Marie Brooks Foundation Corporation

Fundraise

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$49,000 Goal

Giving Activity

Mission

The Marie Brooks Foundation is a nonprofit committed to confronting the devastating challenges faced by homeless adults, including mental health struggles, addictions, and loss of life on the streets. Our goal is to provide both immediate relief and short- or long-term support, ensuring safety, dignity, and hope for those most vulnerable.

Needs

Marie Brooks Foundation – Current Needs

1. Immediate Relief Supplies

The day-to-day items needed to keep people safe on the streets:

• Basic needs: Bottled water, non-perishable meals, protein bars, hygiene kits with soap, toothbrushes, deodorant, socks, underwear

• Weather protection: Blankets, sleeping bags, tarps, ponchos, hand warmers in winter, cooling towels + sunscreen in Dallas summers

• Medical: First-aid supplies, wound care, Narcan, OTC meds like ibuprofen, allergy meds

• Emergency shelter: Funds for motel nights when temps drop below 40°F or rise above 105°F

2. Housing & Stability Support

The bridge from street to home:

• Move-in costs: Security deposits, first month’s rent, application fees — often $500-$1,200 per person

• Furniture/household basics: Mattresses, cookware, towels, cleaning supplies for newly housed clients

• Transportation: DART passes, gas cards, rides to housing appointments, job interviews, medical care

3. Mental Health & Addiction Services

Breaking the cycle long-term:

• Treatment access: Funding for detox beds, counseling sessions, peer support specialists

• ID/document recovery: Fees for birth certificates, state IDs, Social Security cards — required for housing + benefits

• Medication support: Copays for psychiatric meds, assistance navigating Medicaid

4. Operational Needs

What keeps the work running 365 days/year:

• Outreach capacity: Van fuel/maintenance, phones for case managers, durable gear for street teams

• Staff support: Funding for trained case managers + outreach workers who build trust over months

• Admin backbone: Insurance, bookkeeping, fundraising platform fees, data tracking tools — kept to ∼8% of budget

5. Partnership & Volunteer Needs

People power + community ties:

• Skilled volunteers: Licensed counselors, nurses, benefits navigators, landlords willing to rent to clients

• Monthly donors: Recurring gifts of $25-$100 create predictable funding for rent assistance + meds

• In-kind drives: Businesses, churches, schools hosting supply drives for hygiene kits, blankets, water

• Corporate sponsors: Companies to underwrite specific programs like “100 Nights of Shelter” or “Move-In Kits”

6. Advocacy & Awareness

Changing the bigger picture:

• Story sharing: Help destigmatize homelessness and show that recovery is possible

• Policy support: Connections to city/county resources for affordable housing and mental health beds

• Space: Storage for supplies, office space for client meetings, meeting space for support groups

Biggest gap right now: Unrestricted funding. Designated grants can’t pay for a last-minute motel room during a freeze, or a birth certificate fee that unlocks housing. Flexible dollars save lives.

Equity Statement

Marie Brooks Foundation – Equity Statement

At the Marie Brooks Foundation, we believe safety, dignity, and hope are not privileges. They are human rights.

Our Commitment to Equity

Homelessness does not impact all communities equally. Systemic racism, generational poverty, discrimination based on gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, and mental health history all increase a person’s risk of losing housing. Trauma, addiction, and lack of access to healthcare compound those risks.

We cannot confront homelessness without confronting inequity.

How We Practice Equity:

1. We meet people where they are, without judgment.

No one is turned away because of their past, their addiction, their criminal record, their immigration status, or their inability to “prove” they deserve help. If you are human and you are hurting, you qualify.

2. We prioritize those most vulnerable.

People with severe mental illness, active substance use disorders, LGBTQ+ youth, seniors, and those living unsheltered face the highest barriers and greatest mortality risk. Our outreach and housing resources go first to those least likely to survive without us.

3. We address root causes, not just symptoms.

Immediate relief is critical, but equity means fighting for long-term systems change. That includes ID recovery, access to healthcare, fair housing advocacy, and removing barriers that keep people trapped in cycles of poverty.

4. We share power and listen first.

Our clients are the experts in their own lives. We don’t create service plans for people. We build them with people. Lived experience guides our programs, our policies, and our board.

5. We measure what matters.

We track not just how many people we serve, but who we serve. We ask: Are we reaching Black and Brown neighbors, who are disproportionately unhoused in Dallas? Are we safe for trans clients? Are we accessible to people with disabilities? If the data shows gaps, we change.

6. We steward resources responsibly.

80% of every dollar goes directly to programs. We keep admin costs low so equity isn’t just a statement — it’s reflected in how we spend.

We Acknowledge:

We will make mistakes. Equity is not a box we check, but a practice we commit to daily. When we fall short, we will listen, learn, and do better.

Our Promise:

No one is left behind because of who they are, what they’ve survived, or how they got here. At the Marie Brooks Foundation, dignity is not earned. It is inherent.

Together, we build a DFW where everyone has a safe place to call home.

Organization Data

Summary

Organization name

Marie Brooks Foundation Corporation

Tax id (EIN)

39-2656322

Guidestar

Causes

Social Services

Operating Budget

Less than $100,000

Counties Served

Grayson, Wise, Tarrant, Somervell, Rockwall, Parker, Palo Pinto, Navarro, Montague, Kaufman, Johnson, Hunt, Hood, Fannin, Erath, Ellis, Denton, Dallas, Cooke, Collin

BIPOC Serving

Other, Native American, Hispanic or Latinx, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black or African American

BIPOC Leadership

Both the Executive Director/CEO and Board Chair

Address

655 W ILLINOIS AVE STE 716 PMB 2004
DALLAS, TX 75224

Phone

214-970-4655

Email

mariebrooksfoundation@gmail.com

Website

https://www.mariebrooksfoundation.org/

Links