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.

In the last 30 years, Central Texas has experienced extraordinary growth, shifting demographics, rising costs of living, and increasing pressure on the systems that support health and well-being. However, one thing has remained constant: our belief that lasting change is only possible through partnership with community.

From our first grant in 1996, our work has been grounded in listening – to residents, non-profit leaders, healthcare providers, educators, and community organizations working every day to improve lives across our region – setting the tone for decades of community-centered work. As the Foundation has grown, our approach to grantmaking has evolved to maximize impact, foster deep partnerships, and drive towards advancing health equity. To date, the Foundation has funded over 550 unique organizations in Central Texas and invested over $1 billion to improve the health and well-being of communities with the greatest health needs.

Today, our work reflects a shift and deeper commitment to addressing the systemic conditions that shape health outcomes. We now understand more clearly than ever that health is influenced not only by access to medical care, but also by other factors such as housing, economic opportunity, education, transportation, social connection, and whether communities have the resources and decision-making power to shape their own futures.

That understanding helped shape Pathways to Health Equity, the Foundation’s 2024–2030 strategic plan. The plan aligns our efforts around three interconnected goals:

• Increasing access to quality care designed to advance health equity
• Removing economic barriers to improve health outcomes
• Equipping communities to achieve their health priorities

These priorities reflect both what we have learned over the past 30 years and where we believe our region must go next.

Thirty years of grantmaking has reinforced an important truth: philanthropy alone cannot create health equity. Real and lasting change requires collaboration across sectors, deep trust with community, and the willingness to listen, learn, and adapt over time.

We are increasingly focused on community-informed approaches and investments that address both immediate needs and the underlying systems that create inequities in the first place. We are also working to strengthen how we learn from our investments – using data not simply to measure outputs, but to understand what is changing, why it matters, and how we can improve together.

As we celebrate this milestone, we do so with deep gratitude.

To our grantees, community partners, staff, Board of Trustees, and everyone who has helped shape this work over the last 30 years: thank you. Your leadership, partnership, and commitment to community have made this progress possible.

The future of Central Texas depends on our collective ability to build communities where everyone – regardless of income, race, gender, geography, or background – has the opportunity to live in a vibrant and inclusive community in which every individual can reach their full potential.

That is the work ahead of us. And we are honored to continue it alongside this community for years to come.