Impact

Giving Stories

Discover how the organizations we support are changing lives, communities, and the world.

Through a Panther's Eyes: Florida's Wild Future
preservation · Featured

Wildpath

Through a Panther's Eyes: Florida's Wild Future

Wildpath's Emmy Award-winning Path of the Panther initiative is bringing the story of Florida's most iconic predator into classrooms across the state. With support from the J.W. Couch Foundation, this 2025 grant fuels a statewide educational rollout designed to inspire the next generation to protect the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

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Where the Southside Grows Healthier
wellness

Arboretum San Antonio

Where the Southside Grows Healthier

Arboretum San Antonio is transforming 200 acres of former golf course into South Texas' first arboretum, bringing nature-based wellness to one of the city's most underserved communities. With support from the J.W. Couch Foundation's 2025 capital campaign grant, ASA is expanding its team, opening an on-site office, and launching immediate health programming for surrounding neighborhoods.

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From Vacant Land to Lasting Legacy
wellness

New Story

From Vacant Land to Lasting Legacy

In communities across Latin America, New Story is transforming vulnerable families into first-time landowners and homeowners through an innovative market-based model. With support from the J.W. Couch Foundation's Program Storytelling Grant, the organization is sharing these powerful journeys to build trust, attract investment, and accelerate change.

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Captivated by Life, Not Screens
wellness

Screen Sanity

Captivated by Life, Not Screens

With a 2024 grant from the J.W. Couch Foundation, Screen Sanity partnered with Tectonic Video to produce a powerful series of education videos. The result: a nationwide resource helping parents, educators, and kids reclaim balance in a screen-saturated world.

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From Story to Strategy: Inspiring Growth at Seacoast
education

Seaside School Foundation

From Story to Strategy: Inspiring Growth at Seacoast

When Seacoast Collegiate High School outgrew its classrooms, the Seaside School Foundation turned to storytelling to fuel its next chapter. A 2023 Marketing Grant from the J.W. Couch Foundation helped bring their vision for an expanded campus and innovative dual-enrollment program to life through a powerful campaign video.

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Through the Lens: Saving Florida's Wild Heart
preservation

Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation

Through the Lens: Saving Florida's Wild Heart

In 2024, the J.W. Couch Foundation supported the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation's Filming Expedition, a journey through the most vulnerable stretches of Florida's wildlands. By harnessing the power of storytelling, the expedition transforms remote ecosystems into rallying cries for conservation, inspiring a statewide movement to permanently connect and protect the Corridor.

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Rescuing Food, Reshaping the Future
preservation

Upcycled Food Association

Rescuing Food, Reshaping the Future

The Upcycled Food Association is turning surplus ingredients into climate solutions, but only if consumers know what upcycled food is. With a 2023 Storytelling Grant from the J.W. Couch Foundation, UFA produced a series of cinematic commercials designed to bring upcycled products into the mainstream and accelerate a global movement against food waste.

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Moving Waters: Restoring Dignity, One Shower at a Time
wellness

Moving Waters

Moving Waters: Restoring Dignity, One Shower at a Time

Moving Waters delivers a basic human necessity — a hot, private shower — to unhoused neighbors across Houston and Galveston through a mobile shower trailer. With General Operating Support from the J.W. Couch Foundation in 2023, the organization expanded its reach and continued restoring dignity to those who too often feel invisible.

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A Sanctuary for Mind, Body, and Spirit at EHS
education

Episcopal High School

A Sanctuary for Mind, Body, and Spirit at EHS

In 2023, the J.W. Couch Foundation supported the new deButts Health and Wellness Center at Episcopal High School, a transformative facility reimagining student wellness. The center, which houses the Jesse W. Couch Counseling Center, brings mental, physical, and emotional health together under one welcoming roof.

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A Century of Compassion, Captured in Story
preservation

The Houston SPCA

A Century of Compassion, Captured in Story

As the Houston SPCA approached its 100th anniversary, the organization sought to honor its remarkable legacy while inspiring the next generation of animal advocates. With support from the J.W. Couch Foundation, a series of powerful marketing videos was produced to bring their century of compassion to life and propel their mission into the future.

