site in Katy, Texas, and online classes that students can take from anywhere. UHV supports the American Association of State Colleges and Universities Opportunities for All initiative to increase awareness about state colleges and universities and the important role they have in providing a high-quality and accessible education to an increasingly diverse student population, as well as contributing to regional and state economic development.