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For thousands of Austin-area children and teenagers, figuring out what comes after high school can begin long before graduation. A new $100,000 investment in Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area is designed to give more of those young people the chance to explore careers, develop practical skills and begin thinking about the future with support around them.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area announced Sept. 18 that it received a $100,000 Community Grant from the Taco Bell Foundation, marking the 11th consecutive year the Austin nonprofit has been selected for funding through the program. The money will support education and career-readiness programs serving young people across the Austin area.

For families, the grant represents more than another contribution to a local nonprofit. It will help fund programs intended to prepare students for adulthood, employment and financially sustainable career paths at an organization that now serves more than 18,000 students from kindergarten through 12th grade at 41 locations across the region.

$100,000 Grant Will Support Austin Youth Career Readiness

The Taco Bell Foundation's 2026 Community Grants program is awarding a record $32 million to 700 nonprofit organizations nationwide, a 40% increase in the number of nonprofit partners from the previous year. According to the foundation, the grants support programs focused on education, career readiness, mentorship and youth empowerment. 

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area was nominated for the grant by local Taco Bell franchisee Tacala Companies, which has supported efforts to expand education, mentoring and workforce-readiness opportunities for area youth.

“This grant gives us the opportunity to reach more young people with the tools, experiences, and support they need to explore careers and prepare for what comes next,” Jonathan Carrol, Workforce Development Director at Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area, said in the announcement. “We’re grateful to the Taco Bell Foundation and Tacala Companies for believing in the potential of our youth and investing in their future.” 

The funding is intended to help students develop the skills and knowledge they will need to navigate adulthood and pursue careers that can provide long-term economic opportunity. 

That mission has become an increasingly visible part of Boys & Girls Clubs programming. Along with academic support, recreation and youth leadership activities, the Austin organization offers life and workforce-readiness programming intended to help students understand career possibilities and build skills they can carry into their first jobs and beyond.

Small Taco Bell Donations Add Up to Local Support

The grant also provides Austin-area residents with a direct example of how small donations made during everyday purchases can eventually return to the community.

The Taco Bell Foundation says its Community Grants are supported in part by customers who choose to round up their order totals at participating Taco Bell restaurants. Those small contributions collectively help finance grants for youth-serving nonprofits around the country. Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area also lists Taco Bell's Round Up program among the ways community members can support its work. 

“When you think about how this started, with fans giving a little extra at checkout, it’s incredible to see that generosity grow into $32 million for organizations serving young people across the country,” Taco Bell Foundation Executive Director Morgan Tabor said. “What I love most about Community Grants is how local they are. Taco Bell franchisees know these organizations, they believe in their work, and together we’re helping more young people see just how much is possible for their futures.”

The Taco Bell Foundation, established in 1992, reports that it has reached more than 13 million young people nationwide and awarded more than $278 million in grants and scholarships focused on education and career readiness.

Boys & Girls Clubs Has Served Austin Youth Since 1967

The latest grant adds another chapter to an organization that has been part of the Austin community for nearly six decades.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area has operated locally since 1967. Its mission is to help young people, particularly those who may need additional support and opportunities, reach their potential as productive, caring and responsible members of their communities. Its programs are built around four primary areas: academic success, health and well-being, character and leadership, and life and workforce readiness. 

Today, its Clubs operate in schools, community centers, public housing communities and other sites throughout the Austin area. The organization says it works with children from a wide range of neighborhoods and circumstances, including young people who may face challenges such as limited access to after-school programs, food insecurity or financial hardship. 

For working parents, those locations can also fill an important gap between the end of the school day and the end of the workday.

Clubs generally operate after school during the academic year and offer programming during summer and spring breaks. Depending on the location, membership ranges from no charge to $100 per month per child. Scholarships are available, and the organization says children are not denied membership because their families are unable to pay. 

Programs can include homework and academic assistance, STEM activities, sports, arts, leadership development, mentoring, health and wellness activities and career preparation.

Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area says participants in its youth-development programs, when compared with young people who do not participate in Club programming, show better school attendance and grades, higher graduation rates and a greater likelihood of attending college. Those outcomes are reported by the organization as part of its impact model.

Why Career Exploration Matters Before Graduation

Career-readiness programs can give teenagers an opportunity to start answering a question that often becomes more urgent as senior year approaches: What comes next?

For some students, the answer may be a four-year university. For others, it could mean community college, technical training, an apprenticeship, military service or entering the workforce.

Programs that expose students to different industries, mentors and workplace skills can make those options easier to understand before young people have to make major decisions about education and employment.

That is where the $100,000 Taco Bell Foundation grant is expected to have its most direct local impact. Rather than supporting a single event, the funding will help Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area continue programs centered on education and workforce preparation across the community.

It also builds on a long-running relationship. The 2026 award marks the 11th year Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area has received a Taco Bell Foundation Community Grant. 

How Austin-Area Families Can Join a Boys & Girls Club

Families interested in Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area can find community-based and school-based Club locations through the organization's registration page.

Programs are generally available after school, with additional offerings during school breaks and summer. Hours, eligibility and registration requirements vary by location, particularly for Clubs located on school campuses. 

The organization's flagship Home Club is located on the Sheth Family Campus at 6648 Ed Bluestein Blvd. in Austin.

For families looking for affordable after-school programs in Austin, youth mentoring, summer programs, academic support or teen career-readiness opportunities, the organization encourages parents and guardians to identify the Club serving their school or neighborhood before registering.

How the Austin Community Can Get Involved

Families are only one part of the Boys & Girls Clubs network. The organization also relies on volunteers, donors, businesses and other community partners.

Volunteers can help students with homework, lead art activities, coach sports, provide career guidance, prepare meals, read with younger members or simply spend time listening and mentoring. Businesses can participate as community partners, while individuals can support the organization through one-time or monthly donations, event participation and other forms of giving.

That community involvement is part of what has allowed Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area to grow from a local organization established in 1967 into a network reaching tens of thousands of young people each year.

And in the case of the newest $100,000 grant, community support can begin with something as small as rounding up a restaurant bill.

For Austin-area families, the larger result will be measured in what happens afterward: more young people gaining exposure to careers, developing practical skills and receiving guidance as they begin deciding what kind of future they want to build.

Residents can learn more about membership, volunteering, donations and youth programs through the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area website.

Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for more updates on Austin-area schools, youth programs, nonprofits and opportunities affecting local families.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.

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