ABOUT TxWAC

Facilitated by Texan by Nature, the Texas Water Action Collaborative (TxWAC) matches funders to projects. TxWAC accelerates investments in conservation projects that benefit water quality, volume, and resilience. Since 2021, TxWAC has facilitated more than $3.3 million dollars in funding, including over $1.3M so far in 2023!

INVESTING IN WATER IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER

Texas’ population of 30 million people is expected to reach 54 million by 2050, putting pressure on the state’s land, water, wildlife, and infrastructure. As the 9th largest economy in the world, with a GDP of $1.9T, investments in water projects and conservation actions are needed to maintain economic leadership. This ensures our natural resources can not only support our growing population but thrive for generations.

TxWAC builds collaborative relationships to align goals, metrics, and project/funding timelines between conservation organizations, corporate entities, and communities – all working together to accelerate investments that benefit one of Texas’ most precious resources – WATER.

Our primary focus areas are:

• Transactional Project Matching: matching funders with ready-to-go projects that provide quantifiable water benefits
• Policy Education (Led by Texas Water Foundation): keeping all TxWAC stakeholders abreast of the latest water policy news and ways to get involved
• Transformational Project Development: helping address Texas’ biggest water needs through developing collaborative, sustainable projects

“TxWAC has been a key partner as we work on our volumetric water goals. By connecting nonprofits with funding partners, TxWAC enables a stronger collaboration culture across Texas organizations, that results in bigger and better projects.”

Abraham Tueme, Director of Sustainability – Public Affairs, Communications & Sustainability, Arca Continental Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages

GET INVOLVED

PARTICIPATE IN PROJECT MATCHING:

Want in on the action? Complete one of the surveys below to participate in quarterly matching:

• Take this survey if you have a project that needs funding and can articulate your project’s benefits to water and the surrounding community
• Take this survey if you want to fund a project to meet your water stewardship goals

Please note: Completing the survey does not guarantee funding or partnerships. For organizations submitting projects, there is a suggested transaction fee for projects funded through TxWAC matching. For funders interested in receiving matching services, Texan by Nature requests a suggested membership fee of $3,000-$5,000 annually. In 2023, businesses that join at the $5,000 level or higher will receive these benefits. 

JOIN THE DIALOGUE:

Join the Bi-Monthly TxWAC Stakeholder Meetings to learn about projects that need funding, get the latest water policy updates from Texas Water Foundation, learn about conservation tools/services, and hear from corporations about environmental sustainability goals and funding priorities. Watch past meeting recordings and join an upcoming meeting:

• July 25 at 10 AM CT  –  REGISTER 
• September 12 at 10 AM CT – REGISTER
• November 14 at 10 AM CT – REGISTER HERE

Stay in touch with TxWAC by SUBSCRIBING to the quarterly newsletter and JOINING the LinkedIn Group to network.

SHARE RESOURCES:

If your organization provides resources, tools, and/or services that provide research, metrics/data scoping, collection, reporting, etc. for conservation projects please complete this survey. Many conservation projects lack the tools and data needed to quantify their impact. The information from this survey is added to our Conservation Service Resource Guide – a repository of organizations, tools, and resources that allow stakeholders to better navigate this space and find the right fit for their organization/business.

Additional relevant resources include:

• Texas Water Explorer – The Nature Conservancy 
• Texas’ 2022 State Water Plan  – Texas Water Development Board
• Water Resources Library – Texas Water Foundation
• Texas Water Policy Overview – Texas Water Foundation
• Texas Water News & Updates – Texas Wellspring Fund
• Trinity River Education Guide – Texan by Nature
• NRCS & Soil and Water Conservation District Corporate Funding Process
• NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program Corporate Funding Process

HOW IT STARTED

At the end of 2020, Texan by Nature was identified by our Dallas-Fort Worth partners to develop, facilitate, and operate TxWAC, due to Texan by Nature’s unique position in bringing conservation and business together. Texan by Nature piloted TxWAC in March of 2021 in the Upper Trinity River Basin, with the support of a planning team comprised of leaders from Bonneville Environmental Foundation, The Coca-Cola Company, LimnoTech, Molson Coors, North Texas Municipal Water District, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Tarrant Regional Water District, Texas A&M AgriLife & Texas Water Resources Institute, Trinity River Authority, and Texas Water Foundation.

Texan by Nature expanded TxWAC to the lower Trinity River with support from Hess Corporation in March of 2022. The 18-month pilot resulted in over $2 million in funding for local conservation projects benefiting water quality and quantity. Based on the success of the Trinity River pilot, TxWAC expanded to the entire state of Texas in 2023.