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Rebranding Beauty: Scenic America's Digital Renaissance
preservation

Scenic America

Rebranding Beauty: Scenic America's Digital Renaissance

In 2022, the J.W. Couch Foundation partnered with Scenic America to reimagine its brand identity and digital presence. The result is a modernized platform that amplifies the organization's four-decade mission to preserve America's scenic landscapes for generations to come.

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Healing Waters: The Story of On River Time
wellness

On River Time

Healing Waters: The Story of On River Time

On River Time uses fly fishing as a powerful tool to help children who have survived abuse and neglect rediscover their worth and reclaim their futures. Founded in 2012 by survivor Steve Davis, the organization has spent over a decade transforming lives along the riverbanks of Alabama.

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Restoring a Cabin, Renewing a Legacy
preservation

Glacier Institute

Restoring a Cabin, Renewing a Legacy

In the shadow of Montana's mighty glaciers, the Glacier Institute has spent four decades connecting people to the wild. A 2022 grant from the J.W. Couch Foundation helped restore a historic cabin at their Field Camp, ensuring the next generation of learners has a home base in the heart of the Crown of the Continent.

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Guardians of the Choctawhatchee: Protecting a Living Bay
preservation

Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance

Guardians of the Choctawhatchee: Protecting a Living Bay

In Florida's panhandle, the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance has spent nearly three decades safeguarding one of the Gulf Coast's most biodiverse estuaries. With support from the J.W. Couch Foundation's 2022 Support Program grant, CBA continues its vital work in water monitoring, habitat restoration, and community education.

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A Symphony of Young Dreams in Santa Fe
education

Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association

A Symphony of Young Dreams in Santa Fe

In Santa Fe, the Santa Fe Youth Symphony Association transforms young lives through the universal language of music. With support from the J.W. Couch Foundation for its 28th Season, SFYS continued nurturing the next generation of musicians across Northern New Mexico's multicultural communities.

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Amplifying Voices, Expanding Futures at KIPP Texas
education

KIPP Texas, Inc

Amplifying Voices, Expanding Futures at KIPP Texas

In 2022, the J.W. Couch Foundation partnered with KIPP Texas Public Schools to fund a video production project that would elevate the stories of students, families, and educators across the state. The result: a powerful suite of storytelling assets now fueling recruitment, fundraising, and the network's bold mission to educate 100,000 Texas students.

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Listening to Nature in the Heart of Houston
preservation

The Houston Arboretum

Listening to Nature in the Heart of Houston

When two natural disasters wiped out half of the Houston Arboretum's tree canopy, the 155-acre urban sanctuary reimagined itself from the ground up. A 2021 Storytelling Grant from the J.W. Couch Foundation helped the Arboretum reintroduce its transformed campus to the millions of Houstonians right next door through powerful, high-quality video.

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From Surplus to Sustenance: A Pandemic Lifeline
wellness

The Farmlink Project

From Surplus to Sustenance: A Pandemic Lifeline

When the pandemic shuttered restaurants and overwhelmed food banks, a group of college students saw an impossible paradox: fields of food rotting while families went hungry. The Farmlink Project bridged that gap, and the J.W. Couch Foundation helped tell their story to the world.

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Raising a Generation of Solutionaries
education

Institute for Humane Education

Raising a Generation of Solutionaries

The Institute for Humane Education is transforming classrooms into laboratories of compassion and change, equipping students to tackle the world's most pressing challenges. With support from the J.W. Couch Foundation, their Solutionary Integration and Scale-Up project is bringing humane education into schools across the country.

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Working Alongside Dogs to Save the Planet
preservation

Conservation Dogs Collective Inc

Working Alongside Dogs to Save the Planet

Conservation Dogs Collective Inc. partners with highly trained canines whose extraordinary sense of smell is helping researchers protect endangered species, combat invasive threats, and safeguard fragile ecosystems. A 2021 grant from the J.W. Couch Foundation supported the organization's sustainability project, expanding their environmental impact across the country.

