The Esch Family Charitable Fund (EFCF) is a donor-advised fund held at the North Texas Charitable Foundation (NTCF). NTCF, formerly a division of United Way of Tarrant County, Texas, identifies nonprofits and their programs, ensures their charitable status, and provides grantmaking and administrative support to the grantor. 1 1
EFCF donors are represented by the children of Ernest and Mary Esch: Grainger, Gregor, and stepson John B. Esch. 2 3
EFCF donates to nonprofits in the Fort Worth, Texas area including Fund to Advance Racial Equity (FARE) and WARM Place Grief Support Center for Children. 4 5
Grants
Esch is an “other partner” in North Texas Charitable Foundation’s Fund to Advance Racial Equity (FARE), that provides grants to nonprofits to build understanding across racial lines. Lead investors in FARE include, among others, the DuBose Foundation, a private foundation, and Si and Buck Martin Legacy Fund, another donor-advised fund within NTCF. 6
FARE granted $477,000 in 2023 to Black Heart Association, a group helping people of color understand heart health, and Barbara Cares, a group providing breast cancer screening, access, and resources for those in need. Other grantees include March to the Polls, an organization that fosters an increased voter turnout among youth and people of color; National Juneteenth Museum; the Las Vegas Trail Revitalization Project (LVTRise); Leadership Fort Worth; and Maroon 9 Community Enrichment Organization. 4 7 8 9 10
Esch Family Charitable Fund of the North Texas Community Foundation made a 2018 grant to the WARM Place Grief Support Center for Children, which organizes grief support groups, family nights, and operates a camp for children and families that provide opportunities to grieve. 5 11
People
Grainger Esch is a therapeutic medical clown at Cook Children’s Medical Center and was previously artistic director for Salado Silver Spur L.P. Grainger has appeared in several movies including How the Grinch Stole Christmas, A Time for Love, and Bail Out. 12 13
Gregor Esch was born with cerebral palsy and is a graduate of Park School and Texas Christian University. Gregor was named, along with John B. Esch, as a charter member of the Dean’s Council for TCU’s Burnett School of Medicine in 2023. 14 15
John B. Esch is a CPA and tax attorney who provides tax accounting for nonprofit clients. 16 17
References
- “About: Our Board.” North Texas Community Foundation, March 14, 2022. https://northtexascf.org/our-history/
- “Current Funds.” North Texas Community Foundation, July 26, 2023. https://northtexascf.org/current-funds/.
- Legacy.com, and Legacy. “Mary Reid-Esch Obituary (2009) – No Data Supplied, TX – Dallas Morning News.” Legacy.com, November 30, 2009. https://obits.dallasnews.com/us/obituaries/dallasmorningnews/name/mary-reid-esch-obituary?id=23807102.
- Building understanding – northtexascf.org. Accessed August 17, 2023. https://northtexascf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2023-FARE-grantees.pdf.
- Thank you to our 2018 donors! – thewarmplace.org. Accessed August 17, 2023. https://www.thewarmplace.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Thank-you-to-all-2018-donors.pdf.
- “Fare Grantees.” North Texas Community Foundation. Accessed August 17, 2023. https://northtexascf.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/2023-FARE-grantees.pdf.
- “About Us.” Black Heart Association, March 19, 2022. https://blackheartassociation.org/about-us/.
- “Providing Access and Resources for Texans in Need.” BarbaraCares. Accessed August 17, 2023. https://www.barbaracaresforyou.org/.
- “About.” March to the Polls. Accessed August 17, 2023. https://www.marchtothepolls.org/about/.
- “Home.” Lvtrise. Accessed August 17, 2023. https://www.lvtrise.org/.
- “Services.” The WARM Place, April 14, 2022. https://www.thewarmplace.org/services/.
- Grainger Esch – Therapeutic medical clown – linkedin. Accessed August 17, 2023. https://www.linkedin.com/in/grainger-esch-7b351957.
- IMDb. “Grainger Esch | Actor.” IMDb. Accessed August 17, 2023. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0260235/.
- Tcumagazine. “Diversity.” TCU Magazine, June 28, 2016. https://magazine.tcu.edu/spring-1999/diversity/.
- With appreciation to the charter members of the Dean’s Council 2023. Accessed August 19, 2023. https://mdschool.tcu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Deans-Council-2023-.pdf.
- “John B Esch: Tax Accounting: Cause IQ Profile.” Tax accounting | Cause IQ. Accessed August 17, 2023. https://www.causeiq.com/vendors/john-b-esch,4732774647335023860/.
- State Bar of Texas. Accessed August 17, 2023. https://www.texasbar.com/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Find_A_Lawyer&Template=%2FCustomSource%2FMemberDirectory%2FSearch_form_client_main.cfm.