September 9, 2021
TMF Welcomes Wendy Abel as Director of Grants Ministry
Dynamic leader in serving under-resourced communities brings expertise in outcomes and transformational change to the Texas Methodist Foundation’s growing grants ministry.
The Texas Methodist Foundation (TMF) is pleased to announce the addition of Wendy Abel to its staff as TMF’s Director of Grants Ministry, effective September 20. In that role, Abel will manage and supervise TMF’s grant-making ministry that last year funded $2.1 million in grants to 124 churches and other nonprofits. Abel comes to TMF from her most recent position as Outcomes Manager for CitySquare, a nonprofit organization in Dallas offering comprehensive social services that address four key areas related to the persistence of poverty: hunger, health, housing, and hope.
“Wendy’s experience with outcomes and serving under-resourced communities directly aligns with our Grants Ministry focus on supporting and partnering with initiatives that are creatively connecting with and improving their communities,” said Tom Locke, TMF president. “CitySquare has been a leader in enlisting the gifts of all of their community, especially those they serve, to solve systemic poverty, and that is a model TMF endorses for nonprofit ministries and churches in bringing about transformative change,” he continued. “We are excited about how Wendy’s addition to our team will help us discover and more fully ‘steward the potential’ of innovative nonprofits and leaders to create deep and long-lasting impact and change.”
“TMF offers an extraordinary opportunity to partner with others seeking to discover and act on their God-appointed mission,” Abel responded. “Assisting those who are serving under-resourced communities has always been at the core of my being. My vision for the Grants Ministry would be to not only expand its capacity but to identify and accelerate our collaboration – through conversation, learning, leadership development, strategic planning – with innovative partners who are actualizing bold new solutions for seemingly intractable problems.”
In addition to her results-driven nonprofit management experience, Abel brings successful fundraising, grant writing, resource development, coalition building, and advocacy skills to her new role. Her experience developing logic models, data collection and analysis to guide strategic direction and decisions will be instrumental in continuing TMF’s trajectory toward resourcing systemic change.
Abel earned a B.A. in Special Education from Bennett College in Greensboro, NC. In addition to CitySquare, she has worked with United Way and the Salvation Army in Dallas and the National Able Network and the Jane Addams Hull House Association in Chicago.
Headquartered in Austin, Texas, TMF is a nonprofit organization offering assistance to United Methodists through investments, loans, grants and leadership, strategic discernment, gift planning, and endowment services. TMF serves the six United Methodist conferences throughout Texas and New Mexico. Leading from its core values of servanthood, integrity and competence, TMF has been serving United Methodist congregations for over 80 years. It is the largest United Methodist foundation in the country with more than $600 million in assets under management. To learn more, please visit tmf-fdn.org.