Longtime United Way Supporters Tom and Karen Falk Invest $5 Million to Change Lives in North Texas

At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, impact is at the core of our mission, and we’re fortunate that our investors are committed to driving impact with us for the North Texas community. So we’re especially thrilled to start off the new year with some impactful news: Tom and Karen Falk, local philanthropists and longtime United Way supporters, have announced a transformational $5 million donation to support our community impact work.

This unprecedented gift will help drive programs and initiatives that improve access to education, income and health—the building blocks of opportunity. Thanks to the generosity and vision of the Falks, we will move closer to our community-wide Aspire United 2030 goals, ensuring more local students graduate high school ready for success, more workers find and keep living-wage jobs, and more families access the healthcare resources necessary to thrive.

A Strategic Investment in the Future of North Texas
Tom and Karen Falk are passionate philanthropists who are deeply committed to creating greater equity and opportunity for all North Texans.

“The Falks have been longtime supporters of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, believing in the power of working united to deliver measurable impact through targeted programs across North Texas,” said Jennifer Sampson, McDermott-Templeton president and CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. “Tom and Karen have a very mission-driven approach to their philanthropic support, and I’m confident their investment in our programs will create the opportunity for all North Texans to thrive. We are deeply honored and grateful to the Falks for this generous gift, sure to unite this community in creating secure futures for generations to come.”

The Falks are two of United Way’s most dedicated supporters, and they trust that our stewardship of their investments in our organization will have a direct and measurable impact on the people who will benefit most.

“We believe it’s important to give back to the community in a very thoughtful and purposeful way,” said Tom Falk. “An investment in the community must deliver measurable impact, and over the years, we have seen firsthand how United Way of Metropolitan Dallas has worked with its trusted network of community impact partners to shape programs that create meaningful impact and truly change lives for the better.”

“We’re honored to be able to make a significant investment in future generations of North Texans,” said Karen Falk. “The importance of an investment in United Way of Metropolitan Dallas lies in the return it delivers, and we’re confident our investment will go a long way toward helping lift up our North Texas neighbors and support a positive change in their opportunity to thrive.”

A Longstanding Commitment to Our Community
Karen and Tom have demonstrated a strong commitment to United Way of Metropolitan Dallas for decades.
Tom, former CEO of Kimberly-Clark and current Federal Reserve Board of Governors Chair, chaired our Annual Campaign in 2013, and provided ongoing support and leadership in subsequent years. During the height of the pandemic, the Falks stepped up once again, playing pivotal roles in supporting our innovative Coronavirus Response and Recovery Fund and jointly serving as Annual Campaign chairs. Together, they brought in substantial investments and even dedicated their personal funds to ensure support for neighbors through the crisis.

In celebration of their support and guidance, we recognized Tom and Karen in September with the 2023 J. Erik Jonsson Award, the highest recognition United Way bestows upon a volunteer.

Be Part of Our Growing Impact
The Falks’ donation only accelerates our remarkable collective impact across North Texas. Together with change-seekers like you, we created a positive impact on nearly 1.6 million of our neighbors in the last year alone. This is truly a team effort, with thousands of individuals coming together in what can only be described as a movement.

As we continue the march to our Centennial year in 2025—when we will celebrate our first century of impact in North Texas—we are poised to create meaningful, measurable change for even more of our neighbors. In the coming months, we’ll host special events, unique volunteer opportunities and exciting ways to engage with our mission to improve access to education, income and health.

Interested in joining the Live United movement and changing lives with us? Here are three ways to be part of the change right now:

1. Volunteer to share the joy of reading with 20,000 North Texas students on United Way Reading Day, March 1.
2. Join us May 2 at The Pitch, our exhilarating social innovation competition where talented social entrepreneurs compete live for funding and the title Social Innovator of the Year.
3. Sign up today for our Advocacy Alerts to stay informed and engaged on important election dates, votes that will directly impact our community and strategies for making your voice heard.