At the San Antonio Business Journal’s Impact Awards, we heard powerful stories of neighbors feeding families, expanding opportunity, restoring dignity, and strengthening lives across our community. But what moved me just as deeply was the collective presence in the room — civic leaders, donors, volunteers, and nonprofit partners, all showing up in service of something bigger than themselves.

That spirit of showing up is the soul of San Antonio. Since this city welcomed me in April 2024, I’ve seen it again and again: when someone needs help, this community responds.

I see that spirit every day at the San Antonio Area Foundation. Together with our growing family of philanthropists, partners, board members, and staff, we steward $1.3 billion in charitable assets under management — resources entrusted to us to strengthen cultural vibrancy, youth success, successful aging, and livable and resilient communities. Over our 61-year history, that commitment has resulted in more than $900 million in grantmaking across our region. In addition, the $13.2 million awarded in scholarships in 2025 pushed our cumulative scholarship support beyond $100 million, opening doors to opportunity for generations of students.

Your partnership makes that possible. And it allows us to respond when the call for help becomes urgent.

Showing Up in the Hill Country

That call came into sharp focus last July, when catastrophic flash floods tore through the Texas Hill Country, claiming lives, destroying homes and businesses, and upending entire communities along the Guadalupe River.

At the very beginning of the crisis, the Area Foundation joined our peers at the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country in Kerrville to do what community foundations do so well: stand alongside local leaders, bring clarity in moments of uncertainty, and help generosity move quickly and responsibly to where it is needed most. As the scale of devastation became clear, generosity poured in from across Texas and far beyond. With that generosity came an immense operational challenge for the Community Foundation of the Texas Hill Country, a small, deeply trusted local foundation suddenly at the center of a historic response.

To support our Hill Country Colleagues, the Area Foundation mobilized staff members and key resources at no cost. Our team worked side by side with theirs, handling donor calls, processing gifts, providing support, and helping build the staffing capacity needed for the

long recovery ahead. Those Area Foundation staff not focused on the Hill Country absorbed additional responsibilities to keep our own work moving forward.

The first $5 million in relief was granted within a week. Ultimately, more than $110 million was raised and is now helping families, businesses, first responders, and communities rebuild.

Those numbers, though, aren’t the Area Foundation’s story. Our story is presence over publicity. Staff members stepping outside their job descriptions with dedication and compassion. Comfort offered and expertise shared so local leaders could focus on caring for their community.

That is what a community foundation looks like at its best. And it reaffirmed everything I believe about who we are.

READ THE HILL COUNTRY STORY

A New Year. A New Urgent Call.

As we begin a new year, another call demands our collective attention.

Across Greater San Antonio, nonprofit organizations are facing unprecedented strain. Demand for services continues to rise while funding has grown more uncertain. These organizations are not peripheral to our region’s success. They are essential infrastructure, supporting tens of thousands of jobs and contributing billions to our local economy while caring for our most vulnerable neighbors.

This moment calls for bold, strategic local investment.

That’s why, alongside trusted partners, we launched All Hearts on Deck, a community-wide call to action. It’s an invitation to give, to serve, to advocate, and to champion the organizations that hold our community together. Everyone has a role, and every contribution of time, talent, or treasure matters.

Looking Ahead

This year marks an important moment of alignment for the Area Foundation. Guided by our newly adopted Strategic Plan, we are sharpening our focus, strengthening how we deploy resources, and deepening partnerships that drive long-term impact — from initiatives like Future Ready, Press Forward, and Generations Over Dinner, to expanded learning opportunities for nonprofit leaders and philanthropists alike.

As part of that work, we recently opened our 2026 grant opportunities, designed to provide flexible, multi-year support to nonprofits advancing impact across our region. If you’re connected to organizations doing critical work in our community, I encourage you to

explore these opportunities and help spread the word.

EXPLORE 2026 GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

We are also finalizing our 2026 Learning & Development offerings, with new courses and programs designed to strengthen nonprofit leadership and philanthropic practice. We’ll be sharing our 2026 Course Catalog later this month.

You’ll see our strategic direction reflected across our work in the months ahead, as we continue to listen, learn, and lead alongside the community we serve.

