FORT WORTH, TX – Leaders from more than a dozen of Tarrant County’s largest nonprofits came together for the inaugural “Reimagining Together” summit on Friday, Oct. 17, hosted by the University of Texas at Arlington’s School of Social Work at the Center for Transforming Lives. The day-long retreat brought nonprofit CEOs and foundation funders together to address disruptions facing North Texas social service organizations.
North Texas nonprofits lost an estimated $127 million in funding during the first half of 2025, including $71.6 million in federal funding primarily due to canceled or delayed contracts and grants. The losses have mostly affected organizations providing social services, housing for the homeless, education programs for children, and meals for the elderly and homebound.
Participants explored ways to innovate and strengthen partnerships across agencies, including expanding closed-loop referral systems, adopting AI tools to streamline operations, and involving the business community more deeply. Strategic consolidation of smaller nonprofits was also discussed to preserve organizations unable to weather continued disruption.
“Nonprofits are a vital part of our local community and economy,” said Carol Klocek, CEO of Center for Transforming Lives. “We’re proactively thinking about six months, a year, five years down the line, solving not just for the problems of today, but the problems of tomorrow.”
Attendees included ACH Child and Family Services, Boys and Girls Club of Tarrant County, Catholic Charities, Lena Pope, Presbyterian Night Shelter, Rainwater Charitable Foundation, Tarrant Area Food Bank, Tarrant County Homeless Coalition/Partnership Home, and Tarrant County Public Health, among others.
