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About Us
OUR HISTORY
East Texas Communities Foundation was founded in 1989 by visionary leaders who saw the need for a community foundation to serve the people and communities of East Texas. The strong leadership of early organizers like Isadore Roosth, Norman Shtofman, “Dub” Riter, and an investment of the United Way of Tyler/Smith County launched the Foundation. By 1994, the Foundation’s assets had grown to more than one million dollars.
In 1997 the Foundation’s Board of Directors made a bold commitment to its future growth and vitality: each director made a personal three year financial commitment to allow the Foundation to hire a full-time executive director.
With permanent staff and with the continued vision, energy and leadership of a strong Board of Directors, ETCF has experienced strong annual growth in the last decade. The number of charitable funds, the collective assets in those funds and the grant dollars distributed from those funds have all established positive long-term growth trends. ETCF’s success comes from sound financial management, strong leadership, the flexibility of our donor services and, most of all, the generosity and wisdom of the people of East Texas.
We are a giving people-and supporting the charitable needs of our communities, our region and our world is important to our daily lives.
