Elevate Yourself. Elevate Your Community.

AAF Dallas Foundation, founded in 1908, is the oldest professional and civic organization in Dallas, Texas. Throughout its history, AAF Dallas has worked with local advertising and city leaders to further the city goals and the business of advertising, and has provided personal and professional development opportunities for its members.
A little goes a long way.
See an overview of the many ways AAF Dallas gives back—from scholarships and grants to awards.
What is the AAF Dallas Foundation?
The AAF Dallas Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the AAF Dallas. It is a fund of the Communities Foundations of Texas, a 501(c)(3) public charity.
Scholarships
Funds, like the Sam R. Bloom Memorial Scholarship Fund and others, are granted to area schools, colleges and universities, or individual students of those same institutions for the purposes of providing scholarships to advertising students or direct grants or aid to advertising studies, competitions or programs as may be directed by a majority vote of the AAF Dallas Board.
Mission
AAF Dallas Foundation elevates and furthers the advertising industry by providing grants and programs that develop and support practicing professionals in addition to encouraging and enabling the education of future professionals.
History
AAF Dallas Foundation was established in 2000 to administer the grants and scholarships of AAF Dallas, and to serve as the guiding organization for the League’s charitable interests. The Foundation’s funds are administered by the Communities Foundation of Texas working with the AAF Dallas Advisory Committee. It is through CFT that the AAF Dallas gains its 501(c)(3) status.
Grants For Advertising Professional Development and Education
Grants or underwriting funds may be used for professional and broadly defined community education and development events sponsored by AAF Dallas or the AAF Dallas Foundation. Grants may be made to the American Advertising Federation’s (AAF) advertising education and student competition programs and the AAF Tenth District Advertising Education Sponsorships in amounts approved by a majority of the AAF Dallas Board.
Pro Bono Efforts of the League
Funds may be granted to bona-fide pro bono efforts to assist 501(c)(3) charitable organizations that are sponsored by, approved and sanctioned by a majority of the AAF Dallas Board.
Help the Foundation now.
AAF Dallas Foundation needs to continue its current record of giving, but more funds are needed to keep up with current grants and provide for future giving and programs, such as:
- Additional scholarships
- The organization of a Southwestern Advertising Archive
- Additional professional development programs
- Support for the Morris Hite Leadership Forum and the DREAM fund
Be a part of this exciting vision. Donate now!
There are many ways you can give. The first way, of course, is contribution to the fund right now.
How to contribute?
There are many ways you can contribute to the Foundation, from a business plan organized by your company’s own philanthropy, to a simple personal cash donation. Those, for the most part, are considered cash contributions. But there are many other ways that you can leave a legacy of giving to the Foundation. Here is a sample of the many different types of structured giving programs:
- Charitable Giving — The Cash Contribution
- Business Giving — A Number of Ways To Give
- Charitable Lead Trust (Pay AAF Dallas Now)
- Pay AAF Dallas Later — A Charitable Remainder Trust
- “Private Foundations Lite” — A Donor Advised Fund
- “On the House” — Remainder interest in a personal residence
For more information on these types of giving programs, and to make an appointment with an experienced advisor, contact Dennis D’Amico, Chair of the AAF Dallas Foundation, 214-692-0134. There are financial advisors who can assist you in your decisions, with no obligation required.
Cause United
Cause United is a way for you to give to AAF Dallas while you shop online with some of the biggest and best merchants in America. Check out the good deals and discounts you get. When you buy, the retailer makes a small contribution to AAF Dallas.
Find out more at www.CauseUnited.com.
Your ID is: DonateDALF
Be a Recognized Contributor with a Cash Donation
With a donation to AAF Dallas Foundation, you will be in the Foundation Honor Roll. If you donate, you will not only receive the benefits of these programs, you’ll also get:
- Your name or the name of your company memorialized on our honor roll
- A listing in the Honor Roll booklet
- Recognition and special seating arrangements at Ad League and Foundation events
Honor Roll contribution levels:
- Leadership Fund — $5,000 or more
- Loyalty Fund — $2,000 or more
- Honors Fund — $1,000 or more
- Heritage Fund — $500 or more
- Founders Fund — $250 or more
- Friends of the Foundation — $100
Thank you to our current Honorees:
- TracyLocke
- TracyLocke Alumni Association
- Liener Temerlin
- Win Padgett
- Jim Goodnight
- Dennis & Ann D’Amico
- Gordon & Lauren Law
- Sean Jackson
*AAF Dallas Foundation is a fund of Communities Foundation of Texas a 501 (c) (3) public charity.
