Philanthropy
Mission Statement
The primary purpose of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Charitable Foundation of Houston is to attract and generate financial support for distribution to charitable organizations that meet the established philanthropic guidelines.
History
The Kappa Kappa Gamma Charitable Foundation of Houston (“the Foundation”) was established in 1980 by the leadership of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumnae Association of Houston. The purpose of the Foundation is to encourage and support the efforts of charitable organizations and programs for the betterment of the community.
Who We Fund :: Philanthropy Committee Chair :: Kappa Gives a Gift to Houston :: Apply for a Grant
Who We Fund
It is the primary policy of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Charitable Foundation of Houston to support IRS code 501(c)(3), 170(b)(1)(A) (V) and 170(c)(1) tax-exempt organizations involved in offering rehabilitation which meet the established criteria of the Foundation. This includes non-profit agencies that assist those who are physically handicapped, mentally challenged, socially disadvantaged, emotionally disturbed and the aged. Except for isolated incidents involving special circumstances, the Foundation confines its grants to organizations situated or having significant presence in the Houston Metropolitan Area.
Over the past 35 years, the Foundation has granted nearly $3 million to a variety of deserving nonprofit organizations in the Houston community through monies raised by our signature biennial fundraising event, the Holiday Pilgrimage Home Tour. More than 50 community agencies, both large and small, have received support from the foundation to provide essential care, equipment, programs, supplies, rehabilitative services, and scholarships.
Past grant recipients include the following agencies: BEAR (Be a Resource for CPS Kids), Bo's Place, Boys and Girls Country, Camp for All, Casa de Esperanza, Literacy Advance of Houston, Sheltering Arms, TIRR/Memorial Hermann, The Brookwood Community, The Rose, Texas Children's Hospital, Wellsprings Village, and Yellowstone Academy.
Philanthropy Committee Chair
Contact kappaphilanthropychair@gmail.com.
Kappa Gives a Gift to Houston
During 2017-2019, the Kappa Kappa Gamma Charitable Foundation offered support to the following organizations:
BEAR (Be A Resource for CPS Kids)
BEAR is a public/private partnership that provides emergency goods and services directly to children under the care of Child Protective Services in Harris County. BEAR offers hope and help to abused and neglected children and to the caseworkers who protect them.
GRANT FUNDED: Car seats, portable cribs, airbeds, and toddler beds.
Bo’s Place
Bo’s Place provides grief support services for children, families, and adults who have experienced the death of a loved one through free bilingual support groups in the greater Houston area, and an Information & Referral Line for additional bereavement-related resources.
GRANT FUNDED: New storage shed, upgraded furniture, and outdoor benches.
Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Houston
To inspire and enable all youth, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens.
GRANT FUNDED: Will allow BGCGH Club members to run a youth-led pantry and serve residents in the Houston Heights communities.
The Briarwood School
The Briarwood School empowers students with diagnosed learning differences and intellectual disabilities to reach their maximum potential through diagnostic prescriptive instruction in a structured academic environment. “Every child can learn and has the right to be taught in the way that he or she learns best.”
GRANT FUNDED: Desktop computers for the reading lab.
The Brookwood Community
The Brookwood Community, founded in 1985, is a God-centered educational, residential, and entrepreneurial community for adults with functional disabilities, providing an educational environment that creates meaningful jobs, builds a sense of belonging, and demands dignity and respect for their citizens.
GRANT FUNDED: Technical upgrades to dental equipment and two (2) Hoyer Power Lifts for assisting citizens with limited mobility.
Camp Aranzazu
Camp Aranzazu (pronounced Ah ran' zah zoo) is dedicated to enriching the lives of children and adults with chronic illnesses and special needs by providing unique camping, environmental education, and retreat experiences. Since opening its doors in 2006, Camp Aranzazu has served more than 24,500 campers and their support staff.
GRANT FUNDED: Aluminum framed golf cart with shade covers to ferry campers.
Camp for All
Camp for All is a unique barrier-free camp working in partnership with other nonprofits to enrich the lives of children and adults with challenging illnesses or special needs and their families throughout the year.
GRANT FUNDED: Furnishings for the treatment rooms in the health center.
Casa de Esperanza de los Niños
Casa de Esperanza de los Niños provides comprehensive residential and aftercare programs that transform the lives of at-risk infants, children, and their families.
GRANT FUNDED: Supplies for homes in the Casa de Esperanza neighborhood.