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Driving Preservation Forward, One License Plate at a Time
preservation

Scenic Walton

Driving Preservation Forward, One License Plate at a Time

Scenic Walton partnered with the iconic 30A lifestyle brand to launch a specialty license plate that channels revenue directly into preserving Walton County's natural beauty. With J.W. Couch Foundation support in 2021, this creative funding model is now fueling lasting community impact across one of Florida's fastest-growing regions.

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A Mobile Lifeline in a Time of Crisis
wellness

Point Washington Medical Clinic

A Mobile Lifeline in a Time of Crisis

When COVID-19 threatened the Point Washington Medical Clinic's ability to safely serve its community, a mobile clinic became the answer. With grant support from the J.W. Couch Foundation, PWMC expanded its reach, administered over 1,000 COVID-19 tests, and continued providing free, dignified care to thousands of Florida neighbors.

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From Empty Fields to Full Tables
wellness

The Farmlink Project

From Empty Fields to Full Tables

When the pandemic shuttered restaurants and schools, American farmers were forced to plow millions of pounds of fresh produce back into the dirt while food banks faced unprecedented demand. The Farmlink Project, founded by a group of college students sent home in spring 2020, built the missing link between surplus and scarcity, delivering nearly two million pounds of food in just a few short months.

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Keeping Curiosity Alive When Classrooms Closed
education

DonorsChoose

Keeping Curiosity Alive When Classrooms Closed

When the pandemic emptied schools and threatened to widen educational inequality, DonorsChoose moved quickly to launch Keep Kids Learning, a program designed to put critical supplies directly into the hands of students at home. With support from the J.W. Couch Foundation, thousands of teachers in low-income communities gained the resources to keep their students engaged, encouraged, and learning.

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Turning the Tide on Ocean Plastic
preservation

American Friends of The Ocean Cleanup Foundation

Turning the Tide on Ocean Plastic

The J.W. Couch Foundation is proud to support American Friends of The Ocean Cleanup Foundation in their bold mission to rid the world's oceans of plastic pollution. Through innovative passive cleanup systems, their team is on track to remove 50% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch within five years — a once-impossible feat now within reach.

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Food as Fuel: Rebuilding the Bahamas After Dorian
wellness

World Central Kitchen

Food as Fuel: Rebuilding the Bahamas After Dorian

When Hurricane Dorian leveled the Bahamas in 2019, World Central Kitchen mobilized an extraordinary relief operation by sea, air, and land. The J.W. Couch Foundation supported their mission to deliver more than just meals, helping communities find the strength to rebuild from the ground up.

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Guarding the Last Two: A Race Against Extinction
preservation

Helping Rhinos USA

Guarding the Last Two: A Race Against Extinction

In 2019, the J.W. Couch Foundation awarded a grant to Helping Rhinos USA in support of Ol Pejeta Conservancy, home to the last two northern white rhinos on Earth. This is the story of the caretakers, scientists, and conservationists fighting to bring a species back from the brink — and what their courage teaches us about hope in the face of the impossible.

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Empowering Teachers to Transform Classrooms
education

DonorsChoose

Empowering Teachers to Transform Classrooms

In 2019, the J.W. Couch Foundation partnered with DonorsChoose to match donations supporting project-based learning across America. The $150,000 grant fueled 534 classrooms, reaching nearly 53,000 students at 480 schools and empowering teachers to bring real-world learning to life.

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Reimagining Education at Portfolio School
education

Portfolio School

Reimagining Education at Portfolio School

The J.W. Couch Foundation's first program-related investment supported Portfolio School, a pioneering New York City school redefining learning through project-based education. The grant helped launch ScaleUp, a digital platform designed to share Portfolio's innovative curriculum with educators and students around the world.

