A couple reviews their will, realizing it reflects what they own, but not fully what they value. A parent watches their child step into the world and wonders what kind of community will be waiting for them. A retiree looks back on a lifetime of work and asks what part of it will last. A donor, long committed to giving, begins to think not just about impact today, but about what endures. 

Different paths. Different stages. Same crossroads: “What will my legacy be?” 

Celebrating Leave a Legacy Month 

May is Leave a Legacy Month, a time to reflect on that question and, more importantly, to act on it. 

At the San Antonio Area Foundation, legacy gifts are a cornerstone of collective impact. They allow us to respond to urgent needs, invest in long-term solutions, and close opportunity gaps across our region. From scholarships that open doors for students, to support for aging neighbors, to investments in cultural vibrancy and resilient communities, these gifts sustain the work that strengthens San Antonio for generations. 

Yet legacy giving is often misunderstood. It can feel distant or reserved for a select few. In reality, it is one of the most accessible and powerful ways to support the causes and communities you care about. Leaving a legacy might be as easy as including a gift in your will or naming a fund you care about as part of your retirement or life insurance plans— offering a flexible way to give that can fit a wide range of goals and circumstances. 

At its core, a legacy gift is about alignment. It connects what matters most to you with lasting impact, ensuring those values continue to shape the community for years to come. 

For those who choose to formalize that intention, the Area Foundation’s Visionary Circle recognizes individuals and families who have included a legacy gift in their plans. Members share a forward-looking perspective, understanding that generosity is not just about what we give today, but what we set in motion for tomorrow.  

Visionary Legacy Shapes Our Community… 

For more than 60 years, legacy giving has been a part of our DNA. Our founder, Richard E. Goldsmith, established the Area Foundation through a legacy gift, creating a permanent resource for this community. His vision was simple and profound: to connect generosity with need in a way that would endure. 

That single act of foresight has grown into more than $900 million in grants and scholarships, supporting thousands of organizations and individuals across our region. It is a powerful reminder that legacy gifts are real, tangible acts that shape communities over time. 

…And You Have the Power to Shape Tomorrow 

Leave a Legacy Month is both an invitation and a reminder. You do not need to have all the answers. You simply need to begin the conversation. 

And that brings us back to where we started: The couple at the kitchen table. The parent imagining the future. The retiree reflecting on a life’s work. The donor thinking one step further. 

Different stories. Same question. What will your legacy be? 

 Learn More About Leaving Your Legacy 

The post Leave a Legacy Month: Everyone Has the Power to Shape Tomorrow appeared first on San Antonio Area Foundation.

Why Local News Day Matters

Across the country, people are choosing to start local. They’re following neighborhood outlets, subscribing to trusted sources, and supporting the organizations that help them stay connected to their communities.

At the same time, the landscape is shifting. More than 1,300 communities nationwide are considered “news deserts,” and in Texas, many counties have limited or no consistent local news coverage.

Local News Day connects both sides of this story. It’s a day to recognize the role local news plays in daily life and to act—whether that’s following a newsroom on social media, sharing a story, or making a gift that helps sustain this work. And when people come together to support local news, the entire ecosystem grows stronger.

A Local Solution with Lasting Impact

As the local lead for Press Forward San Antonio, the San Antonio Area Foundation is part of a national movement to strengthen access to reliable local information through coordinated, community-centered action.

“Local news is how people stay connected to what’s happening around them and make informed decisions about their daily lives,” said Jesus Garcia-Gonzalez, senior program officer at the San Antonio Area Foundation, where he leads the organization’s Press Forward effort. “Local News Day is an opportunity to build on that connection and make it even stronger.”

One of the most effective ways to participate is by contributing to the Local News Fund, a pooled fund that brings donors together to support local news organizations and the infrastructure behind them.

Through this collective approach, the Local News Fund:

• Supports reliable local information and the people who provide it.
• Provides flexible, sustained funding to strengthen local news organizations.
• Opens doors for new voices and local reporting talent.
• Protects independence through combined support.
  

When donors come together, the impact reaches further. In Texas, more than 130 counties have only one newsroom, and 30 have none, highlighting where collective support can make the greatest difference.

“Strong communities depend on access to trustworthy local information,” said Lisa Brunsvold, Chief Development Officer at the Area Foundation. “When donors come together to support local news, they’re investing in a more informed, connected, and resilient community.”

Additional Ways to Take Part

Local News Day is designed to be simple and accessible. You can participate in a way that feels right for you:

• Follow a local news outlet on social media, or subscribe to their newsletter.
• Share a story that matters to your community, citing a local news organization as your source of information.
• Directly support the outlets you rely on most (Find info on local outlets at localnewsday.org)
  

No matter how you choose to take action this Local News Day, your effort helps ensure local information remains accessible, relevant, and rooted in the communities it serves.

