The St. David's Foundation in Austin, Texas, has announced grants totaling $11.8 million to nonprofit organizations working in the areas of mental health, healthy lifestyles, and healthcare education.

The foundation awarded grants totaling more than $8 million in support of mental health programs, including $883,847 to the Austin Child Guidance Center, $700,000 to Lone Star Circle of Care, and $550,000 to Communities in Schools.

In addition, the foundation awarded grants totaling $1.5 million in support of healthcare workers serving uninsured and underinsured patients, including $680,000 to Capital IDEA for its efforts to expand access to healthcare careers for low-income residents of the region, and nearly $2.3 million to organizations promoting good nutrition and fitness for low-income families and children. Recipients of the latter include the Boys & Girls Club of the Austin Area, which was awarded $300,000 in support of its Healthy Lifestyles Program, and the Austin Parks Foundation, which received a $220,000 capital grant to fund fitness and recreational improvements in the Austin area.

"By focusing our grants in concentrated areas of need, we are optimistic that real change can occur, particularly in the lives of young children and families," said St. David's Foundation CEO Earl Maxwell. "It is so critical to establish good healthcare habits early in life."