It’s never easy to say “no.” There are power dynamics in philanthropy that need to shift, and processes that favor funders and waste applicants' time need to be changed. There are myriad examples of needed reflection points and systems change in philanthropy. But at the end of the day, foundation program officers are generally [...]
As a Black male educator and equity advocate, I stand at a unique intersection of identity and purpose, driven by the belief that all students deserve equal educational opportunities. This belief is rooted in a deep understanding of the systemic barriers that have historically marginalized students of color, and our responsibility to dismantle these [...]
Reflecting on the transformative power of education, I think about it through the lens of my family journey. I’ll start with the stories told by my maternal grandmother about the hardships of her childhood. She was born in a rural area in northern Mexico, and the only toys she had were stick and stone [...]
Our team has been actively engaging in a robust discussion sparked by a recent Stanford Social Innovation Review article. The article delves into the origins and impact of what the authors term “strategic philanthropy” to critique traditional models that assume philanthropists, by virtue of their wealth and power, are inherently capable of developing and [...]
At their meeting in June 2024, the Trellis Foundation board of directors approved more than $3 million in new grant awards, including: A $370,000 grant to the Alliance for College & Career Student Success (ACCSS) to support a partnership between six rural school districts and Blinn College District. The ACCSS project offers academic/career support [...]
At Trellis Foundation, we believe in making the promise of higher education a reality for all students. We also recognize the over-representation of Black and Hispanic students in the justice system, and supporting educational opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals is critical to our equity goals. Higher ed in prison is a space that many [...]
When I was learning to knit during the pandemic, it took me about two months to finish my first scarf. As part of an innovative strategy to improve enrollment and retention, students at several Texas community colleges completed courses in 2022 and 2023 in about the same amount of time it took me to [...]
In the spring of 2024, the Trellis Foundation board of directors approved $2.9 million in new grant awards, including: An investment of $1 million for the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute and the Texas Success Center to develop and implement Minding College Minds, an initiative that includes a first-ever postsecondary mental health framework, curriculum, [...]
Joining Trellis Foundation: A New Chapter in My Commitment to Education and Equity I am excited to share that I am joining Trellis Foundation as a Program Officer. This new role is a significant milestone in my career, and I am eager to bring my passion for post-secondary education and equity to an organization [...]
Trellis Foundation and the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute are hosting the 2024 Higher Education Policy Summit in Austin on April 19. The summit connects national and state thought leaders, policymakers, elected officials, and practitioners to discuss opportunities to improve the mental health and wellbeing of college students as a key strategy for improving [...]