EXPLORE OUR STRATEGIC PLAN

As we look ahead, I am grateful for the trust you place in the Area Foundation and confident in what we can accomplish together. Thank you for showing up — for our neighbors, for our nonprofits, and for our shared future.

With gratitude,
Nadege Souvenir
Chief Executive Officer
San Antonio Area Foundation

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Special congratulations are in order for our staff member Lisa Brunsvold and Board member Lorenzo Gomez III. Lisa won the dance competition at the recent  Renaissance with the Stars Gala and she raised more than $30,000 to support our San Antonio Area African American Community Fund. What a fun way to encourage support for this amazing cause! Lorenzo’s latest book, Tafolla Toro: Three Years of Fear  is a touching memoir that reflects on youth mental health. CAST Tech students put his story to life in a recent live play performance.

We enthusiastically announce two special sponsorships. The San Antonio Report’s Nonprofits and Philanthropy section is now made possible by the Area Foundation. This holiday season we invite you to Lightscape, presented by the John R. and Greli N. Less Charitable Trust. This luminous display at the San Antonio Botanical Garden runs November 19 through January 2 and promises to be a great event for everyone. Get your tickets soon!

Stories of Impact

Our blog includes many inspiring stories that show how harnessing community investment – even in our virtual environment – can be a powerful force for good.

Investing in a New Generation of STEM 

This first-generation college graduate became a NASA engineer, military veteran and college math teacher. Now Ed Esparza and his wife Sonia, a science teacher, have started a scholarship fund to further invest in local students.

Read More

When Leadership and Service Make a Legacy

After a promising young airman’s life was cut way too short, the Donn Kent McCorkindale Memorial Scholarship Trust has enabled more than 34 student leaders to live their fullest potential in his name. 

Read More

This CPR Provides a Different Kind of Lifeline

Burst pipes from this winter’s big freeze led to an outpouring of relief in the form of hundreds of contributions to the Community Pipe Repair (CPR) Program Fund, helping thousands of area residents with more than $1.1 million. We could not do this without your support as our advocates. You are our “secret sauce” to helping our community members thrive and prosper. 

Read More

Stronger together,

The post An Update from Marjie French appeared first on San Antonio Area Foundation.

We are so pleased to share the COVID-19 Response Fund has now reached $5 million in donations! A $500,000 challenge grant from renowned philanthropist Harvey Najim was matched by the John L. Santikos Fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation, increasing the fund by $1 million dollars. Harvey had previously helped to seed the fund with $500,000, alongside the Area Foundation’s $1 million at the inception of the community response fund. Thousands within our community will benefit because of Harvey’s generosity.

We shared with you last week many of the ways the San Antonio Area Foundation has been supporting our community. We are only able to provide these services because you chose to create a philanthropic legacy through our community foundation. Your fund, whether individual, family or corporate-based, continues to make a difference to so many in need!

GRANT RECOMMENDATION MINIMUM THRESHOLD LOWERED TO $1,000

Some of our donors expressed a desire for us to evaluate our grantmaking minimum thresholds. We have good news to share – the minimum has been lowered to $1,000. In this COVID-19 environment, the Area Foundation has migrated to electronic grant payments, which require additional security steps, yet is beneficial for the nonprofit in terms of the funds going directly into their accounts without waiting for a paper check to be mailed, received, and deposited.

The Federal government has released information and provided supports to address the ongoing needs. This information may aid you in your future grant recommendations, as we are in a critical time for many nonprofit organizations. Nonprofits will face unprecedented economic challenges in the months, and possibly years, ahead. We urge our fund advisors to please continue recommending grants to nonprofits you support, or if desired, join us in the COVID-19 Response Fund’s effort announced to you last week.

COVID-19 Response Fund – UPDATE

The COVID-19 Response Fund we are jointly managing with the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County has now reached $5 million in donations, thanks to a cadre of businesses, corporations, government entities, individuals and foundations. In fact, many of our donor advised funds have joined in this immense effort to address the crisis, including the Harvey E. Najim Charitable Fund, Gloria Galt Fund, Semmes Foundation Fund, Houston H. and Carolyn H. Harte Fund, Tom White Charitable Fund, Annie and Tim Swan Fund, and the Ellinor and Marvin Forland Charitable Fund. As of April 16, over 100 nonprofits have been awarded $3.3 million in grants, serving the most vulnerable in our community.

