Skip to content

Social Impact

Giving back by helping Hispanic communities in North America thrive

Community

Education

Entreperneurship

Healthcare

Pledge 1% is a global movement that encourages and empowers companies of all sizes and stages to donate 1% of their staff time, product, profit, and/or equity to ANY charity of their choosing. Pledge 1% provides a simple, flexible, and scaleable model to integrate giving back into the DNA of all companies, especially startups. Already thousands of companies around the world have taken the pledge, and dozens of VCs, incubators, and conferences have joined to push the movement forward. Pledge 1% believes that all companies have the capacity to give, and the team is there to help map out a timeline and a giving plan that aligns with a company’s values and larger business goals.

Established in 1973, AVANCE is a national, non-profit organization, primarily serving Texas, that meets hard to reach, low-income families where they are. Meaning “advance” or “progress,” AVANCE serves as a trusted guide to assist under-resourced families of young children in overcoming isolation and lack of opportunity.

AVANCE was established in Austin in 1998. Using our unique two-generation education and relationship-building methodology, we help family members become the best parents, employees, and citizens they can be. We aim to liberate parents and their children from the cycle of poverty in a family-oriented, non-judgmental environment. The result: Our families enjoy a more prosperous future full of opportunity and economic self-sufficiency.

Dell Children’s Medical Center, located near downtown Austin, is the only dedicated freestanding pediatric facility in the region. It serves a 46-county area providing the only Level I trauma center and most specialized care for our children and adolescents. For over a decade, the Medical Center has changed how children are cared for in our community.

Dell Children’s care teams know how to put children at ease, but exam rooms can be intimidating and children may feel anxious, bored, and scared along with all the other bad feelings of being sick. This is why I provide children undergoing treatment with toys and games that can bring joy to a child’s otherwise difficult day.

Vision impairment is the single most prevalent disabling condition among children. The Center for Disease Control estimates that 25% of children, 1 out of 4, have a vision problem and almost 15% of children have a hearing problem. half Helen believes it is not enough to identify a vision problem. Forty percent (40%) of children that fail a vision screening never see an eye doctor due to cost and access to providers. Untreated refractive errors are the leading cause of Amblyopia and blindness in children. hH works with families and schools to provide these crucial vision and hearing screenings, help families in need access medical care, and ensure children receive corrective wear, in turn improving children’s academic success and social and emotional development.

The Hispanic Impact Fund, a branch of the Austin Community Foundation, exists to support the economic security and advancement of Hispanic Central Texans, an essential priority for the future of our region. By leveraging the assets, resilience, and strength of our Latino community, the fund is investing in the potential of future leaders and entrepreneurs.

EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: Less than half of low-income Hispanic children in Austin are kindergarten-ready. By focusing on the youngest population in our community, we can improve educational outcomes for years to come.

HEALTH AND WELLNESS: 25% of working-age Hispanic adults have no primary healthcare provider, leaving Hispanic families one health crisis away from financial ruin. However, when armed with culturally competent information about healthy habits, Hispanics have significantly improved health outcomes.

JOB SKILLS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP: Nearly 75% of Hispanics are in the paid labor force. However, having such a large part of the population confined to jobs with lower incomes reduces the economic growth potential of our community.

The L500 organization began with a group of Latina executives in tech that saw the need for more Latinas at the top. Latinas represent less than 1% of executives in tech. Only two Latinas have been CEO of Fortune 500 companies. Latinas make up just 1.6% of senior executives in the nation’s largest companies. Of 92 companies in the S&P 100 reviewed by USA TODAY, 18 had no Latinas in senior executive positions.

The L500 leaders created the organization to change these numbers. They strive to have more Latinas in executive roles. Their vision is that every Fortune 500 company will have a Latina in the C-Suite, to have a voice and to be represented in executive roles, to serve on corporate Boards and to be on stage at every major event and decision-making conference.

Latinitas is a non-profit 501c(3) organization focused on empowering girls to innovate through media and technology. We offer a variety of opportunities for girls to discover their voice, develop media and technology skills and build a solid foundation for their future.

Through after-school clubs, camps, events and publications, and channels, we provide a space, both in the physical and online, for girls to express themselves, develop their skills, learn about their culture and discover their unique voice.

Manos de Cristo is a nonprofit organization committed to empowering low-income individuals by promoting dignity and self-reliance. Manos was founded in 1988, and the dental clinic opened its doors to the Austin community in 1990. Manos also hosts a wide range of adult education classes; houses a food pantry, a clothes closet, and two computer labs.

Manos de Cristo receives support from individuals, churches, businesses, and foundations, whose contributions enable Manos to help over 28,000 people in Central Texas each year. Led by Executive Director Julie Ballesteros, Manos offers dignity and hope to individuals with fewer options. People receive low-cost, quality dental care, Adult education classes, and emergency food & clothing.

In addition to giving back financially and with his services, Terry gives back by guest lecturing at the University of Texas on International Business and Intercultural Management. If you have any ideas for Terry that correlate to his philanthropic strategies, please feel free to reach out via the Contact Me page.