AJF is a non-profit volunteer organization supporting women, children, and the elderly in the Austin area through community service and fund raising.

Austin Junior Forum serves the community in many different ways from hands-on community service to raising funds and providing grants to other non-profits in our Austin community. We have two internal community service projects, the Teddy Bear Program, which donates stuffed Teddy Bears and Dalmatians to Austin's emergency services agencies for children in crisis situations and Kids on the Block (KOB) an international, educational puppet show addressing difficult issues that children face in today’s world. For more information on our community service projects, please visit our Community Service and Outreach Projects page.

AJF’s annual fundraiser, Christmas at the Caswell House, raises funds that are distributed to other local area non-profits through our grants program. Since the inception of the grants program in 1983, AJF has contributed more that $1.3 Million dollars towards causes benefiting women, children, and the elderly in the Austin community.

Austin Junior Forum is also the proud owner of the historic Daniel H. Caswell House. This beautiful Victorian home was built at the turn of the 20th Century and was purchased and restored by the ladies of Austin Junior Forum in 1979. It was opened to the public in 1983 as a venue for weddings and events as well as a center for community service. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

History of Austin Junior Forum

AJF was founded on March 28, 1969. That spring, eighteen young women joined together to promote civic, educational, and philanthropic interests in Austin. Application was made to Junior Forum, Inc., (JFI) to initiate a local chapter and in the fall of 1969, the charter of Austin Junior Forum was established. AJF is one of ten JFI chapters in Texas, with Houston Junior Forum being the initial chapter founded in 1946.

Junior Forum, Inc., chapters around the state include:

• Austin
• Baytown
• Beaumont
• Cypress-Woodlands
• Dallas
• Georgetown
• Houston
• Nacogdoches
• Pasadena Bay Area
• San Antonio

In November 1978, AJF submitted a bid to the City of Austin for the purchase of the Daniel H. Caswell House. The City Council awarded the home to AJF for the purchase price of $125,830, and the closing took place on January 5, 1979. The Daniel H. Caswell House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. AJF members and their families spent many laborious hours working to rehabilitate the interior of this stately home. 

Mission

AJF is a non-profit, volunteer organization supporting women, children, and the elderly in the Austin area through community service and fund raising.

Executive Board

Christi Van Rite, President
Kristen Caldwell, President Elect 
Rachel Stalcup, Treasurer
Demetra Pender, Membership VP
Kristin Alvarez, Fundraising VP
Gail Jackson, Grants VP
Betsy Bird, Community Service VP
Danelle Farmer, Public Relations VP
Liza Willmore, Development VP
Linda Cavazos, Caswell House Chair
Denice Bettencourt, Recording Secretary
Deana Sanders, Parliamentarian
Tina Melcher, JFI Representative
Seanna Henry, Advisor

Tax-exempt Information:
AJF is sales tax exempt under Chapter 151, section 151-310 of the sales tax law.
AJF also has a 501(C)(3) designation under the IRS code.
Tax return information is available through GuideStar.org.