The post Start Close to Home: Join Us for Local News Day appeared first on San Antonio Area Foundation.

At the San Antonio Area Foundation, we are honored to work with women across multiple generations. A shining example is the pioneering work of the women behind the Smart Start Fund. On our grantmaking side, we’re proud of the work of our Women & Girls Development Fund and nonprofit partners such as Girls Inc of San Antonio, Girls on the Run Bexar County and YWCA San Antonio.

Women’s growing control over wealth is fueling transformative potential to reshape philanthropy. According to research-based analysis published in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, over the next decade, trillions of dollars will transfer to women through inheritance, earnings and outliving male partners in heterosexual couples. 

What’s more, research from Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, including Women Give 2024: 20 Years of Gender & Giving Trends, supports what many are seeing firsthand: women are increasingly leading charitable decisions within their families.

Sometimes this shift happens gradually — a daughter becomes more involved in conversations about family giving, or a spouse who once deferred decisions begins shaping philanthropic priorities more directly. In other cases, the transition is sudden and deeply personal, such as after the death of a spouse or parent, when a woman assumes sole responsibility for stewarding both financial assets and charitable intent.

You’re likely familiar with high-profile examples such as MacKenzie Scott and Melinda Gates. But the trend is much more widespread than just a couple of big names. Indeed, women often give more generously, more broadly and more collaboratively than men. Notably, the ways women approach philanthropy differ significantly from men’s, especially with respect to motivations such as empathy, personal priorities and firsthand involvement.  

As women step more fully into philanthropic leadership, thoughtful planning can help ensure that their giving remains impactful and sustainable. Here are three ways the Area Foundation often partners with women and families to implement philanthropic intentions:

Creating a family philanthropy vehicle
A DAF at the Area Foundation can provide a flexible structure for collaborative giving. Many women choose to involve children or grandchildren as co-advisors, turning grantmaking into an opportunity to share values and learn together about community needs. These funds can be established with tax-efficient assets — such as appreciated stock or other complex assets — helping maximize both impact and stewardship.

Focusing on a cause for the long term
For donors who feel called to support a particular issue — education, healthcare, the arts, emergency assistance or another area of personal significance — a field-of-interest fund can provide both focus and flexibility. For donors age 70 ½ or older, Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) to certain types of funds at the Area Foundation (excluding DAFs) from an IRA may offer an efficient way to support charitable priorities during life. Furthermore, naming a DAF as an IRA beneficiary can extend that support well beyond the donor’s lifetime.

Strengthening a favorite organization
Some women dedicate years of service to a specific nonprofit. In these cases, strategic planning can ensure that commitment endures. Grants can address immediate needs such as staffing or infrastructure, while a designated fund (an eligible recipient of a QCD) can provide dependable annual support for generations to come.

Women’s philanthropy continues to shape our communities in profound ways. Whether leadership transitions happen gradually or through life-changing events, the opportunity to align generosity with long-term purpose is powerful. 

As always, the Area Foundation is here for women and here for everyone. It is our honor to support your philanthropy — helping ensure it reflects both enduring legacy and evolving purpose. Reach out to us with any questions about the many options we offer to give back to the community!

The post Women & Philanthropy: Impact Across Generations appeared first on San Antonio Area Foundation.

They know they want to have an impact, align their generosity with their values, and perhaps even involve their families — but they are often unsure where to begin.

The combination of busy lives, changing tax laws and an ever-growing number of worthy causes can make getting started feel overwhelming. The good news is that taking a few simple, thoughtful actions at the beginning of the year can bring clarity and confidence to your giving. 

Here are three first steps to inspire you:

Consider reviewing your 2025 charitable contributions with our team at the San Antonio Area Foundation.

Looking back at last year’s giving can be surprisingly helpful, especially when guided by professionals who understand both philanthropy and the local community. The Area Foundation can help you see the real-world impact of your gifts, identify patterns in your giving and highlight opportunities you may not have considered.

This review also creates a natural bridge to planning your 2026 support, whether that means refining your focus, adjusting gift amounts, or exploring new charitable vehicles. Just as important, it allows you to begin thinking strategically about future years, helping ensure that your generosity grows in a way that is both meaningful and sustainable.

Talk with your tax advisors as soon as possible about whether and how new tax laws might impact your situation. 

Charitable giving is closely connected to tax and estate planning, and early conversations can help you make informed decisions before the year gets too far along.

