Capacity Building

The San Antonio Area Foundation engages in several strategic partnerships and initiatives intended to build community capacity by responding to community needs, help organizations grow and advance equity.

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Helping Organizations Grow and Advance Equity

The Area Foundation provides professional development opportunities, capacity building grants, and financial support for capacity building initiatives to help organizations build and strengthen their systems, internal structures, skills and resources they need to effectively serve their communities. Feedback provided by the nonprofit sector has informed our decision making on various capacity building projects. As part of these efforts, we are focused on helping small and grassroots nonprofits build future sustainability.

Current or Recent Capacity Building Initiatives

Early-Stage Capacity Building

In partnership with the H. E. Butt Foundation, this project provides early-stage capacity building supports to a cohort of small to mid-sized nonprofit organizations in San Antonio that align with our Foundations’ mission and focus in contributing to the wellbeing of children, youth, and families in our community. Recognizing that many small and mid-size nonprofit organizations in our community serve our most under-invested and marginalized communities with minimal access to capacity building resources, this project is designed to engage and equip organizations with skills and knowledge to prepare for future growth.

The year-long project provides six (6) participating nonprofits with the opportunity to complete the iCAT Nonprofit Organizational Capacity Assessment Tool, reflect on organizational strength and identify critical capacity needs, receive up to 3 hours of technical assistance and coaching support, and receive grant funding to help grow organizational capacity.

Past Participating Organizations

American Indians in Texas at the Spanish Colonial Missions
Black Outside
Boy with a Ball San Antonio
Classical Music Institute
Ella Austin Community Center
Girls on the Run Bexar County
Latched Support
SA Heals
San Anto Cultural Arts Inc.
San Antonio African American Community Archive and Museum
Students of Service
URBAN-15 Group

Capacity Building Grants

Capacity Building Grants support nonprofits looking to strengthen their organizational effectiveness and long-term sustainability. These invite-only grants help organizations build capacity for greater impact by improving internal processes, administration, and operations, with a focus on creating new efficiencies that support mission-driven work.

Selected organizations participate in a guided capacity-building process that includes access to the Impact Capacity Assessment Tool (iCAT), along with technical assistance and coaching support. Through this approach, nonprofits gain a clearer understanding of their organizational strengths and challenges and receive support to identify opportunities for growth, learning, and continuous improvement.

Catchafire Skills-Based Volunteering

COVID-19 increased the need for virtual volunteers. The loss of staff and skills due to budget cuts amplified the need for specialized skills to build organizational infrastructure. In response to this community issue, Social Venture Partners San Antonio (SVPSA) formed a team of San Antonio funders to give over 100 local nonprofits access to Catchafire, a virtual volunteer platform that connects nonprofits with skills-based volunteers. Through this initiative nonprofits have connected with virtual volunteers skilled in various categories including: business strategy, data and analytics, design and media, finance, HR, program management, marketing, technology, COVID-19 essential, and advocacy. Collectively, over 6,000 volunteer hours of pro bono engagements have been spent on nonprofits using Catchafire, totaling over $1.2 million in budget savings. We are a proud partner in this work.