What your contribution will be used for
Scholarships
The Sam Bloom Memorial Scholarship and the AT&T Advertising Excellence Scholarship are just two examples of scholarship the Foundation continues to foster in order to help local area students complete their advertising educations.
Apply for $9,000 in Scholarships

AAF Dallas and AAF Dallas Foundation are proud to offer two scholarships this fall for Dallas area advertising students. The $6,000 AT&T Advertising Excellence Scholarship, and the $3,000 Morris Hite Memorial Scholarship, presented by TracyLocke, are for students that are pursuing a graduate or undergraduate degree in a marketing or advertising related field. Click here to download the application and get more information. Hurry, submission deadline is November 4th!
AES (Advertising Education Sponsorship)
AAF Dallas Foundation has made a “Lifetime” donation to AAF District 10 AES. The AES fund provides scholarships for AAF District 10 students and universities. For more information on AES, please visit the AAF District 10 website.
AAF National Student Advertising Competition
Each year the DAL Foundation makes contributions to universities competing in the District and National AAF Student Advertising Competition. The grants provided by the Foundation helped the SMU Temerlin Advertising Institute team with materials and travel expenses on their way to winning the regional competition in 2001, and both the regional and national competition in 2002 and 2004.
DAL Mark Johnson Memorial Member of the Year Award
In 2004, Mark Johnson, AAF Dallas Past President, passed away suddenly from cancer. Mark is credited with saving AAF Dallas during a difficult time in the 1980’s. As a way to honor the contributions of Mark Johnson, who was an avid Boy Scout Leader, the DAL created the DAL Member of the Year Award. In memory of Mark Johnson, the DAL Foundation donates $500 to the Boy Scouts of America in the recipient’s name.
See some past winners of this award.
DREAM Fund (AdRoast)
Beginning in 2000, for eight years AAF Dallas hosted the single largest advertising event in Dallas: AdRoast™. AdRoast was created to raise money for the AAF Dallas Foundation and DREAM Fund. In those eight years, the DAL raised more than $500,000 from the event.
The list of AdRoastees reads like a “who’s who” in the advertising and media business, including:
- Stan Richards
- Liener Temerlin
- Roy Spence
- Michael Levy
- Ron Chapman
- Keith Reinhard
- Larry Spiegel
- Stan & Barbara Levenson
Due to the success of this event, AAF Dallas has provided more money for the DREAM Fund than any other single outside donor, with more than $400,000 in contributions over those eight years. Click here for more information about the DREAM fund.
Upcoming Events
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Contact AAF Dallas Foundation
P.O. Box 192505
Dallas, TX 75219
AAF Dallas Advisory Committee
- Dennis C. D’Amico, Growth Strategies Group, AAF Dallas Past President, Committee Chair
- Janet Bustin, Bustin Consulting
- Winfield Padgett, Padgett Performance Group, AAF Dallas Past President
- Seth Mitchell, Reed-Mitchell Design
- Pete Iacovazzi, Zimmerman Advertising
Advancing Campaign Honorary Chairman
Temerlin Consulting
1809 N. Central Expressway
Dallas, TX 75225
Advancing Campaign Co-Chairs
Growth Strategies Group
7527 Marquette Street
Dallas, TX 75225
USA TODAY
2002 Academy Lane
Dallas, TX 75234
Advancing Campaign Committee Chairs
- George Arnold, Author/DAL Past President
- Richard Brown, Brown Communications/Morris Hite Leadership Forum
- Gordon Law, M&M Partners/DAL Past President
- Tommy Sandoz, DAL Past President
- Elena Turner, DAL Past President
Advancing Financial Advisors
Ira Richardson, First Global Investments
AAF Dallas Graphics
Horacio Cobos, Revell Limited
Javelin, Advancing Agency of Record For Fund Raising And Web Site