NEW CHARITABLE DONATION TAX BREAK INCLUDED IN CORONAVIRUS AID, RELIEF, AND ECONOMIC SECURITY (CARES) ACT

A $2 trillion stimulus package to help American workers and businesses mitigate the devastating economic effects of the coronavirus outbreak was signed into law on March 27.

A portion of the legislation includes supports for charitable giving. The CARES Act establishes a universal charitable tax deduction for gifts up to $300 and suspends the typical 60 percent adjusted gross income (AGI) limitation on cash charitable contributions for individuals.  

Thanks to the CARES Act*, in 2020 you’re able to donate more funds to qualifying charities AND receive higher tax deductions. If you make a charitable gift of up to $300, you will be eligible to receive a $300 tax credit on top of the standard deduction on your income tax in 2020. A helpful article published by the Association for Fundraising Professionals is available for your further review.

If you need any help or have any questions, please reach out to your relationship manager, or email us at givenow@saafdn.org. We will keep you updated as events continue to evolve.

Thank you for your support as we care for each other and our community through this time.

With appreciation,

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As we continue to chart a course through uncertain times, I have been humbled and overwhelmed by you – our community – your generosity, your compassion and your dedication. Please know that the Area Foundation is in this together with you. I am pleased to share these updates regarding charitable giving.

We have answered the call of the COVID-19 emergency in new and innovative ways. I would like to share with you a few of the resources that we are making available to our nonprofit organizations serving on the frontlines of our community, as well as important information for our family of donors and businesses.

COVID-19 Response Fund

In the last three weeks, we have partnered with the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County to raise $3.7 million for the COVID-19 Response Fund which is being directed rapidly to support nonprofits serving the most vulnerable and health-challenged in our community. The fund resides at the Area Foundation, typical fees associated with this type of fund have been waived, and staff are managing the fund’s grant awards with assistance from a funder’s advisory committee. The John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation helped with a lead gift to start the fund. We are tremendously appreciative of all of our partners and donors who have invested in our community at this critical time.

We have received over 100 completed nonprofit applications, with hundreds more in the queue. We are responding to grant requests within ten days. We have distributed $1.1 million to 36 area nonprofits, and in total approved 65 nonprofits for $2 million. The fund makes new award decisions twice a week. 

• If you know a nonprofit that would be well-served by this fund, please direct them to contact Gavin Nichols at covid19@saafdn.org or (210) 242-4720 for details.
• Funds like yours, along with community businesses and philanthropic entities interested in contributing to the COVID-19 Response Fund should contact Lisa Brunsvold at lbrunsvold@saafdn.org or (210) 228-3760.
• Individuals interested in making a donation to the fund of $10 or more can do so through our partner, the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, at www.helpsatx.org. The United Way is jointly managing the fund with the Area Foundation and is accepting individual donations.

As we continue to mobilize philanthropists, foundations, government entities, corporations and nonprofits to join us in this critical response for our fellow San Antonians, we will keep you updated through all our channels.

Creating Online Learning Supports for Nonprofits

As nonprofits pivot their services to provide services in new ways, the Area Foundation team is now providing support online. Examples include new online Zoom webinars on topics nonprofits indicated are of importance in this new environment, and collaborating with our leadership learning cohorts to understand ongoing and evolving needs. Finally, nonprofits searching for grants that may be available across the nation have an all-new online database available to them at no charge, thanks to a long-term, trusted relationship with Candid, who operates the Foundation Directory Online. Our partner, the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County also has an excellent resource directory online for the community’s needs.

Resources for Businesses and their Employees

Our Philanthropy for Business team is assisting business clients with grantmaking and the administration of employee relief funds during this emergency response. In addition, we have compiled a list of resources and tools related to current COVID-19 public health concerns and financial assistance.