This is also an ideal time to revisit your estate plan and beneficiary designations. Many donors choose to include a gift to their donor-advised (DAF) or other type of fund at the Area Foundation in their wills, trusts, or beneficiary designations on retirement accounts or life insurance policies, creating a lasting legacy that reflects their values.

 Coordinating these updates with your tax advisor and the Area Foundation can ensure your charitable intentions are clearly documented, tax-efficient, and aligned with your overall financial and estate planning goals.

Set goals for your charitable involvement in 2026. 

Rather than giving reactively, goal setting allows you to be proactive and intentional about how you engage with the causes you care about.

The Area Foundation can help you explore new and emerging charities, learn more about pressing needs in the community and connect with organizations that align with your interests.

Together, you and our team can create a plan for timing gifts throughout the year, whether through recurring contributions, single large gifts early in the year to help a favorite charity leap ahead or strategic gifts of highly appreciated or complex assets. This approach not only makes giving more manageable but also helps ensure your generosity has the greatest possible impact.

As you look ahead, remember that you do not have to navigate charitable planning on your own. The Area Foundation is here to serve as your most trusted and impactful partner — whether you are just getting started, refining an existing plan, or thinking about the legacy you want to leave for future generations.

We invite you to reach out anytime to ask questions, explore ideas, or take the next step in your giving journey. We are honored to help you turn your charitable intentions into your legacy.

The post Get Started Now: Three First Steps For Your 2026 Charitable Giving appeared first on San Antonio Area Foundation.

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Whether increased community needs are triggered by a government shutdown that disrupts paychecks, services and community programs, a natural disaster, or economic factors, the San Antonio Area Foundation is committed to helping you structure charitable giving plans that make a real difference in the lives of people in our region.

Here are some examples of how our team can help:

Real-time identification of needs. Our team at the Area Foundation has its finger on the pulse of which organizations are helping families in crisis. As federal employees and contractors grapple with missing income, and federal benefits become uncertain for families in need, charities in our community can be stretched thin attempting to meet the rising demand for food, rent, and utility assistance. The Area Foundation has the expertise as to where dollars are most needed and how those dollars translate into immediate impact.

Offering fast and flexible charitable solutions. If you have already established a donor-advised fund (DAF) with us, or if you are considering doing so, you can use it to provide support to charities on the front lines of emergency assistance in our community. The Area Foundation makes it fast and easy for grants to flow out of DAFs to qualified and vetted organizations that are doing the work on the ground.

Leverage important timing. The urgency of community needs in late 2025 coincides with an important window of opportunity for people who itemize their income tax deductions. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), limits on charitable deductions will tighten beginning in 2026. That means it may be advantageous to certain donors to “front-load” or “bunch” contributions — such as by giving more this year through establishing or adding to a DAF — to maximize both tax benefits and impact.

Plan for the future. Unfortunately, community crises are not unusual. The Area Foundation works with you and other donors and fund holders to strengthen our community’s ability to respond to urgent needs, regardless of when and why they occur. For this reason, many donors not only give to their favorite charities through DAFs, but they also use these funds to give to the Area Foundation’s dedicated response funds to ensure that dollars are in place to support people in need the moment the next crisis hits.

At the Area Foundation, we encourage you to reach out anytime. At this moment, though, when urgent needs and tax opportunities are occurring simultaneously, we encourage you to reach out as soon as possible. It is our honor to work with you and your fellow donors who care so deeply about our community.

The post Year-End Dynamics: Tax Law Changes Amid Timely Community Needs  appeared first on San Antonio Area Foundation.

Here are six tips to help you and your attorney, CPA, and financial advisor evaluate whether adjustments to your charitable plan might be in order. Of course, the team at the San Antonio Area Foundation would be honored to join your meeting for the charitable giving conversation. There are many ways we can help! 

Check out the new estate tax exemption

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) extended or “made permanent” many favorable tax provisions, notably the elevated estate tax exemption. In technical terms, under the new law, the 2025 estate tax exemption is $13.99 million for single filers and $27.98 million married filing jointly. In 2026, these numbers increase to $15 million and $30 million respectively. You may recall that the higher exemption was originally scheduled to sunset at the end of this year, which would have caused a lot more estates to be subject to tax. This, in turn, prompted many people to lean on charitable gifts in their wills and trusts to blunt the impact of estate taxes.

Keep planning!

If you are a high net worth individual, even though the estate tax exemption is staying high, this is no time to become complacent. Although no one knows what future tax legislation might look like, we all know that there will be tax legislation in the future. Today’s tax advantages will not be tomorrow’s tax advantages. Continue to talk with our team at the Area Foundation and your advisors about your charitable giving plans so you are ready to make adjustments when the laws change again.

