GILLESPIE COUNTY – Funds raised in response to last month’s devastating Crabapple wildfires in Gillespie County will be distributed with local oversight and input, ensuring they reach those who need them most. The $85,000 in pledged and secured donations contributed to the Crabapple Fire Rebuild Fund—administered by OneStar Foundation—will be transferred to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country this month to ensure local decision-making on how the funds are utilized.
Established by OneStar’s Rebuild Texas Fund on March 16, the Crabapple Fire Relief Fund was created to provide rapid and essential support in the immediate wake of the wildfire, which scorched 9,858 acres near Fredericksburg. These funds are intended to assist those impacted by the fires.
The Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, a 501(c)(3) public charitable foundation serving the Hill Country region—including Fredericksburg—will manage the fund’s distribution. With the Community Foundation’s longstanding relationships and existing work in Gillespie County, local representation will play a crucial role in ensuring funds are invested effectively and urgently.
“As the local community foundation with deep roots here, we understand firsthand the needs and strengths of Fredericksburg and are honored to steward these funds,” said Austin Dickson, CEO of the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country.
In 2024, the Community Foundation granted $2 million to organizations and civic projects in Gillespie County. The Foundation also offers academic scholarships for local students, manages philanthropic funds for Fredericksburg’s police department and the city’s volunteer fire department, and offers endowment management services for nonprofits.
“We are committed to prioritizing local perspectives in all of our decision-making, and it’s people that live in Fredericksburg that will make the recommendations on how we best use these relief funds,” Dickson said.
To ensure responsible and transparent distribution of the fire relief funds, the Community Foundation will convene an Advisory Committee composed of local leaders who will review damage assessment data and make thoughtful recommendations.
Advisory Committee members include:
- Cindy Heifner, Executive Director, Hill Country Community Needs Council
- Bobby Vitek, Retired Pastor, Holy Ghost Lutheran Church
- John Willome, Executive Director, The Good Samaritan Center
The Advisory Committee will meet for the first time on April 23 and will submit its funding recommendations to the Community Foundation’s Board of Trustees. The goal is to distribute grants by the end of April.
To maintain transparency and accountability, a full report detailing all funds received and granted will be publicly available and shared with local media outlets.
“Texans always step up in times of need, and the response to the Crabapple wildfire has been no exception,” said Chris Bugbee, President and CEO of OneStar. “At OneStar, we are honored to connect these generous contributions with the local communities that need them most. We are grateful to the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country and our partners in local government and nonprofits for their leadership in ensuring these funds are distributed swiftly and effectively. This is a testament to the power of collaboration—we are always strongest when we work together.”
OneStar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with roots in state government, operates the Rebuild Texas Fund, which channels Texan generosity into communities affected by disasters, ensuring that 100% of every dollar donated directly supports recovery efforts. Rebuild Texas Fund collaborates with local leaders, community funders, and recovery organizations to identify community-driven priorities, unmet needs, and funding gaps. Since its inception in 2017, the Rebuild Texas Fund has raised more than $105.3 million and has provided grants to over 300 organizations to support disaster recovery efforts, ranging from Hurricane Harvey to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To give to the Crabapple Fire Relief Fund, visit the Community Foundation donation page online at tinyurl.com/crabapplefire.
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About the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country
The Community Foundation is the region’s philanthropic endowment, and its missions is to foster a thriving Hill Country through the power of philanthropy. The Foundation makes grants to nonprofits and awards scholarships to students in a 10-county area, including: Bandera, Blanco, Edwards, Gillespie, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Mason, Real and Uvalde counties. In 2024, the Foundation granted $7.3 million to the community. Learn more at communityfoundation.net.
About OneStar Foundation
OneStar strengthens Texas communities by creating pathways for individuals and organizations to engage, connect and accelerate their impact. We advance service and volunteering as effective solutions to our state’s toughest social challenges. We are recognized as a statewide voice for the Texas nonprofit sector and a respected partner to foundations, state agencies and the business community. Born from state government in 2004, we carry out our mission with direction and guidance from the Office of the Texas Governor. Learn more at onestarfoundation.org.