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Focus Areas

Empowering Nonprofits

Strengthening the nonprofit sector

We are deeply committed to strengthening the effectiveness of the nonprofit sectors in North Texas and Colorado Springs.

We do this work at both macro and micro levels by listening to and investing alongside trusted leaders to help them build capacity, foster collaboration, and expand infrastructure to scale their impact.

Current Themes

We aim to bolster nonprofits’ capacities to deliver their missions and address sector-wide barriers that persist across issue areas.

Sustained Collaboration & Strategic Restructuring

Funding collaborative strategies to accelerate sustainable impact

Human Capital

Making real investments in building organizations for the long-term and nurturing the sector’s most valuable asset: its people

Infrastructure Funding

Investing in the stuff needed to do the job effectively should not be a luxury

Shared Services & Space

Let organizations focus on what they do best…and share the rest

Select Portfolio Examples

TOGETHER WE CAN DO MORE

A closer look at a few projects

Better Together Fund

Spearheading the Better Together Fund (BTF) was a natural fit for Lyda Hill’s interest in strengthening the sector and exploring greater impact through collaboration.
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Nonprofit Empowerment Fund

Nonprofits increasingly grapple with directing unrestricted funds towards essential operational facets like talent retention and recruitment, infrastructure, and technical assistance. Despite their critical nature, these aspects often get overshadowed by more 'visible' program expenses.
Read more

Visiting Nurses Association – Strengthening Impact with Technology

In 2016, Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) Texas encountered a capacity challenge with their Meals on Wheels program, with demand far outpacing their ability to deliver services given their entirely manual route and coordination system at the time. VNA’s desire to help was strong, but the gap between need and delivery capacity seemed too large to overcome.
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Better Together Fund

Nonprofit Empowerment

Spearheading the Better Together Fund (BTF) was a natural fit for Lyda Hill’s interest in strengthening the sector and exploring greater impact through collaboration.

Intervention

In 2017, Lyda Hill Philanthropies joined with The Dallas Foundation, The Meadows Foundation, and The United Way of Metropolitan Dallas to launch The Better Together Fund (BTF), a pilot program to encourage and support nonprofits to explore formal, long-term collaborations as a way to maximize impact. The initiative resulted from years of research with strategic consultants, local nonprofit CEOs and funders, and industry experts.

Impact

Without creating a separate entity or hiring full-time staff, BTF has awarded more than 105 grants worth over $6,100,000 to 66 unique collaborations, representing 250+ organizations. Sponsorship and oversight still include its founding donors, along with Communities Foundation of Texas, Hoblitzelle Foundation and NexPoint Philanthropies, along with additional support from Charles Schwab Bank.

Impact Factors
  • Collaborative
  • Sustainable

Learn more about Better Together Fund




Nonprofit Empowerment Fund

Nonprofit Empowerment

Nonprofits increasingly grapple with directing unrestricted funds towards essential operational facets like talent retention and recruitment, infrastructure, and technical assistance. Despite their critical nature, these aspects often get overshadowed by more 'visible' program expenses.

Intervention

After conducting a CEO listening tour with dozens of local leaders, Lyda Hill Philanthropies piloted an invitation-only grant program for nonprofits to apply for funding on a rolling basis for up to $25,000 within each of the following categories, plus a “big ticket” request:

People:

    • Investments in human capital projects to improve employee recruitment
    • Professional development
    • Organizational culture, and retention

Stuff:

    • Capital expenses or physical assets to help deliver your mission

Expertise:

    • Third party technical assistance projects to augment your current team with the right experts at the right time

Big ticket:

    • Various needs in the aforementioned categories that exceed $25,000
Impact

For the pilot program that will run through 2024, LHP expects to award more than $4M in grants to 33 organizations; and looks forward to feedback and evaluating how the program could be scaled.

Impact Factors
  • Responsive Grantmaking
  • Capacity Building
  • Others Can’t or Won’t



Visiting Nurses Association – Strengthening Impact with Technology

Nonprofit Empowerment

In 2016, Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) Texas encountered a capacity challenge with their Meals on Wheels program, with demand far outpacing their ability to deliver services given their entirely manual route and coordination system at the time. VNA’s desire to help was strong, but the gap between need and delivery capacity seemed too large to overcome.

Intervention

Lyda Hill Philanthropies stepped in supporting VNA’s vision to create a custom technology stack, including volunteer portal, back-office portal, drop site management application, and mobile delivery app.

Impact

The technology transformed how Meals on Wheels is delivered and became a life-saving tool to keep in touch with homebound senior neighbors especially during the COVID-19 lockdown. The technology allows real-time tracking of various client needs, streamlines routes for volunteers, and has revolutionized client care.

Impact Factors
  • Catalytic
  • Transformative
  • Others Can’t or Won’t
  • Collaborative

Learn more about Visiting Nurses Association




OUR INITIATIVES

Water Cooler at Pegasus Park Better Together Fund