Consider not making a change

Above all, remember that financial motivations are not the top reason people support charities. That is certainly our experience at the Area Foundation. So, if you were among the people who adjusted estate plans in anticipation of the lower estate tax exemption, consider retaining the larger bequest to your fund at the Area Foundation or other charities. You’ll be doing a lot of good! 

2025 is important if you itemize deductions on your income tax return

If you itemize deductions on your income tax return, 2025 presents a window of opportunity! This is because the OBBBA increases the standard deduction in 2025. This is also because your itemized charitable deductions will be subject to a “floor” and cap starting in 2026. A technique called “bunching” could allow you to make big contributions to your donor-advised fund (DAF) at the Area Foundation in 2025 so that you can benefit from itemizing your deductions. In turn, over the coming years, you can use your DAF to support your favorite charities.   

Stick to the basics

Sure, a lot is changing, but a lot isn’t! Appreciated stock is still likely to be a much more tax-savvy gift to charity than cash, and it’s important to keep this at the top of mind. In addition, IRAs remain a powerful charitable planning tool. For instance, when you name a fund at the Area Foundation as the beneficiary of an IRA, the gift avoids estate tax and income tax, both of which can hit your heirs hard. 

Know the opportunities if you are 70 ½ or older

If you are 70 ½ or older, the Qualified Charitable Distribution (“QCD”) is a great way to transfer up to $108,000 (2025’s per taxpayer limit) income-tax free to a qualified charity, including some types of funds at the Area Foundation. 

Want to discuss these tips with us? Have questions or clarifications? We’re here for you. Please reach out to us – we’re honored to be your first call on all things charitable giving! 

The post Donors: Six Tips For Your Year-End Game Plan appeared first on San Antonio Area Foundation.

Young adults in particular are getting involved in the community in ways that look a little different from prior generations. Research shows that Generation Z and Millennials tend to be more focused on issues than specific charities.

Not surprisingly, a tech-forward approach to all aspects of philanthropy is common among members of these generations, including engaging with favorite causes on social media and making donations online. What’s more, a 2024 study indicates that for younger generations, volunteering and donating are strongly tied to civic participation.

If you’re a parent or grandparent of young adults, or if you’re a young adult yourself, you’ll be glad to know that the Area Foundation can help. Here are three suggestions. 

Make it a family affair

The Area Foundation works with families to build charitable giving plans that involve all generations to achieve overall philanthropic priorities as well as coordinating with families’ advisors to achieve tax planning objectives. For example, a multi-generational philanthropy portfolio can include donor-advised funds, legacy plans that include IRA beneficiary designations to establish an endowment, and strategic use of Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs) for family members who are 70 ½ or older.   

Make a point to start early

Many young adults are establishing charitable giving practices early in their careers. For example, it’s not uncommon now for new hires to name a charity, such as a fund at the Area Foundation, as the contingent beneficiary of an employer-sponsored retirement plan. In addition, starting in 2026, taxpayers who don’t itemize deductions can still take a tax deduction for charitable gifts up to $1000 for single filers and $2000 for joint filers. This can be a great way for younger generations to support the causes they care about. Although the deduction only applies to cash gifts and does not include gifts to donor-advised funds, it’s nonetheless a notable perk. The Area Foundation is happy to serve as a sounding board for ways to leverage this opportunity to make a difference.   

Make new connections

The Area Foundation can help young people get connected with peer networks who share an interest in getting involved in the community. For example, our team is happy to serve as the back office for establishing what’s known as a “giving circle,” which is a type of fund that allows donors to pool resources with peers to make a bigger impact than they could achieve alone. Giving circles also provide outstanding hands-on learning experiences in philanthropy, especially because the Area Foundation provides education and resources about grantmaking, local needs, and nonprofit leadership. 

The Area Foundation is honored to serve as our region’s home for charitable giving across generations. We look forward to working with you and your family to support your favorite charities and achieve meaningful outcomes in our community. Please reach out to us with any questions or to learn next steps toward fulfilling your philanthropic goals!

The post Three Tips For Young Adult Donors appeared first on San Antonio Area Foundation.

Charitable giving to education rose in 2024 to more than $58 billion. If education and related causes are important to you, the San Antonio Area Foundation can help you explore a variety of meaningful ways to make an impact. Here are three ideas to inspire a deeper discussion:

Explore options for expanding student support

In many cases, donors set up a scholarship or other type of fund to support a particular educational institution and then set it on autopilot. There’s nothing wrong with this approach, but you might miss an opportunity to make a deeper impact. The Area Foundation team is happy to facilitate a dialogue with you and the school to structure your funding – whether through a scholarship or other types of support – to fill gaps in student need. For example, if you’d like to support students pursuing a college degree beyond simply scholarship dollars, the Area Foundation can help identify needs for dollars to increase faculty salaries, purchase lab equipment, or pay an on-campus counselor to help students acclimate to college life. 