Please share the link to these resources with your employees and peers, and if you have questions about how we can support your business’s charitable endeavors now or in the future, please contact Jennifer Ballesteros at jballesteros@saafdn.org or (210) 775-6295.

Student Scholarship Support

As students are currently deciding which schools they will be attending and seeking financial assistance, this is still proving to be the busiest season for our scholarship work. Our team of staff and volunteers is working remotely to review the largest amount of scholarship applications received in our history and we are poised to award $5 million through over 100 scholarship funds this year.

In addition, we are regularly communicating with our current scholarship recipients in our College Success Program through our text messaging app and newsletters, and by pointing them to student loan forbearance opportunities now afforded through the recently passed CARES Act.

We continue to post many resources for current and future college students on our Scholarship Resources page. For more information about our scholarships program, please contact Bernice Uresti at buresti@saafdn.org or (210) 228-3759.

Stronger Together

First, I want to thank you for your ongoing support of our community; we are honored to be your partner. In addition to the Area Foundation’s efforts, I was asked to serve with other community leaders on the recently formed Mayor’s COVID-19 Response Task force, which is addressing immediate and long-term needs resulting from the pandemic. I look forward to sharing with you ongoing updates from the task force and the results of the COVID-19 Response Fund’s efforts.

Some of our donors have expressed a desire for us to evaluate our grantmaking minimum thresholds. We are doing just that and should have information to share very soon.

Finally, I want to recognize my staff who are going above and beyond to be especially flexible and responsive during these times of vulnerability and loss. We are all here for you, and we are stronger together.

With gratitude and respect,

The post In Response to COVID-19 appeared first on San Antonio Area Foundation.

We are indeed in challenging times as we work to flatten the spread of the virus, and keep our community safe. In the span of days, we have announced important initiatives to address not only the immediate needs of our community, but the long-term recovery that will be needed.

The COVID-19 Response Fund Is Now Available

Over $2.7 million was seeded in a community fund now open at the Area Foundation as of March 20, 2020. Philanthropists, foundations, government entities and corporations joined us in announcing a new fund to aid the nonprofit community in serving the most economically vulnerable in our community. Our important role as a community foundation is beautifully evident in how this fund came about! Partners continue to join the effort, and more announcements are expected as the fund is replenished. To view all the details in our widely covered press release, read here. I remain in awe of the generosity and caring spirit of our many partners, including:

The First Awards from the Fund Are Being Announced

The first wave of funding to ensure essential services to our community has been awarded to several key, frontline nonprofit partners. The first awards are to the House of Neighborly Service, Madonna Center, Family Service Association, Merced Housing, LiftFund, San Antonio for Growth on the Eastside (SAGE), South Texas Blood and Tissue Center, San Antonio Food Bank, I Care San Antonio and Meals on Wheels. Collectively, the nonprofits were awarded $350,000. Each of these nonprofits provides invaluable support to our community, ranging from children to older adults, often in our city’s most distressed zip codes. In just one example, the Madonna Center is bringing food and social services to older adults through two of their signature programs. Read more at our latest press release.

Funding has also been provided to two of our institutional partners, the City of San Antonio and United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County. In the case of the city, $50,000 in gift cards is now being distributed through senior centers and Pre-K sites, and early feedback is that the most immediate need is prescriptions for people with underlying conditions such as asthma. Our partnership with the United Way resulted in the Area Foundation’s $50,000 in funds not only being matched, but nearly quadrupled to provide childcare to workers in essential jobs who may be unable to fulfill pressing job needs without childcare support.

The Road Ahead

While none of us can anticipate the length of this crisis, or the evolving needs, the Area Foundation is humbled to serve as a charitable response  leader in partnership with many other caring philanthropically-minded entities. As of yesterday afternoon, nearly 50 applications from nonprofits had been received, and nearly 100 more are in “draft” stage, as nonprofits finalize and submit applications. An advisory group, comprised of the partners who have joined in seeding the fund, are reviewing recommendations from our Community Engagement & Impact team twice a week. Awards are being made in a timely fashion, and our Finance team is working to ensure funds become available electronically to our grant recipients.

To that end, our staff is accessible to the public, even as we work remotely to get critical work done and respond to the community in real-time. You may reach out to any of us through our online staff directory.