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Showing the World What's in Our Nature
preservation

Scenic Walton

Showing the World What's in Our Nature

In one of the fastest-growing counties in America, Scenic Walton is working to ensure progress honors the natural beauty that makes Walton County, Florida so beloved. With a marketing and communications grant from the J.W. Couch Foundation, they gained the storytelling tools to amplify their preservation mission far beyond their coastline.

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Opening Doors to College for Every KIPPster
education

KIPP Texas, Inc

Opening Doors to College for Every KIPPster

In 2018, the J.W. Couch Foundation awarded a grant to KIPP Texas to power its KIPP Through College Program in Houston. The investment helped deliver personalized college counseling, ACT preparation, and life-changing campus visits to thousands of students from educationally underserved communities.

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Second Chances Built on Bold New Beginnings
wellness

Prison Entrepreneurship Program

Second Chances Built on Bold New Beginnings

The Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) is transforming the lives of incarcerated individuals in Texas by equipping them with business skills, mentorship, and a renewed sense of purpose. Through its rigorous mini-MBA curriculum, PEP helps men return home as confident leaders, devoted family members, and contributing community stewards.

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Recharging Maui's Reefs, One Watershed at a Time
preservation

Coral Reef Alliance

Recharging Maui's Reefs, One Watershed at a Time

In partnership with the Coral Reef Alliance, the J.W. Couch Foundation helped fund the Recharge Maui Coral Reef project in 2019. This innovative water purification park near Ka'anapali is designed to protect offshore reefs from coastal runoff while serving as a model for communities worldwide.

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Flowing Forward: Clean Water Transforms a Rwandan Community
wellness

Charity:Water

Flowing Forward: Clean Water Transforms a Rwandan Community

In partnership with charity: water, the J.W. Couch Foundation helped fund a piped water system serving nearly 400 people in Rwanda. The project delivers clean, safe drinking water to a community still rebuilding from tragedy, unlocking better health and new economic possibilities.

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Where Wild Mustangs Meet Warrior Spirits
wellness

Heroes & Horses

Where Wild Mustangs Meet Warrior Spirits

In 2018, the J.W. Couch Foundation awarded a grant to Heroes & Horses, a Montana-based nonprofit that helps veterans heal from PTSD through wilderness expeditions and the transformative bond between humans and horses. The grant funded the adoption of two wild mustangs, Jesse and Jack, who will join the herd that walks alongside America's combat veterans on their journey toward purpose and renewal.

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More Than Shelter: A Century of Compassion in Houston
preservation

The Houston SPCA

More Than Shelter: A Century of Compassion in Houston

In 2017, the J.W. Couch Foundation awarded a grant to the Houston SPCA's More Than Shelter Campaign, supporting a transformative master plan to expand care for more than 50,000 animals each year. The grant honors a century-old legacy of community stewardship and helps build a centralized campus designed to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome animals across the Gulf Coast.

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Reclaiming Our Attention: A Stand for Humane Technology
wellness

The Center for Humane Technology

Reclaiming Our Attention: A Stand for Humane Technology

In 2018, the J.W. Couch Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to the Center for Humane Technology to support The Ledger of Harms, a groundbreaking resource cataloging the hidden costs of attention-driven tech. The project equips designers, parents, and policymakers with the evidence needed to demand technology that serves humanity rather than exploits it.

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Restoring a Houston Sanctuary, One Tree at a Time
preservation

The Houston Arboretum

Restoring a Houston Sanctuary, One Tree at a Time

In 2017, the J.W. Couch Foundation contributed to the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center's "Where the Wild Things Grow Campaign," supporting a sweeping restoration after devastating storms and drought claimed half of the property's trees. For the Couch family, the gift was both a legacy and a love letter to a place that has shaped generations.

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A Scholarship That Struck the Right Chord
education

The Pilgrimage Foundation, Inc

A Scholarship That Struck the Right Chord

When the J.W. Couch Foundation partnered with The Pilgrimage Foundation in 2017, a grant created a life-changing scholarship to the Dark Horse Institute, one of the nation's top music industry schools. For aspiring audio engineer Haylie Sampsel, that scholarship turned a distant dream into a Nashville reality.

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