Investigate opportunities to improve the quality of education

Many donors are concerned that high school graduates are ill-prepared for post-secondary education, whether that’s a traditional four-year college, community college, or trade school. The Area Foundation can help you address this gap with your charitable dollars. For example, you could establish a fund to support teachers, which in turn helps improve student success. Indeed, teachers are often considered the single most important in-school factor for student success. Charitable funding that enhances teacher training, mentorship, and ongoing professional development creates ripple effects across classrooms and generations of students.

Find your education “niche”

By establishing a field-of-interest fund at the Area Foundation, you can identify specific parameters within education that you’d like to fund. For example, you could be interested in supporting local grassroots programs offering tutoring and mentorship. Or, you may decide to direct your charitable dollars to quality early childhood programs, which have been shown to yield high returns on investments in education. The Area Foundation can help you identify an area of focus. Going forward, our team leverages deep knowledge and research to identify high-impact opportunities, helping to ensure your generosity makes the greatest difference within your area of interest.

Please reach out to our team anytime! As students head back to school and education is top of mind, the Area Foundation is here to make sure your giving is impactful, focused, and in line with your philanthropic goals.

The post Back To School: Opportunity For Donors To Support Education appeared first on San Antonio Area Foundation.

Even if you’ve been retired for several years, you might still be trying to figure things out. Time and again, research shows us that finding purpose is an essential component of a happy and satisfying retirement. Consider the following: 

• A large-scale, longitudinal study used data from 13,770 older adults, finding that those with a higher sense of purpose at baseline were significantly less likely to develop unhealthy behaviors.
• Other research used a nationally representative panel of over 8,000 American adults and determined that, contrary to some beliefs, retirement can actually increase a person’s sense of purpose. 
• A cross-sectional study analyzed data from nearly 2,000 adults and found that sense of purpose was significantly associated with lower depression and anxiety in both retirees and non-retirees. 

Indeed, retirement offers a unique opportunity for people to rediscover their sense of purpose beyond the confines of a traditional career. The San Antonio Area Foundation can play a pivotal role in this journey. Here’s how:

Check in on tax planning

For starters, the Area Foundation’s Development and Donor Services Department can work with you and your tax advisors to be sure your charitable giving is reflected in your estate and financial plan to achieve the impact you’re seeking.

Among other issues, we’ll help you and your advisors explore whether itemizing your tax deductions in certain years might save you money. You can “bunch” charitable donations into your donor-advised fund in higher-income years to exceed the itemization threshold, then support your favorite causes steadily over time from that fund. If you’re 70 ½ or older, we’ll also help evaluate whether tax-free transfers directly from your IRA — up to $108,000 (in 2025) — to a designated, unrestricted, or field-of-interest fund at the Area Foundation would be an effective planning technique for your situation. 

Involve the next generation

Many retirees have more time to include family members in their personal charitable giving activities. The Area Foundation team can work alongside you and your estate planning advisors to name children or grandchildren as advisors or successor advisors to your donor-advised fund and invite them to participate in site visits and educational events. This is a great way to strengthen family bonds while building a legacy of generosity across generations.

Our team can help you identify ways to include children and grandchildren in site visits to favorite charities and participate in education sessions about community needs and the nonprofits that are making a difference for people who live in our region. 

Build a legacy

Many people update their estate plans just after they retire. As you work with your tax and estate planning advisors, consider incorporating a gift in your estate plan that will allow your charitable legacy to live on for generations.

For example, many people name a fund at the Area Foundation as the beneficiary of their IRAs because of the significant tax advantages when compared with leaving the IRAs to heirs. The Area Foundation is happy to work with you and your advisors to establish a special fund to receive assets from your estate, whether from an IRA or other type of estate gift.

The fund can be structured as a permanent endowment to address the community’s greatest needs far into the future or even support the Area Foundation’s operations to ensure that philanthropy and stewardship continue to thrive for generations to come.

You can also name your donor-advised fund as an estate beneficiary, and your children and grandchildren can serve as advisors to the fund so that they, in turn, can carry on the spirit of charitable giving in the family’s name. 

We look forward to working with you throughout your retirement years to ensure that your community dreams are fulfilled through the power of charitable giving. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to get the conversation started!

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