Stronger Together

I am so proud of what our nonprofit partners, collaborative funders and donors, and the Area Foundation team has accomplished in such a short time, and we will all need resilience and continued optimism for the journey ahead. Stay safe and well, as we need your leadership to continue responding to the evolving needs of so many in our wonderful community. I’m grateful for you, as we all learn new ways of being stronger, together!

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As you are well aware there is much happening across the globe as communities prepare for the impact of the coronavirus. San Antonio is no exception as the Mayor declared a local public health emergency. As a result, Patricia Mejia and the Community Engagement and Impact team (CEI) have been monitoring the situation in the event that Disaster Relief funding needs to be activated to support local nonprofits. The CEI team has engaged with the City’s Department of Human Services and Metro Health to ensure a coordinated path forward, while listening closely to our nonprofit partners. Should Disaster Relief funding need to be activated, the John L. Santikos Committee of the Board of Directors will receive a recommendation for review and consideration. Our experienced team is well versed in managing grant requests for this type of funding.

The Development and Donor Services (DDS) team is also preparing to help corporations support their employees through the potential activation of disaster and hardship funds. The DDS team is researching options, and is prepared to serve our community on behalf of our corporate-advised funds.

As part of our internal planning process, the Area Foundation has prepared for the potential disruption that may occur with the coronavirus. Improvements include expanding Information Technology (IT) capacity so that employees may securely and with ease work from home if deemed necessary, along with expediting plans to implement video conferencing capabilities. The majority of Area Foundation staff had already been equipped to work from home if needed, and our inventory of available laptops has been increased to aid even more employees.

Human Resources has readily shared with employees that if they feel ill, they may utilize their paid time off (PTO), or we can accommodate a work from home option without impacting PTO to avoid spreading common viruses. Our goal is a healthy team at all times!

Exciting News!

• I recently attended a large community foundation conference alongside board chair, Theo Guidry. My colleagues and I were very impressed with the conference topics and speakers. Eric Holder, the 82nd Attorney General of the United States, and Valerie Jarrett, senior advisor to President Obama were part of a dynamic conversation on the importance of voting. We also were able to visit the border wall in San Ysidro, California and hear directly from border patrol agents, the U.S. Consul General to Mexico, Sue Saarnio, and her counterpart, the Mexico Consult General to the U.S., Carlos Gutierrez. The panel provided a frank and balanced conversation, bringing great insight into the tough challenges we face at our southern border. Overall, the conference was a view into the power of collaboration and I very much enjoyed having the opportunity to learn more about our sister institutions, and getting to know the CEO’s that lead them.

• Dr. Adena Loston, Area Foundation board member, traveled recently to Mississippi for a dedication of a historical marker in the name of her late father, Tommie Williams, Sr. Mr. Williams was a stalwart community civil rights activist who provided voice, leadership, mentoring, training, and social services for the needy and served as a community humanitarian. He was a voice for community at the national level with President Jimmy Carter, and at the state level with Mississippi Governor Ray Mabus. His service was recognized statewide, nationally, and by many agencies and organizations. Adena honors her father’s legacy in so many meaningful ways!

• A final nonprofit info session will be hosted on Thursday, March 26 at 1:30 p.m. in the Wells Center. This session is part of a series offered to nonprofits as they apply for the first cycle of our 2020 annual responsive grantmaking process. Applications are already available, with a deadline of Sunday, April 5 for Cultural Vibrancy and Youth Success. Another cycle of grantmaking will open in the summer for Successful Aging and Livable and Resilient Communities.

• Graduation – Patricia Mejia, vice president of Community Engagement and Impact, recently graduated from the Executive Leadership Institute hosted by CF Leads. Patricia was one of seven vice presidents accepted into the program from community foundations across the nation.

• Staff on the move – Lorna Stafford, director of Communications, has transitioned into her new role as a facilitator with the Learning and Development team. Learning and Development team facilitators create and oversee nonprofit courses and cohorts at the Area Foundation as well as internal training for staff. Lorna has master’s degree in education and is also an adjunct lecturer at Texas State University, teaching media writing in the School of Journalism.

