Takeaway
2026 marks an important milestone for St. David’s Foundation — this year represents 30 years of grantmaking in our region. For three decades, we have had the privilege of investing in organizations, programs, and people working every day to improve health and well-being across Central Texas.
This three-year Lookback Report reflects the external work of the Foundation from 2023 through 2025, which includes our grantmaking, the St. David’s Foundation Dental Program, and the St. David’s Neal Kocurek Scholarship Program, spanning a pivotal time of growth and evolution for our organization. It reflects a transition from our 2020–2022 grantmaking plan into our new organization-wide strategic plan, Pathways to Health Equity.
The data shared in this report paints a panoramic picture and serves a fundamental purpose — a tool for learning and reflection — that helps us process and better understand what is working, where we can improve, and how we can enhance our impact. It also allows the communities we serve to better understand our investments as well as the progress made.
As we reflect on our efforts and the transition to new ways of working, we are reminded that evolution is not a milestone — it is a mindset. Meaningful organizational change is an ongoing practice of listening, learning, and growing.
Findings
Dental Program
Provided dental care to over 5,000 patients each year, totaling over 16,500 patients and $30 million in care provided to the community between 2023 and 2025.
Neal Kocurek Scholarship Program
Funded more than $6 million over the past three years to over 300 scholars. Over 200 scholars graduated, and the program continues to be the largest healthcare scholarship program in Texas.
Grantmaking
More than $288 million in grant funding to Central Texas nonprofits, accounting for one-fourth of the Foundation’s total grantmaking since 1996.
- 40,000 individuals receiving dental services
- 28,000 individuals receiving mental health services
- 144,000 receiving other medical services
- 17,000 individuals receiving training on best practices in care provision
Key Lessons Learned
Growth requires capacity. The growth of our grantmaking and programmatic work impacts every department across the Foundation. Ensuring capacity is essential to delivering on our mission with excellence and maximal impact.
Enter with the exit in mind. We have learned the importance of planning for durability at the very beginning of a funding relationship. Being clear about goals, timelines, and transition plans allows our partners and us to amplify effectiveness and mitigate disruption in the long-term.
Trust-based philanthropy takes time. Adopting trust-based practices requires more than process adjustments — it requires cultural change.
We remain committed to learning from our history, past approaches, and how we navigate transitions between strategic plans. A significant evolution in our strategy was acknowledging that if we are to realize lasting improvements in health across our region, we must address not only the immediate needs of today, but also the systems and conditions that shape the opportunity to be healthy tomorrow — that is, generational change. Access to care matters deeply. So do economic stability, education, housing, and the broader environments in which we all live and work.
The Foundation’s impact has always depended on collaboration. To the partners who have been part of our journey — whether for decades or just briefly — thank you. We cannot advance our mission without your work. It is your expertise, trust, and commitment to Central Texas that brings us closer to our vision of a vibrant and inclusive Central Texas.
