Donna Carter, chair of the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission, and Executive Director Anjali Zutshi reported on the nonprofit partners fundraising activity and endowment performance. Carter said the Friends raised $2.65 million in operating, project and grant funding over the most recent 12-month period and that the endowment portfolio grew approximately 56% in the last fiscal year.

Zutshi gave a program summary: FY25 gifts exceeded $1.28 million in private, foundation and federal support; major projects supported include Presidio La Baha and Real Places conference programming; the Friends provide a mix of capital project assistance, stewardship program support and development workshops. She said the Washington on the Brazos campaign is near its publicly stated goal (about $300,000 short of the $10.4 million campaign total), and that the donor wall and naming opportunities will be visible at the reopened site.

Zutshi also summarized grant activity in progress (Mellon, Meadows and Summerly foundation requests) and announced the fiscal-sponsorship of the Friends of the Fort to help steward Presidio La Baha efforts. The Friends staff said fundraising and a planned tenth-anniversary Real Places conference in April 2026 are priorities for the coming year.

Commissioners thanked the Friends for enabling property acquisitions and for supporting multiple THC projects through flexible funding and endowment growth.