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O’Donnell Foundation Gift Expands UT Dallas Partnership with Dallas County Promise

By: Daniel Steele | November 18, 2025

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A man in a suit with a green tie speaks in front of a podium on stage.
Commit Partnership CEO Todd Williams announces the O’Donnell Foundation’s $50 million gift to the Dallas County Promise initiative at the Dallas County Economic Mobility Summit on Oct. 6.

A $50 million investment from the O’Donnell Foundation has allowed The University of Texas at Dallas to join the Dallas County Promise initiative, expanding educational opportunities for students across North Texas. UT Dallas will receive $8 million from the foundation’s gift to support programs that increase college access and degree completion for Dallas County students.

The O’Donnell Foundation’s commitment builds upon its $60 million gift to the Dallas County Promise program in 2024, bringing the foundation’s total recent support for the initiative to $110 million — one of the largest philanthropic efforts of its kind to boost postsecondary success in Texas.

A man with glasses wearing a blue blazer and red-and-white striped tie stands in front of a tree and beige building.
Dr. William Nichols, dean of undergraduate education and Mary McDermott Cook Chair of Undergraduate Education

UT Dallas, which formally joined the Dallas County Promise coalition in May, will use the new funds to deepen its outreach to local students and enhance resources for Dallas College transfer students. Together, these efforts will expand access, equity and economic mobility in the region.

“The Office of Undergraduate Education is proud to partner with Dallas Promise, a program with a clear positive impact on student success during their time at UT Dallas and beyond,” said Dr. William Nichols, dean of undergraduate education and the Mary McDermott Cook Chair for Undergraduate Education. “Moreover, through the generosity of the O’Donnell Foundation, UT Dallas will expand its transformational impact on students exponentially, especially for those who transfer to our University. Transfer students are so often overlooked when universities are thinking about student success support, but this is another way that UT Dallas is a trailblazer that sets the model for other universities to follow.”

A Regional Commitment to Student Success

Launched in 2017 by Dallas College and the Commit Partnership, the Dallas County Promise is a comprehensive regional coalition that includes school districts, colleges, universities, employers and community organizations united in a mission to advance educational opportunity and economic mobility. The program provides tuition support and success resources to Dallas County students, helping them enroll in college, complete their degrees and transition into meaningful careers.

A group photo of seven professionals standing together in front of a backdrop with the Commit Partnership logo. They are dressed in business attire and smiling at the camera.
From left: UT Dallas leadership at the Dallas County Economic Mobility Summit, including Shanon Patrick, interim vice president for development and alumni relations; Julie Piccirillo, senior director for corporate and foundation relations; Carla Arellano, director of strategic enrollment partnerships and initiatives; Dr. Prabhas B. Moghe, president and Eugene McDermott Distinguished University Chair of Leadership; Dr. Courtney Brecheen, associate vice president for institutional success and decision support; Ingrid London, assistant provost; and Dr. William Nichols, dean of undergraduate education and Mary McDermott Cook Chair for Undergraduate Education.

“This historic commitment underscores the power of collective action,” said Commit Partnership CEO Todd Williams. “By aligning school districts, higher education institutions, philanthropy and community partners, we can absolutely change the trajectory for Dallas students and our region. These investments are not just in institutions — they represent investments in the lives of our young people who will fuel the future prosperity of North Texas.”

Augmented by a $10 million allocation from the Dallas College Foundation, the O’Donnell Foundation’s gift will create the Dallas County Promise Transfer Success Fund, providing financial assistance to cover tuition and living costs for students transferring from Dallas College to regional four-year universities who agree to sign reverse-transfer credit agreements with Dallas College.

“The O’Donnell Foundation’s generosity allows us to launch the Dallas County Promise Transfer Success Fund — an unprecedented endowment that will ease the financial burden for thousands of students as they continue their education,” said Josh Skolnick, executive director of the Dallas College Foundation. “This is about more than financial aid; it’s about creating a connected, coherent set of supports that give students the confidence and resources to transfer, thrive and earn a four-year degree.”

At UT Dallas, the O’Donnell Foundation’s gift will fund two major initiatives to support students at key points along the educational pipeline — from early awareness to degree completion.

  • Early Inspire Fund
    The Early Inspire Fund will create programming for eighth- and ninth-grade students from low-income, high-achieving backgrounds. These programs will introduce young learners to college life and academic opportunities through on-campus visits, mentoring and enrichment experiences that help them envision themselves at a four-year university. The fund’s goal is to build early familiarity and confidence in a college setting, encouraging students to stay engaged through high school and pursue higher education after graduation.
  • Student Success Coach Endowment
    A significant portion of the O’Donnell Foundation’s gift to UT Dallas will establish a endowment to fund two full-time student success coaches dedicated to Dallas College transfer students who enroll at the University. These coaches will provide academic advising, financial guidance and personal support to approximately 200 students each year, extending UT Dallas’ student success infrastructure by offering personalized mentorship and wraparound services that have been shown to significantly improve retention rates among transfer and first-generation students.

“This partnership reflects a full-circle approach to student success, from early outreach in middle school to personalized support after transfer,” said Carla Arellano, director of strategic enrollment partnerships and initiatives at UT Dallas. “What makes it especially impactful is the collaboration among leading institutions, each contributing its own strengths to expand educational opportunity. We are building a regional model that supports students from eighth grade through college completion, creating pathways to success that are now being recognized across the country.”

A man in a blue blazer with glasses speaks at a podium with the UT Dallas logo on it in front of a black backdrop. In the background, a man in a suit and red tie and a woman in a black dress look on.
Bill Solomon, chairman, president and CEO of the O’Donnell Foundation, at a UT Dallas event in 2022.

The O’Donnell Foundation’s investment is part of a broader philanthropic initiative supporting UT Dallas, Dallas College, the University of North Texas at Dallas and Southern Methodist University. Together, these investments form an unprecedented regional effort to ensure more Dallas County students not only enroll in higher education but also earn degrees and move into careers that provide a living wage.

“The best path to a living wage and a good life is a good education,” said Bill Solomon, chairman, president and CEO of the O’Donnell Foundation. “The Promise initiative opens the door of opportunity for thousands of Dallas-area young people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to it. This grant is intended to expand access to the Promise and extend it beyond community college to the four-year university experience, all of which expands job-related skills and opportunities for a better life.”

With this expanded partnership, UT Dallas deepens its commitment to increasing college access, affordability and degree completion for local students. By investing in early outreach, personalized support and pathways for transfer students, UT Dallas and the O’Donnell Foundation are advancing a shared vision for North Texas: a region where all students can achieve a degree, pursue meaningful work and contribute to their community’s continued prosperity.