2025 Grantmaking: St. David’s Foundation Awards $10M to Central Texas Organizations Working to Strengthen Healthcare Workforce

Advancing health equity in Central Texas requires a thriving, diverse, and locally rooted healthcare workforce capable of addressing both individual and systemic barriers to health in the region. A strong healthcare workforce pipeline not only supports better health outcomes but also creates pathways to stable employment and economic stability for Central Texans seeking careers in the state’s largest industry. 

In March 2025, St. David’s Foundation launched the Pathways to Economic Stability for the Healthcare Workforce  open call focused on supporting collaborative, region-wide efforts to create pathways to employment opportunities in the healthcare sector that foster economic stability for those struggling to make ends meet. The goal is to increase opportunities for Central Texans to enter financially sustainable healthcare careers and find meaningful work in high-demand healthcare careers, enabling them to earn a wage that supports both themselves and their families. 

The Foundation received more than 122 initial letters of intent which were reviewed for eligibility and alignment with the goals of the funding opportunity. Following the initial review process, 72 organizations were invited to submit a full application. The Foundation has awarded $10,090,000 through 10 grants.

“We’re excited to invest in bold, community-driven solutions that open pathways to meaningful and financially stable healthcare careers for Central Texans, especially those long excluded from opportunity,” said Regan Gruber Moffitt, Vice President of Community Investments at St. David’s Foundation. “The new and existing cross-sector collaboratives supported through these grants are paving the way for opportunities for our Central Texas neighbors and improved health outcomes for our region.” 

The Pathways to Economic Stability for the Healthcare Workforce funding opportunity builds on the Foundation’s significant history of investment and action in healthcare workforce development, which has helped us recognize that there are structural barriers that prevent many Central Texans from accessing pathways to healthcare careers. The funding opportunity was designed to advance the Foundation’s 2030 Vision for Impact to increase opportunities for students from marginalized communities to enter financially stable careers through collaborations with workforce development programs, employers, philanthropy, and the local education pipeline. 

Collectively, the 10 grants awarded anticipate enrolling more than 1,200 new students in healthcare certification or credentialing programs annually with the majority trained in clinical and community health settings. The funding will support the establishment of six new collaborative partnerships and the expansion of four existing collaborations — together representing nearly more than 30 organizations — all of which work at the intersection of clinical training and social services, community health, and health education.  

The grants will:   

• Support cross-sector collaborations partnering to remove barriers that make it hard for people to finish healthcare training programs.    

• Create opportunities for historically marginalized populations to join the healthcare workforce and share a commitment to developing a workforce that is more representative and responsive to the populations served.  

• Identify systemic approaches to improve healthcare credential programs that pay lower wages but can offer pathways to higher wages and long-term careers.   

These investments will allow the funded organizations to scale their operations and services to address critical workforce shortages and structural barriers that prevent many Central Texans from accessing pathways to economically viable healthcare careers across the workforce ecosystem.  

More details on the Pathways to Economic Stability for the Healthcare Workforce open call, including a data snapshot and full list of grant recipients can be found here. 

Grant Recipients 

10 grants totaling $10,090,000 in funding were awarded as part of the Pathways to Economic Stability for the Healthcare Workforce funding opportunity. We invite you to learn more about these organizations and collaboratives, and the work each grant will support.  

• Austin Black Physicians Association
  Stronger pathways to credentials as physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners for underrepresented individuals in Central Texas. 

• Bastrop County
  A collaboration between Bastrop County Public Health Department, the healthcare training program Career Tracks, and broad community representation from six different nonprofit organizations serving Bastrop County to create pathways for seven different healthcare credentials that earn a living wage.  

• Capital IDEA
  A collaboration between Capital IDEA and Austin Community College, alongside other community partners, to expand their model that removes barriers and offers support for low-income adults to achieve certifications such as Registered Nurses, Dental Hygienists, and other healthcare careers. 

• E3 Alliance (Education Equals Economics)
  A collaboration between the E3 Alliance and Texas Health Institute to apply E3 Alliance’s Advanced Manufacturing career model to the healthcare sector and to coordinate partnerships between school districts, higher education institutions, and employers.  

• El Buen Samaritano Episcopal Mission
  El Buen Samartino will pilot Community Health Worker certification program as a pathway to obtain other stackable credentials including Medical Assistant, Dental Assistant, and other Associate Degree programs.  

• Healing Hands Community Birthing Project
  Expanded access to training for Central Texans from Black and Spanish-speaking communities to become Board-Certified Lactation Consultants.  

• Huston-Tillotson University
  Increased access to doula training and a certified midwifery program for communities most affected by maternal health disparities through a partnership between Huston-Tillotson University and community-based maternal care nonprofit organizations, 

• Social Finance, Inc.
  A collaboration between Social Finance and Western Governor’s University that removes financial barriers and resolves clinical placement bottlenecks for students completing their RN degrees through loans. The model provides a compelling opportunity for healthcare employers to invest in a renewable loan fund, that has potential for long-term sustainability.  

• United Way for Greater Austin
  United Way of Greater Austin will test the viability of a centralized billing hub for non-profit partners to receive Medicaid reimbursement for the work of Community Health Workers. With a sustainable source of revenue, non-profit organizations could hire Community Health Workers with reliable funding and offer wages that have the potential to pay a living wage.  

• Workforce Solutions Capital Area
  The Central Texas Healthcare Partnership, a partnership convened by Workforce Solutions Capital Area and Workforce Solutions Rural Capital Area, including Austin Community College, Hays CISD, Pflugerville ISD, and our three largest healthcare systems to enroll high school students in dual-enrollment healthcare programs designed to expedite certification in sustainable careers while meeting employer needs. 

Additional Funding Opportunities and Looking Ahead to 2026 

St. David’s Foundation currently has two open funding opportunities, Healthy Births, Healthy Communities  and Culturally Responsive Mental Health Support. Organizations whose work aligns with the goals of these open calls are encouraged to apply. This fall, we will have two invitation-based funding opportunities focused on strengthening the healthcare safety net and affordable housing. We encourage you to visit our Funding Opportunities page for updates as they are announced.  

In early 2026, we will announce grant opportunities for the coming year and beyond. These opportunities will continue to reflect community needs, informed by our Community Health Needs Assessment and ongoing listening to the communities we serve.