Educate Texas - Philanthropy Advocates

Philanthropy Advocates was formerly known as the Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium (TEGAC) until August 2020. Previously-created resources, documents and blog posts mentioning TEGAC are still provided on this website for your reference.

October 5, 2017

The Consequences of Underfunding our Public Schools

Center for Public Policy Priorities blog

Making sure our children receive a quality education is essential for the future prosperity of Texas. To be successful academically, many students rely on programs like tutoring or bilingual education.

Lawmakers coming up woefully short on pre-K funding

Dallas Morning News

Political posturing and horse trading has left a $236 million grant program to improve pre-K on the cutting room floor in the Senate and the House.

Business leaders call for early childhood education, Tyler Morning Telegraph

Tyler Morning Telegraph

Jobs are going unfilled - and Texans are out of work - because there's a "skills gap" between job seekers and job qualifications, business leaders said in Tyler.

Sabin, Harman: Texas can no longer rely on local property taxes to fund schools

Houston Chronicle

In 2011 the Texas Legislature reduced funding for public education by $5.3 billion - the largest blow ever suffered by our schools.

Advocates Praise Governor Abbott's Call To Invest In Optional, High-Quality PreK

Office of the Texas Governor

Governor Greg Abbott today listed investing in optional, high-quality PreK programs as one of his legislative priorities in his State of the State Address.

RGV participation in HB 4 Texas Pre-k Grant Program is analyzed

Rio Grande Guardian

An analysis of Rio Grande Valley participation in the Texas High-Quality Pre-K HB 4 Grant Program has been made by the Children’s Defense Fund-Texas and other education groups.

For every $1 spent on preschool, we see a benefit of more than $6, Nobel Prize-winning economist finds

Dallas Morning News

His research concludes that investing in preschool is worth the cost, with boys seeing the biggest benefits.

Principles For Effective Education Grantmaking, Joining Forces: How the Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium is Engaging Funders in Education Policy

Grantmakers for Education

Joining Forces: How the Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium is Engaging Funders in Education Policy

Is Playing It Cool Holding Back Philanthropy?

Exponent Philanthropy

We have all heard the warning: In philanthropy, following the heart will lead you astray.

Texas philanthropists support pre-K quality

Houston Chronicle

In response to budget cuts to public education in 2011, 25 foundations and philanthropists from across the state joined together to create the Texas Education Advocacy Grantmakers Consortium.

A Call to Philanthropists Who Advocate: Empower Your Peers to Get Involved

"Most of the country's 80,000-plus private foundations do not participate in policy. And the millions of individual philanthropists, who give through donor advised funds, giving circles, and their checkbooks, do not participate in policy. A tremendous amount of power for good is going unused, untapped."

Foundation Trustees Protect Education, Find Their Policy Voice

Exponent Philanthropy

Three years ago in Texas, foundations confronted a profound crisis.

Philanthropy Advocates in the News

October 5, 2017

The Consequences of Underfunding our Public Schools

March 24, 2017

Lawmakers coming up woefully short on pre-K funding

February 16, 2017

Business leaders call for early childhood education, Tyler Morning Telegraph

February 12, 2017

Sabin, Harman: Texas can no longer rely on local property taxes to fund schools

January 31, 2017

Advocates Praise Governor Abbott's Call To Invest In Optional, High-Quality PreK

January 13, 2017

RGV participation in HB 4 Texas Pre-k Grant Program is analyzed

December 12, 2016

For every $1 spent on preschool, we see a benefit of more than $6, Nobel Prize-winning economist finds

April 1, 2016

Principles For Effective Education Grantmaking, Joining Forces: How the Texas Education Grantmakers Advocacy Consortium is Engaging Funders in Education Policy

November 16, 2015

Is Playing It Cool Holding Back Philanthropy?

September 29, 2014

Texas philanthropists support pre-K quality

May 16, 2014

A Call to Philanthropists Who Advocate: Empower Your Peers to Get Involved

April 28, 2014

Foundation Trustees Protect Education, Find Their Policy Voice

Are you a foundation looking to invest and engage in public and higher education research and advocacy?