About

Our Founders

The Tocker Foundation, a family foundation with roots dating back to the early 1960s, was established to implement the philanthropic interests of its founders, Phillip and Olive Tocker. Phillip, initially a practicing attorney, transitioned to the outdoor advertising industry later in life. He purchased the Waco outdoor advertising plant and expanded to own outdoor advertising plants throughout the United States. Phillip's career reached its pinnacle when he became the President of the Outdoor Advertising Association of America. In 1973, after retiring to Austin, Texas, Phillip and Olive continued to actively pursue their avocations, leaving a legacy of philanthropy that persists in the family to this day.

Addressing a Critical Need in Funding

With an office in Austin, Texas, and a staff of two, the organization is governed by a mix of family members and librarians whose guidance helps the family achieve their goal of supporting rural, public libraries of Texas. This funding focus was identified back in the early 1990s when research revealed a severe lack of resources in towns of 12,000 or less. The Foundation’s very first grant cycle confirmed the need when applications for funding amounted to ten times the total that was available for grant-making at the time.

Transformative Support for Rural Libraries

The Foundation has supported rural libraries through grants, stipends for professional development, partnerships with other library-affiliated service organizations such as Texas Library Association and PLAN, and advocacy within the philanthropic community.

In recent years, the board of directors has taken an added approach to grant-making, one that seeks maximum impact by elevating the grant process from a transaction to a partnership. This new approach challenges libraries to seek constant improvement, to maximize strengths, and tend to weaknesses, all in the interest of strengthening communities through the multitude of library services. Driven by the board’s recognition that rural librarians often need outside assistance to achieve such goals, we pair grant funds with professional guidance to convert project results from ordinary to transformative.

Our Board and Staff