New UT Austin Program Aims to Boost Success for Area Nonprofits


The Texas Grants Resource Center (TGRC) at The University of Texas at Austin has created the Community Partner Networking Program, a new leadership program for non-profit executives and managers. To help leaders make a positive impact on low-income communities, the program offers a suite of classes and professional development opportunities.
In response to a survey conducted with area nonprofit representatives, the new program aims to provide valuable tools for emerging nonprofits on shoestring budgets.
“Representatives from organizations expressed an interest in more learning opportunities and events,” says Ellen Moutos-Lee, director of the TGRC and a long-time grantsmanship professional in Central Texas. “Our focus is on the emerging or smaller nonprofits and people new to the nonprofit arena.”
Offerings of the membership program include monthly meetings, targeted professional development opportunities, networking events and a closer connection to a top tier research institution.
Formerly known as the Regional Foundation Library, the TGRC will continue to provide free services to the public, such as orientations for grant-writers and access to Foundation Center databases. With the addition of the Community Partner Networking Program, the center has changed its name to better reflect its growth and commitment to serving the Central Texas community.
More about the TGRC: Housed within the Community Engagement Center, a unit within the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, the TGRC has been serving as a bridge between the grant-seeking and grant-making communities for more than 50 years. The center contains core publications from The Foundation Center, the leading source of philanthropy information, as well as other major materials in fund development, grants and nonprofit management.