Covenant House Texas
Covenant House Texas is a faith-based organization committed to giving homeless youth a safe haven, absolute respect, unconditional love, and a path to lasting independence. In partnership with the community, we are the voice for homeless youth.
GRANT FUNDED: One month of three meals per day to 95 homeless youth.
Dress for Success Houston
Dress for Success Houston’s mission is to empower women to achieve economic independence by providing a network of support, professional attire, and development tools to help women thrive in work and life.
GRANT FUNDED: Pearls and professional portfolios.
Houston Alumnae Panhellenic Foundation
The Houston Alumnae Panhellenic Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Houston Alumnae Panhellenic Association. The goal of the foundation is to raise and award much needed scholarship funds for young sorority women from Harris County attending colleges and universities both in Texas and out of state.
GRANT FUNDED: Scholarships to deserving young women.
Including Kids Inc.
Including Kids, a nonprofit organization founded 16 years ago by Executive Director Jennifer Dantzler, serves children and young adults on the autism spectrum through a variety of services including full time, after school, and community outreach programming. The goal of Including Kids is to create pathways for meaningful inclusion for each and every individual we serve on the autism spectrum.
GRANT FUNDED: New van.
Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation
The mission of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Foundation is to support the lifetime development of women through the funding of educational programs, financial assistance, and the preservation of Kappa’s heritage.
GRANT FUNDED: Confidential scholarships to initiated undergraduate members of Kappa Kappa Gamma who find themselves in sudden, short-term financial need due to misfortune or illness.
Nehemiah Center Inc.
The Nehemiah Center’s mission is to provide assistance to low-income families who are invested in seeking a better future for their children through education, emotional wellness, and spiritual enrichment.
GRANT FUNDED: New, gently used van.
Nora’s Home
Nora’s Home offers transplant patients and their families an affordable place to stay where they can find support and share experiences with others in the comfort of a home-like environment.
GRANT FUNDED: Exercise equipment for a new exercise room.
Ronald McDonald House Houston
Founded in 1978, the mission is to offer a home away from home providing care, compassion, and hope to families with seriously ill children being treated in Texas Medical Center (TMC) member institutions.
GRANT FUNDED: Food, snacks, and beverages needed for the first year of two new Family Rooms that support families with children being treated in the Cardiovascular ICU inside the TCH Legacy Tower.
Second Servings of Houston
Houston’s only prepared and perishable food rescue organization delivering surplus food from hotels, convention centers, and other businesses to charities serving the hungry.
GRANT FUNDED: Refrigerated van.
SIRE Inc.
The mission of SIRE is to improve the quality of life for those with special needs through therapeutic horsemanship activities and therapies, and educational outreach. Therapeutic horsemanship uses the movement and spirit of the horse to help the body, mind, and spirit of people with disabilities.
GRANT FUNDED: Upgrade to the computer network and workstations.
Small Steps Nurturing Center
Small Steps Nurturing Center lays the groundwork for student success by offering a high-quality education, social and emotional support, a nurturing Christian environment, transportation, and nutritious meals to children ages two through six living in poverty.
GRANT FUNDED: SET for Life (Social Emotional Tools) sensory integration materials.
SpringSpirit
SpringSpirit provides safe pathways for youth to realize life opportunities through sports, education, and mentoring programs that are based on Christian principles.
GRANT FUNDED: College readiness test prep materials, calculators, and test fees.
Texas Heart Institute
Texas Heart Institute’s ongoing Houston HeartReach Community Engagement Project provides comprehensive cardiovascular disease risk factor screening and targeted education in a neighborhood outreach setting while collecting clinical and risk factor data that can be used to refine and improve screening and outreach in the future.
GRANT FUNDED: InBody 270 Body Composition Analyzer.
Trees of Hope
Trees of Hope transforms lives with fundraising and outreach activities for the exclusive benefit of children’s programs at Star of Hope, Houston’s largest agency serving the homeless.
GRANT FUNDED: New shoes and socks for kids.
Wellsprings Village Inc.
Wellsprings Village is a transitional housing program that provides a safe, nurturing environment for women who were homeless or abused to become independent, contributing members of our community. In addition to housing, the program provides supportive services that are critically needed to help the women learn new positive coping skills and strategies that will address self-destructive behaviors that have negatively impacted their lives.
GRANT FUNDED: Wagons, a four seat golf cart with enclosure, and a van.
The Women’s Home
The Women’s Home builds communities that strengthen women and support families as they reclaim their stability.
GRANT FUNDED: Stock food pantries, desktop computers, and printers.