Staff in the Community

Many of our staff have been honored by recent board appointments! 

• Rebecca Helterbrand, vice president of Marketing, Communications and Technology, has been elected to the board of the Oakes Club, a local women’s professional membership group.

• Patty Russett, senior executive assistant, was also elected to the board of Executive Women International (EWI), a global women’s organization with a strong local chapter.

• Lynda Cabell, CFO, has been named treasurer of the Masters Leadership Program (MLP) Alumni Association. Lynda will be graduating soon from the current MLP class.

With gratitude,

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What an amazing year it has been for the Area Foundation! We ended strong in 2019 thanks to your dedication and commitment to the success of this organization. Thank you for welcoming me to the team and walking alongside me as I learned the ropes of the Area Foundation. I appreciate the gains we have made together in such a short time, and I look forward to the accomplishments we will have in 2020.

Here are a few of the 2019 highlights.

YEAR IN REVIEW

• Nearly 100 nonprofit agencies received a total of $3 million in operational support from the Area Foundation. Learn more about our 2019 grantmaking here.
• Another $7 million plus was granted into the local community from the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation to help prevent domestic violence, ensure every person is counted in the upcoming Census, create strategies to support the Alamo Promise of education attainment, and more.

• Successfully Living and Aging in San Antonio (SALSA) produced key research revealing housing and transportation issues for our area’s older population.

• The Area Foundation provided seed funding to create a San Antonio chapter of the national nonprofit, Asset Funders Network. A ground-breaking research study released in 2019 detailed how our community can address areas of poverty with specific asset building strategies for families. We further helped establish a financial coaching hub that aims to train nonprofit staff in order to target our most challenged areas.
• We have been working alongside large funders in our community to collectively discuss and address the need for data, systems integration and common technology platforms to begin the process of determining impact.
• We established processes to prepare for our change to four key focus areas in 2020. These areas — Youth Success, Cultural Vibrancy, Successful Aging, and Livable & Resilient Communities – will allow for more focused community impact.
• Our scholarship impact grew with 1,200 students receiving funding to begin or continue their college education.

• We cultivated a major gift for 2020. An announcement will soon be made about a new scholarship fund, which when fully established, will be one of the top scholarship funds in the nation and will benefit students in Bexar and Webb counties.
• Our focus to build millennial relationships began in the latter part of 2019. As a result, two major funds were established, and a valuable partnership was created. 

1. The Live 2 Ride Fund supports policy and programs to create safer streets for pedestrians and cyclists. 
2. In addition, Students + Startups was established as a supporting organization of the Area Foundation. Students + Startups is a 10-week internship program connecting San Antonio startups with high-caliber university students. 
3. We also launched a partnership with San Antonio Young Professionals – a citywide group recognized for helping young professionals connect, engage and transform.

• We have led successful training programs for area nonprofits and boards, benefiting thousands. From our HOLT CAT partnership to Board Day with Dan Pallotta, to the ever-increasing schedule of nonprofit trainings hosted in the Wells Center.

• Nonprofit membership is another important aspect of this team, and 2019resulted in record numbers. For the first time, the Area Foundation has topped 100 nonprofit memberships.
• The Area Foundation received accreditation from the Community Foundations’ National Standards Board, validating our processes and due diligence efforts.
• The latter part of 2019 marked a refreshed brand standard for the Area Foundation across all organization platforms, and an updated website look and feel.

Exciting News!

Our Growing Family – In 2019, we also welcomed several new family members to the Area Foundation. Our newest staffers are Fabiana R. Gomes and Cecilia Martinez. Both joined our new Marketing and Communications (MarCom) team the first week of January. Fabiana will oversee the website and Cecilia will spearhead our very popular Nonprofit Weekly, which provides the latest news and information to our more than 6,000 nonprofit subscribers. Before the holidays, we welcomed Laura Giacomoni and Anne Marie Oliver to the Development and Donor Services team, Stephanie LaFroscia to the CEI team, and Renee Carta as our new receptionist. In addition, two staffers – Jessica Urias and Arizbeth Posada – received promotions. Jessica was promoted to grant assistant and Arizbeth to senior social media specialist.

