What is the Round Rock Future Fund?
It's a giving circle, a group of people who collectively pool their charitable resources to make high-impact grants to the causes or charities of the group's choice.
The mission of the Future Fund is to invest in quality programs, organizations and causes that benefit children and education in Round Rock. The fund, established in 2007 and funded annually by a group of Round Rock residents, was created to ensure long-lasting philanthropic support for nonprofits helping local students thrive in school. Eligible recipients include educational programs as well as those organizations eliminating barriers to learning for Round Rock children.
Who is involved?
The Round Rock Future Fund is mostly made up civic-minded couples and individuals with school-age children who want to ensure that Round Rock continues to be a good, safe community to call home. The GRRCF board calls this group the Up-and-Comers. They believe this group is the future of Round Rock...future business leaders, future elected officials, future philanthropists, etc.
How does it work?
Each couple or individual contributes $550 ($500 goes into the fund for distribution to charities at the end of the year; $50 goes to the Round Rock Community Foundation (our sponsoring organization) for administrative purposes). The membership meets quarterly to learn about funding opportunities that align with the Future Fund mission, and then collectively determine where to invest the resources. It's a very efficient way to give back to the community and exponentially grow each member's personal giving.
Why create giving circles in Round Rock?
In the short term, giving circles are a great way to exponentially grow personal charitable giving and significantly influence the well-being of Round Rock. Couples and individuals with some excess resource can do more in partnership with others than they can typically do alone. However the real benefit is long term. Giving circles are a great way to educate donors on the issues and emerging issues that will influence the future of their community. It's also an effective introduction to the power and personal reward of philanthropy.
Future Fund grant history
2008 - $11,500 to the STARRY program of the Texas Bapsist Children's Home/Children at Heart Ministries, to provide part time school liasion for tutoring and academic development to abused children who have been removed from their homes in emergency shelter and foster care, providing an advocate to ensure homework completion, provide tutoring, work w/teachers, offer summer workshops.
$3,000 to the Head Start Program of WBC Opportunities for purchase of assessment and monitoring tools for 45 children and 2 laptops for teacher use in classroom to input daily observations, lesson plans and assessments for nationally recognized, scientifically based curriculum designed for underprivileged children ages 0-5.
2007 - $15,000 to the Lone Star Circle of Care for pediatric equipment and materials for the Round Rock Health Clinic. Lone Star Circle of Care has a federal grant to provide healthcare to uninsured or under-insured RRISD students. So, if an uninsured/under-insured child goes to the nurse at any RRISD school and requires follow up care, they can go to one of Lone Star's Round Rock clinics for free or reduced medical care. It's a great organization that helps students of all ages stay and get well so they can learn at school.
How do I join?
Contact Kami at 514-0046 or kami@rrcommunityfoundation.org for more information. Or, to join online CLICK HERE.