Austin FC and Q2 Holdings Inc. announced on Monday the three (3) recipients of the 2022 Q-mmunity Gives grant program. Local nonprofit organizations Central Texas Table of Grace, Latinitas, and Literacy Coalition of Central Texas will each receive a $50,000 grant to focus on the advancement of underrepresented communities through the following impact areas: education, job skills and readiness, and health and wellness.
“After the success and impact experienced during the inaugural Q-mmunity Gives program in 2021, Austin FC is excited to once again award critical funding to help support a group of highly deserving local nonprofit organizations,” said Austin FC President Andy Loughnane. “Austin has a robust nonprofit community, we’re proud to partner with Q2 to support local organizations who are working to ensure all Texans have access to equal opportunities.”
Central Texas Table of Grace is a children’s emergency shelter which provides emergency shelter services to children and youth in the foster care system. Its mission is to create a loving, nurturing, homelike environment for displaced youth, providing shelter and healthy food as well as teaching healthy habits and life skills to the youth in its care.
"The generosity of my community never ceases to amaze me,” said Central Texas Table of Grace Founder and CEO Stacy Johnson. “I am beyond grateful to Austin FC and Q2. This grant will change lives.”
Latinitas strives to empower young Latinas to innovate through media and technology. The organization offers a variety of after-school clubs, camps, events, publications, and channels to provide space – both physical and online – for girls to express themselves, develop their skills, learn about their culture, and discover their unique voice.
“Latinitas is excited and honored to receive this significant award from Austin FC and Q2 that will support and advance STEM For All, our vision for building critical Latinx representation in the workplace,” said Gabriela Kane Guardia, development & engagement director for Latinitas. “These funds will help Latinitas expand our reach by increasing after-school and parent tech literacy program locations, enhancing equity and opportunity at every age.”
A network of literacy providers and community leaders founded Literacy Coalition of Central Texas in 2001, with the goal of creating a centralized location for literacy services in the state. The organization aims to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty through literacy education, and envisions a community that is 100 percent literate, employable, and self-sufficient.
“Literacy Coalition of Central Texas is honored to be selected as an Austin FC Q-mmunity Gives grant recipient,” said Literacy Coalition of Central Texas CEO Janet Torres. “Literacy Coalition of Central Texas will serve Latino families to increase academic success factors for children entering Kindergarten; provide parents with child development strategies; give parents English language skills that will help them advocate for their families in critical health, education, and other domains; and support career advancement and increased wages for parents that will impact multiple generations.”
“We are proud to support Central Texas Table of Grace, Latinitas and Literacy Coalition of Central Texas through the Q-mmunity Gives grant program,” said Matt Flake, CEO for Q2. “At Q2, our mission is to build strong and diverse communities by strengthening their financial institutions, and we look forward to seeing how this year’s grant recipients use the funds to further their missions and strengthen our communities.”
The three (3) grants will contribute directly to aiding each organization in its respective mission related to promoting equity and inclusion in central Texas. The Q-mmunity Gives grant program, funded, and presented by Austin FC and Q2, will continue to award Q-mmunity Gives grants annually.
