About Us
Getting an education beyond high school is the most reliable path to economic mobility.
Trellis Foundation champions postsecondary programs and practices that lead to the brightest future for Texas students, their families, and our state.
What We Stand For
Mission
Trellis Foundation advances equitable educational opportunities in Texas by supporting postsecondary programs, practices, and systems that reduce disparities and lead to success for low-income students and students of color.
Values
Transformative Power of Education
A postsecondary credential or degree is the most reliable method of increasing social and economic mobility. Postsecondary education serves both the private and public good.
Equity
All students deserve equal educational opportunities, meaning some may need additional benefits, supports, and/or resources.
Integrity
Trellis Foundation’s grantmaking processes, priorities, and policies are transparent and easily understood.
Data-Informed Decisions
Trellis Foundation relies on quantifiable information to every extent possible.
Collaboration
In addressing complex barriers to achieving equitable educational outcomes, progress cannot be made alone. It requires significant and ongoing collective action.
Our Story of Growth & Learning
In 2017, the Trellis Foundation launched as an independent grantmaker focused on supporting student success and completion in postsecondary education.
Since our inception, Trellis Foundation has:
Enhanced our emphasis on driving system-level change, including an increased focus on informing policy.
Incorporated targeted RFP opportunities in our grantmaking, enabling us to dive deep into student success strategies, provide multi-year support, and foster communities of practice.
Provided opportunities for more general operating support to college access and success nonprofits and focused on facilitating partnerships between community-based organizations and education institutions, enabled by our deep relationships with grantees.
Increasingly broadened our approach to supporting postsecondary access and attainment, including investing in basic needs, technical credentials aligned with workforce demands, and resources for non-traditional students.
This evolution reflects our intention to catalyze impact, which includes supplementing traditional grantmaking with additional tools, such as convening, advocacy, and articulating an explicit learning agenda, to achieve our mission.
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