Overview:
Roland Parrish has spent decades investing in education, healthcare, and economic development through his eponymous foundation. On September 4, the Parrish Charitable Foundation will host its sixth annual celebrity golf tournament to fund scholarships for students in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. This philanthropic effort follows significant contributions to various Texas institutions and international medical clinics.
Roland Parrish has invested in students, schools and communities throughout North Texas and across the country for many years. Throughout his business career, he’s found success and used it to give back.
Much of Parrish’s giving has come through his namesake foundation, which has distributed resources to help with education, health care, athletics and economic development. Parrish has frequently focused on students in underserved communities who can face difficulties in continuing their education if they don’t receive scholarships.
The foundation will look to support more students on September 4 at the Parrish Charitable Foundation Celebrity Golf Tournament presented by Tolson Ford at The Golf Club of Dallas. It will be the tournament’s sixth year, and it serves as the foundation’s premier annual fundraiser.
Proceeds from the tournament provide scholarships to students across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The festivities kick off with a 9 a.m. shotgun start. Golfers, celebrities, business leaders and community members come together to play golf and support the foundation’s mission.
Participants can secure their spots in the tournament by purchasing team or individual registrations. Businesses and organizations can also help support the foundation’s work by purchasing sponsorships. Information on registration and sponsorships can be found on the tournament’s website.
During past tournaments, the Parrish Charitable Foundation has presented funds to Dallas-area schools. At last year’s tournament, nearly 200 golfers teed off at The Golf Club of Dallas. The Parrish Charitable Foundation presented the football programs at South Oak Cliff, Duncanville and DeSoto high schools with $30,000 in donations.
Athletics is just one area of focus for the Parrish Charitable Foundation. In 2022, the organization announced it had provided more than $200,000 in scholarships to Texas students. Dallas ISD band programs received grants totaling $50,000 in 2023. Those funds were split evenly among 10 DISD schools.
The Dallas Urban Debate Alliance has also benefited from a partnership with the Parrish Charitable Foundation. Students participating in debate programs can earn scholarships by competing at an annual invitational tournament. During one tournament, six students made it to the final round and earned $3,000 scholarships each.
Parrish knows education can uplift students and communities for years after they walk across a graduation stage. In May, Parrish addressed students at UNT Dallas as they graduated from the university.
He was the commencement speaker for the spring 2026 ceremonies and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. While speaking to the graduates, Parrish announced he was donating $50,000 to create the Parrish Charitable Foundation and Class of 2026 Endowed Scholarship.
The scholarship will be available to first-generation students as well as students from underserved communities in North Texas. Endowed scholarships are available in perpetuity, allowing Parrish’s contribution to help students for generations to come.
“If I can help young people live the American dream, and it gives them a boost to stay in school and earn a degree, that’s what this is about,” Parrish said.
Roland Parrish has supported colleges and universities outside North Texas as well. He pledged $2 million to Purdue University to support renovations to the university’s library dedicated to management and economics.
The library was renamed the Roland G. Parrish Library of Management and Economics. According to Purdue, it was the first major facility at the university named in honor of an African American alumnus. Parrish also donated $3 million to Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee.
His gift funded the creation of the Roland G. Parrish Center for Career Planning and Development, according to a university release. The center boasts classrooms, conference and meeting rooms, collaboration areas and innovation spaces. Fisk University said the gift from Parrish was one of the largest it had ever received.
The Parrish Charitable Foundation aids individuals seeking medical care as well. Through the foundation, Parrish helps provide financial support to the Rev. John and Marie Parrish Medical Clinic in Fort Portal, Uganda.
Established in memory of his parents, the clinic provides care to thousands of orphaned children each year. Parrish has invested in the Re-Imagining RedBird project as well. The initiative is designed to bring jobs and new businesses to southern Dallas.
As the project’s second-largest investor, Parrish helped bring more than 200,000 square feet of medical and clinical space to southern Dallas through partnerships involving Parkland Health and UT Southwestern Medical Center. Parrish has also donated to North Texas high schools, the African American Museum of Dallas, St. Philip’s School and Community Center, the Texas Black Sports Hall of Fame and Austin Street Center, which works to feed the homeless population.
Building a foundation for philanthropic work began with Parrish establishing a successful business of his own. Parrish Restaurants Ltd. grew to become one of the largest Black-owned McDonald’s franchise operations in the country. At its height, Parrish Restaurants had 27 locations across North Texas. The UNT Dallas release notes that Parrish currently owns and operates 25 McDonald’s restaurants.
For more than 30 years, Parrish has discovered ways to better the lives of others. He continues to search for opportunities to invest in people and provide them with the tools they need to succeed. Whether it’s through donating to schools and universities, supporting local businesses or partnering with nonprofit organizations, Roland Parrish is making a difference.
The tournament is the latest extension of a philanthropic record built on turning business success into educational opportunities, stronger institutions and lasting community investment.
