Cindy Raab

Cindy Raab is the Executive Director of the Shield-Ayres Foundation, an Austin, Texas private family foundation, a role she has held since June 2015. Public IRS filings show she is the foundation's principal (and effectively sole compensated) staff member, with reported compensation rising from about $109,000 in 2019 to roughly $131,248 in 2024. The foundation held approximately $19.1 million in assets as of 2024 and paid out roughly $2.3 million in charitable disbursements that year, with grants historically averaging around $10,000–$15,000 each.

Before Shield-Ayres, Raab spent more than a decade (approximately July 2002 to June 2015) as a Program Officer at the Topfer Family Foundation in Austin, another well-known Central Texas grantmaking family foundation focused on self-sufficiency and human services. During her tenure there she was recognized as a Grantmaker of the Year honoree (2013), reflecting a career built within institutional philanthropy rather than venture investing. Her earlier career included roles in nonprofit administration and the philanthropic sector (including association with the Council on Foundations per aggregator profiles).

Per aggregated profile data, Raab attended The College of William & Mary (approximately 1984–1988).

Important context / data-quality note: The stub described Cindy Raab as an "Angel Investor" making "Seed Round" investments. Research does not support that characterization. She leads a charitable grantmaking foundation that funds nonprofit organizations in Central Texas — not a venture capital or angel fund that takes equity stakes in startups. Founders seeking seed equity capital are unlikely to find a fit here; social-impact nonprofits are the relevant audience.

• The Shield-Ayres Foundation's mission is to "strengthen organizations that effectively meet the basic human needs of the most vulnerable members of our community, provide access to educational opportunity and the arts, advocate for social justice, and promote land and water conservation."
• Three stated funding priorities: Health & Human Services, Environment, and Education & Arts.
• Geographic requirement: grantees must run programs serving Travis County (Austin) and/or Bexar County (San Antonio), Central Texas.
• Vehicle is charitable grants to nonprofits, not equity — typical grant ~$10,000 median; awards observed from ~$2,000 up to ~$600,000.
• Application status is restricted: the foundation has *temporarily suspended its open application process*; currently only organizations that have previously received Shield-Ayres funding may submit a Letter of Inquiry (LOI). The board has no immediate plans to reopen to new applicants.