Our funders & partners
Texas Methodist Foundation
Wendolyn Abel
Abel serves as the vice president of grants ministry for the Texas Methodist Foundation, believing that providing proper medical care is about more than prescribing medicine; it’s about identifying and addressing the root causes of health problems. A root cause she feels passionate about treating is poverty, explaining that the symptoms of financial hardship can be responsible for a patient’s ailments.
Carl B. & Florence E. King Foundation
Kim D. Davis
Davis joined the Foundation in January 2025. He previously served as Senior Advisor and Delta Region Lead at the Walton Family Foundation, overseeing philanthropic efforts in Arkansas and Mississippi since 2015. A dedicated advocate for underserved communities, Davis has worked to enhance education, afterschool programs, homeownership, and workforce development through collaborative partnerships.
Community Foundation of Abilene
Meagan Harris
Harris manages the Foundation's rural grantmaking initiative, the Paula Windham Fund for Education and Community Development, which is reaching $1M in grants awarded.
The Windham Fund was established to support special projects, capacity building, and capital projects to help move rural causes forward.
Anonymous Foundation
Michelle Parrish
Parrish has worked in nonprofits for 17 years, 11 of which have been with the Community Foundation of Abilene. As grants director, she leads her team through competitive local and rural cycles, which award nearly $2M annually.
For the SPUR conference, Parrish will be the acting representative for an anonymous foundation.
The Carl C. Anderson Sr. & Marie Jo Anderson Charitable Foundation
Cate Sitton
Sitton manages the Foundation’s grants for older adults, adults with disabilities, and food programs. She began working with Carl and Marie Jo in 1994 as a bookkeeper, helping them manage their assets and real estate holdings. Cate takes pride in eliminating barriers between the Foundation and her grant partners, believing that our relationships are true partnerships.
Texas Rural Funders
TRF representatives
The mission of Texas Rural Funders is to mobilize the power of philanthropy to strengthen rural Texas. With the rapid urbanization of our state, less information and political attention are currently focused on rural Texas than in past decades. Texas Rural Funders provides funders a unique opportunity and responsibility to raise up and amplify rural voices. A thriving future for Texas is contingent on the well-being of its rural communities.
Humanities Texas
Jade Trent
Trent is a Grants Program Officer at Humanities Texas, a private nonprofit and the state humanities council for Texas. She supported the development of the rural grants and exhibitions grants, which serve public audiences with high-quality humanities programming in rural areas. She previously worked for the Texas Commission on the Arts. Jade lives in Hutto and takes pride in supporting small communities through her work.
The Meadows Foundation
Lizette Villarreal-Montes
Villarreal-Montes is a Program Officer at The Meadows Foundation, one of the largest statewide private philanthropies in Texas, where she leads their Education and Environment portfolios. She enjoys being a resource to nonprofits and partnering on innovative solutions for all Texans. Prior to this, Lizette served as the Annual Fund Manager at Casa Mañana, the oldest performing arts theatre in Fort Worth.