Gifting Programs: The Uplift Gift Grant

The Deena Jo Heide-Diesslin Foundation, honoring its namesake, supports transformative projects for women and girls through its Uplift Gift program. Established after Deena's inspiring journey in Cambodia, this initiative provides grants up to $55,000 for smaller programs, ensuring they can successfully launch and thrive. The foundation's commitment to integrity and impactful giving continues to aid organizations like The Ladder Alliance and Doctors Without Borders, fostering education and humanitarian efforts both locally in Fort Worth, Texas, and globally.

In 2010, Deena Jo Heide-Diesslin went on a trip to Cambodia with her husband, David Diesslin, to see the work a nonprofit had been doing to promote children’s education. As the nonprofit representatives toured Deena and David around, they touted their great success in how many boys had been able to go to school. “What about the girls?” asked Deena. “What about them?” was the reply. That wasn’t good enough for Deena.
One year later, the Heide-Diesslin Foundation was created to promote charities and nonprofits that benefit women and girls, as well as to provide funds for general and emergency humanitarian aid. The Foundation was based upon the desire to see real change in the world, while maintaining an eye for the future. The goal was to create gifts and grants that could fully fund projects that could directly benefit people in both the Heide-Diesslin Foundation’s hometown of Fort Worth, Texas and across the globe.
Sadly, in 2011, Deena passed away, and the Foundation was renamed in her honor to the Deena Jo Heide-Diesslin Foundation. The Foundation’s Board of Directors and staff all continue to uphold the values that Deena has left behind - doing the most good with the most integrity possible to help the lives of those society can so easily leave behind.
Now, the Deena Jo Heide-Diesslin Foundation continues to give with its two biggest gifting programs, Rising Tide and Uplift, and focuses on supporting organizations that aid women, through education and humanitarian initiatives including The Ladder Alliance, the CFP Board, and Doctors Without Borders.
Our Uplift gift is our program for smaller gifts up to $55,000. These are designed to help smaller programs get fully off the ground.