How Donors Can Support Winter Storm Relief in Texas
Between February 13 and 17, a winter storm swept through the southern United States. While many communities across the South faced power outages and treacherous weather, Texas was hit especially hard. Millions of residents and businesses have been without power for days, and temperatures well below freezing have strained shelter capacity for those experiencing homelessness. Dangerous driving conditions have compounded the challenges of restoring power and obtaining and transporting critical resources, such as food, water and medical supplies.
Donors that are moved to help may be unsure of where to start, and the non-exhaustive list below is provided as a resource. When recommending a grant from your DAF, please indicate “Texas Winter Storm Relief” as the purpose of your grant to ensure that the organization correctly designates your gift. We encourage donors to research all charities prior to entering a grant recommendation.
Austin Pets Alive! (EIN 74-2893360)
In addition to sheltering animals from the cold weather, Austin Pets Alive! is coordinating community assistance to get needed resources to animals in the cold and pet owners that still lack power or water.
Carter BloodCare (EIN 75-1035606)
Carter BloodCare provides blood to hospitals across North, Central and East Texas. The storm canceled mobile blood drives and forced closures of donation centers, leading to a significant impact on the local blood supply.
Central Texas Food Bank (EIN 74-2217350)
Based in Austin, the Central Texas Food Bank serves 21 counties in Central Texas. The organization works with a wide network of nonprofits, public agencies and community groups to distribute healthy food to those in need.
Communities Foundation of Texas (EIN 75-0964565)
The Communities Foundation of Texas has established the North Texas Winter Weather Crisis Relief Fund. The fund will be used to support organizations responding to emergency needs as well as long-term recovery efforts across North Texas.
Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley (EIN 74-2421560)
The Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley serves residents of Hidalgo, Willacy and Cameron counties in South Texas and has initiated the Winter Storm Assistance campaign. In addition to food distribution, Food Bank RGV operates a number of programs to support its constituents, such as providing school supplies for elementary students and job training for inmates at Lopez State Jail.
The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center (EIN 45-3452817)
Located in downtown Dallas, The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center provides both daily and overnight shelter services for individuals without a home. In addition to showers, meals and health evaluations, The Bridge is providing cold weather gear to its constituents.
NPT is not affiliated with any of the organizations described herein, and the inclusion of any organization in this material should not be considered an endorsement by NPT of such organization, or its services or products.
Joan Allmaras is a Philanthropic Services Specialist at NPT. She produces tailored, in-depth research on specific issues and geographic areas of interest to NPT’s donors. Ms. Allmaras holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of San Diego and a Master of Science in Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania.
NPT does not provide legal or tax advice. This blog post is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be, and shall not be relied upon as, legal or tax advice. The applicability of information contained here may vary depending on individual circumstances.
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