About Anice Read

The Anice Read Fund is named for Anice Read, a founder of the Texas Downtown Association. The  Fund was formed in 1999 to honor her legacy and her contributions to Texas downtowns. Grants from the fund are used for a variety of purposes including physical projects, professional development, and program and staff development.

Anice was a beloved and passionate advocate for the historical preservation of Texas downtowns, believing them to be the lifeblood and true heart of a community. She was appointed to the Texas Historical Commission in 1968 and became the first director of the Texas Main Street Program, a THC division.

During her tenure at the Texas Main Street Program, she worked directly with more than 100 Texas communities in restoring and revitalizing the historic fabric of their downtowns. She realized early on that the Main Street Program would not be able to meet the needs of all communities, and founded TDA to fill that void. Three years after her retirement, following a courageous battle with cancer, Anice passed away on November 30, 1999.

 

Grant Applications

Grants from the Anice Read Fund are only available to members of the Texas Downtown Association and must have a downtown element to be eligible. Grant amounts range from $500 to $5,000 and are awarded on an annual basis.

Applications for the Fund are always due by midnight on the Friday prior to Labor Day. The 2020 deadline is Friday, September 4.

Download the application here

Please note that applicants are required to schedule a call with TDA staff prior to submitting.

List of past grant recipients

Download presentation featuring past reicipients

Interested in donating?

The Anice Read Fund always welcomes outside donations. These donations allow us to award additional grants each cycle.

Day to day operations of the fund are managed by Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) based in Dallas, which oversees funds for organizations, families and businesses from across Texas.  TDA chose this partnership so that donors to the fund could receive the maximum tax benefit as allowed by the law.

Credit card donation can be made directly to the fund via the Communities Foundation of Texas website.

Send checks made out to the ANICE READ FUND to:

Texas Downtown Association
PO Box 546
Austin, TX 78767-0546