As you can see, a lot has taken place in 2019. It was a year of growth and new beginnings, a strong start for our trajectory in 2020. I look forward to all the great accomplishments the new year will bring as we lock arms for further success.

Wishing you a Happy 2020!

We are stronger together,

The post 2019 Year in Review appeared first on San Antonio Area Foundation.

From our new Fiesta medals to our community outreach, there’s much to share in this edition. Enjoy.

Exciting News!

Fiesta Medal Coming Soon

We are so excited to offer Area Foundation Fiesta medals this year! The medal, pictured here, is scheduled to arrive in March and will be a fun opportunity to share and trade.

$10 million and counting 

Several news outlets announced our wonderful news – the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation, a fund of the San Antonio Area Foundation, was a significant part of awarding more than $10 million to 100-plus nonprofits from discretionary funding. The awards also include funding from 60 other legacy funds. To learn more, read here.

5,000 likes and counting

The word is getting out about the Area Foundation. We hit a significant milestone – 5,000 likes on Facebook.

Area Foundation in the news 

Thank you Bobby Blount of the San Antonio Area African American Community Fund for mentioning the Area Foundation on KENS 5, recently. If you didn’t get a chance to see it, we’ve included a link to the story on our website. Bobby talked about the African American Community Fund’s partnership with LiftFund that will further support African American entrepreneurs. Also, the Express-News wrote a wonderful story about Oasis. The nonprofit received a $30,000 grant from the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation in May 2019 to build a room for fitness classes. You can read the story here.

Area Foundation in Community

The Community, Engagement and Impact (CEI) team has conducted more than 40 meetings with nonprofits since the 2019 operational funding grants were announced. These touchpoint meetings with funded and unfunded nonprofits answers the request nonprofits voiced in our market research to have additional information at the end of each grantmaking process.

The Development and Donor Services team is working on new strategies to better meet the needs of our donors. One strategy addresses how we communicate with donors who are leading increasingly busy lives. As a result, information will soon go out to our donors regarding the revamp of quarterly statements. Stay tuned for more information.

SALSA (Successfully Aging and Living in San Antonio) and the CEI team hosted the vice president of Professional Affairs for the Gerontological Society of American on Jan. 17. The focus of the mini-workshop was to share the latest information on the national initiative titled Reframing Aging. The initiative guides communities on how to change cultural thought on aging through the words we use.

Staff in the Community

I had the pleasure of being the featured speaker at the Planned Giving Council of San Antonio’s Jan. 14 meeting at the Plaza Club. Meanwhile, Lisa Brunsvold presented our donor services to the Independent Insurance Agents group on Jan. 15.

Cadence Corbin, program officer on the CEI team, has been named to the SA2020 Communications Committee. Cadence is also a member of the Spurs Young Professionals Leadership Team; and is an inaugural member of Excel Academy, a 10-month cohort that integrates developmental relationships with leadership principles within the Excel Beyond the Bell network.

Gary Wise, director of technology on the Strategy and Innovation team, has been appointed as co-chair of the 2020 Technology Association of Grantmakers (TAG) conference. The conference will take place in San Antonio later this year. TAG supports the efforts of local and national community foundations including the Ford Foundation, the McArthur Foundation, The Kresge Foundation, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Notables

Join our own Dorian Williams, Sr., Ph.D. at a book signing at The Twig Bookshop on Friday, Feb. 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. to celebrate his recently published book, “Strategic Planning for Black Folk.” Dorian serves as our learning & development manager.

New citizen – Congratulations to Fabi Rocha, website specialist, who became a U.S. citizen on Jan. 23.

Congratulations to Araceli Calvillo who was recently promoted to Donor Relations Assistant in the department of Development and Donor Services. Araceli currently serves DDS and the Marketing, Communications, and Technology team as the administrative assistant.

Area Foundation Workshops/Trainings – Don’t forget to check out the list of workshops offered by our Learning and Development department. This is a great way to learn from instructors who are experts in their fields. For a list of workshops, go to the events calendar tab at saafdn.org.

We are stronger together,

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