Foundation Month, designated by the Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) Board of Directors as November, is a time to increase awareness of our charitable partner organization’s programs, good deeds, and plans for the future!
Foundation Month is also when the Texas Retired Teachers Foundation (TRTF) makes its annual call for donations. It is a time to give back to the education community and reflect on the great legacy of public education.
TRTF is a 501(c)3 non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of active and retired educators. TRTF makes its presence known through several charitable initiatives.
The most well-known initiative is the “A Helping Hand” program. “A Helping Hand” provides public education retirees with charitable assistance for a one-time special need or other short-term hardship. Recipients include anyone who is receiving or is eligible to receive an annuity from the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS).
Launched in 2010, “A Helping Hand” has provided more than $90,000 in grants for such purposes as medical bills, home repairs, food, and utilities to 94 individuals.
If you or a fellow educator is in financial need, please submit your request here.
TRTF also delivers grants to active educators who strive to improve classrooms through various initiatives for Texas students. Last year, TRTF provided fifteen $500 classroom assistance grants for teachers to purchase supplies and create projects for students. Read more about last year’s recipients here.
TRTF has documented many of these efforts in its “Making a Difference” video series.
Applications for Classroom Assistance Grants are available here. Fifteen grants will be given in March 2017.
This year, TRTF has redeveloped its scholarship program. Beginning Teacher Scholarships provide financial assistance to teachers who are entering the classroom for the very first time. Each scholarship is worth $750, with the purpose of funding certification tests and purchasing classroom supplies. TRTF will deliver ten scholarships in 2017.
Applications for the scholarships are available here. The deadline to apply for both Classroom Assistance Grants and Beginning Teacher Scholarships is March 16, 2017.
Finally, TRTF continues to grow its newly formed endowment fund. The Lehr-Pritchard Endowment Fund commemorates the work of two pivotal figures in Texas public education retirement history, Mike Lehr and Tom Pritchard. The purpose of the endowment fund is to create a permanent source of funding for the “A Helping Hand” program. You can learn more about the endowment fund here.
Donate Today!
Please help us reach our goal of $100,000 in donations! Donate to the Foundation today!
Donations may be made online here, or you may call and donate over the phone with a credit card at 1.800.880.1650 (please ask for Dawn). The third quarter issue of The VOICE also featured a special article about the Foundation, along with TRTF’s annual appeal letter and donation card. You can mail in your donation using the pre-paid envelope included with your issue. All donations are tax-deductible.
Thank you for considering the Foundation when you do your charitable giving this year. Your donations help educators of the past, present and future!
Thank You
Thank you for your contributions to the Texas Retired Teachers Foundation. Foundation Month is a great way to organize events and raise donations for TRTF via your local units. Be sure to check with your local unit for meetings during the month of November.
If you haven’t already, be sure to follow TRTA on Twitter, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
