Your Guide to Giving Back

Introducing the CultureMap Charity Guide: Your source for giving back in Dallas

Our Charity Guide features inspiring Dallas organizations, curated by CultureMap.

At CultureMap, we're proud to shine a light on those making a difference in the cities we serve. And, as part of that mission, we're excited to introduce the CultureMap Charity Guide, your local source for giving back, presented by Opt for Optimism by Frost.

We created the Charity Guide to be your one-stop resource for local charities — and how to get involved. When you visit the Dallas Charity Guide, you'll find a range of inspiring organizations, curated by CultureMap.

You can search for a particular group, or explore by category: animals, arts and culture, children, education, health, LGBTQ, social services, and veterans. Click on the charity to learn about its mission, membership, big event, and volunteer opportunities. The guide even includes a dedicated events calendar so that you can easily find charitable events happening in your city, from family-friendly fundraisers to annual galas and more.

To accompany the Charity Guide, we're launching a special editorial series highlighting those making an impact. Tune in throughout the year to learn more about the organizations featured in the guide and to read inspiring stories about individuals and companies that are doing good and giving back.

And that's just the beginning. Every month, CultureMap street teams will be popping up at surprise locations around Dallas with fun activations geared toward fostering generosity in the community. Find us on June 22 to join the movement.

But first, get to know the inspiring charities making a difference in Dallas right now. We'll continue adding to the Charity Guide, as this is a resource we hope you'll come back to again and again. Know of an organization that deserves the spotlight? Tell us here.

charity-guide

Unhappy holidays

Porch pirates pilfer nearly $2B worth of Texas packages, study shows

Porch Pirate Person in Glasses Steals Packages

Getty Images

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’Tis the season for porch pirates. If past trends are an indicator, the Grinch will swipe close to $2 billion worth of packages delivered to Texas households this year, with many of those thefts happening ahead of the holiday season.

An analysis of FBI and survey data by ecommerce marketing company Omnisend shows porch pirates stole more than $1.8 billion worth of packages from Texans’ porches last year. Porch pirates hit nearly one-third of the state’s households in 2024, according to the analysis.

Omnisend’s analysis reveals these statistics about porch piracy in Texas:

30.1 million residential package thefts in 2024.
An average household loss of $169 per year.
An annual average of 2.9 package thefts per household.

“Most stolen items are cheap on their own, but add them up, and retailers and consumers are facing an enormous bill,” says Omnisend.

Another data analysis, this one from The Action Network sports betting platform, unwraps different figures regarding porch piracy in Texas.

The platform’s 2025 Porch Pirate Index ranks Texas as the state with the highest volume of residential thefts, based on 2023-24 FBI data.

Researchers at The Action Network uncovered 26,293 reports of personal property thefts at Texas residences during that period. The network’s survey data indicates 5 percent of Texas residents had a package stolen in the three months before the pre-holiday survey.

The Porch Pirate Index calculates a 25.8 percent risk of a Texas household being victimized by porch pirates, putting it in the No. 5 spot among states with the highest risk of porch piracy.

The Action Network included online-search volume for terms like “package stolen” and “porch pirates.” Sustained spikes in these searches suggest that “people are actively looking for guidance after something has happened. Search trends serve as an early warning system, revealing emerging-risk areas well before annual crime statistics are released,” the network says.

Tips to avoid being a victim
So, how do you prevent porch pirates from snatching packages that end up on your porch? Omnisend, The Action Network and Amazon offer these eight tips:

Closely monitor deliveries and quickly retrieve packages.
Schedule deliveries for times when you’ll be home.
Use delivery lockers or in-store pickup when possible.
Ask delivery services to hide packages in out-of-sight spots outside your home.
Install a visible doorbell camera or security camera.
Coordinate deliveries with neighbors or building managers if you’ll be away from your home when packages are supposed to arrive.
Request that delivery services hold your packages if you can’t be home when they’re scheduled to come.
Illuminate the path to your doorstep and keep porch lights on.

holidays porch pirates crime