Businessman Brian Sheth is well known for his philanthropy, conservation efforts, and partnerships to make the world a better place. But even though the self-made billionaire, who co-founded and headed a private equity firm, has no geographical barriers to his conservation and upliftment projects, he’s never forgotten his roots.
As an Austin, Texas, native, Brian Sheth’s many philanthropic efforts focus on improving his hometown, making him one of its proudest sons. They say that home is where the heart is, and with a heart as big as Brian Sheth’s, Austin’s undoubtedly a better place for it.
Says Sheth, “We’re committed to the long-term support of our neighbors, many of whom aren’t supported by traditional means.”
The Season for Caring and Sharing
The Sheth family has assisted the Austin-American Statesman‘s. annual Season for Caring campaign for many years. In 2016, 2017, and 2018, they pledged to match all donations up to $100,000, and since then, they’ve more than doubled it to $250,000, and doubled up again to $500,000. Since 2016, the Sheths have donated $1.05 million in matching grants to Season for Caring.
Statesman readers have donated over $15 million since 1999 in cash and in-kind goods and services, all benefiting featured families and hundreds like them. The funds donated have been used to purchase grocery and gas cards, pay utilities, provide necessary medical and dental care, and fund higher education and technical training.
The Sheths wrote about their participation, “This year has proven we are strongest when we work together as a community to protect our most vulnerable neighbors, and we are deeply indebted to the Statesman for enabling our family to be a small part of this joint effort.”
Aiding Critical Winter Weather Recovery
When Austin was hit with a winter weather crisis in 2021, Sheth and his wife, Adria’s, charity, The Sheth Sangreal Foundation, stepped up with a $750,000 grant to Austin Area Urban League’s #LoveThyNeighborTX Emergency Donation Drive.
AAUL used the funds to alleviate food, water, and housing insecurity among the most vulnerable in the community. As part of its efforts to support those sheltering in place, AAUL and their colleagues provided meals, nonperishable goods, clean water, clothing, and survival kits.
“There are still so many people and families across our community in need of help following last month’s winter weather,” said Sheth.
“AAUL’s funds will help repair and rebuild our community and provide ongoing aid to those who continue to experience food and housing insecurity long after the cold weather ends. We want to ensure that no one stands alone in these efforts.”
Proceeds were also used to support AAUL’s relocation and transportation services to shelters, local hotels, and lodging expenses during the immediate recovery period. In addition, the Sheth Sangreal Foundation helped replenish the AAUL emergency fund by procuring 500,000 eco-friendly water boxed packs from Flow Hydration to support thousands of individuals and households affected by water service disruptions.
A Greener Austin
To transform Waller Creek into a significant park destination, Brian Sheth and real estate mogul donated $5 million to revitalize the urban waterway.
“We are incredibly grateful to them for their unwavering support of the Conservancy’s mission and what this project means for our city,” said Waller Creek Conservancy CEO Peter Mullen in a written statement. “Their generosity represents a remarkable step forward in the implementation of our vision for Waller Creek.”
It will connect 15th Street along downtown’s eastern edge to Lady Bird Lake and offer a wide range of natural and cultural attractions. The environment, arts, health, and adventure will come together amid sprawling gardens, rolling pathways, and the sparkling Waller Creek as a bridge connecting them all — and cultivate authentic and uplifting experiences that reflect the city’s diversity.
Providing Hope for Austin Boys and Girls
The Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area (BGCAA) announced plans to break ground on a new 10-acre campus in East Austin in 2018. The new site has a 32,000-square-foot Home Club near Ed Bluestein Boulevard and Manor Lane.
As a result, the organization can now serve an additional 1,000 youths, and the Home Club will address challenges facing economically disadvantaged youths. In addition, the organization provides after-school and other out-of-school activities for Austin youths who lack a place to go.
Adria and Brian Sheth, through The Sheth Sangreal Foundation, gave a multimillion-dollar donation to create the Sheth Family Campus, which houses science laboratories, libraries, art studios, and outdoor and indoor athletic facilities.
Brian Sheth states, “Adria and I know that supporting Boys & Girls Clubs of the Austin Area is more than charity — it’s an investment in our community’s most precious resource, with unlimited potential returns.”
Brian Sheth is not only using his wealth and ingenuity to uplift and support those in need. He’s also a great inspiration to all of us to be caring, loving, involved, and ultimately sympathetic to the real needs of our fellow human beings.
After all, Sheth says, “We haven’t found another planet, yet, that has any life on it. And the clean air that we breathe, the clean water that we drink, all the things that we sometimes take for granted come from the biodiversity that is on the planet. The biggest challenge of my generation is to maintain some sense of ecological balance and [to ensure] that we have clean air and clean water for my kids and hopefully several generations after that.”
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