Our Mission and History

The San Antonio Area Foundation serves as your most trusted and impactful philanthropic partner.

Our Mission

The San Antonio Area Foundation serves as your most trusted and impactful philanthropic partner.

Our Vision

To close opportunity gaps for the people in San Antonio who need it the most.

Our Values

We invest in continuous learning and personal development. We exceed expectations in service to others. We do our best. We do it right. We do it now.

We work with humility, energy, and joy. We explore and embrace new ideas. We value and celebrate one another.

We are honest, trustworthy, and transparent. We honor our donor’s wishes. We are accountable for everything we do.

We collaborate to serve and build community. We invest to create positive change. We practice inclusion and diversity.

Our History

2020: Fifty-six years of Area Foundation history

The faces of our more than fifty-year history represent remarkable generosity and impact. Since our founding in 1964, we have adapted and grown, but our work with donors to address the San Antonio area’s needs through grants, programs, scholarships and training has remained constant.

Faces Collage
Goldsmith Family
1964
San Antonio Area Foundation Established with Honorarium Gift
Mannie Goldsmith sought to create a memorial to his brother, Nat, to honor his wisdom, compassion, and love for San Antonio. With guidance from Nat’s son, Richard E. Goldsmith, Mannie made a gift of $100,000 payable in $10,000 a year for 10 years that ultimately established the San Antonio Area Foundation.
1964
Goldsmith Family
Semp Russ
1987
First Major Gift Received
A $2.9 million bequest from Semp Russ was the turning point in the Area Foundation's young history.
1987
Semp Russ
Katherine Netting Folbre
1981
First Paid Executive Director Hired
1981
Katherine Netting Folbre
$50 Million
1996
Assets Reach $50 million
The Area Foundation reached a first with $50 million in assets.
1996
$50 Million
$100 Million
2000
Assets Reach $100 Million
The Area Foundation reached another major financial milestone with $100 million in assets.
2000
$100 Million
1B
2020
Assets Surpass $1 Billion Mark
Through a transformational gift from an anonymous donor, the Area Foundation surpassed $1 billion in assets under management. The new gift will double the scholarships awarded to deserving students starting in the 2021-2022 school year!
2020
1B

In Their Own Words

We are now part of a community of like-minded people. The Area Foundation has professionals who can handle the paperwork and logistics while allowing us to focus on our mission of research, treatment and therapy for children with anoxic brain injury.

Thank you San Antonio Area Foundation for the generous scholarship. With my scholarship, I will go on to complete my college education in New York City, and hopefully come back to San Antonio after grad school to give back to our community.

The Center for Refugee Services could not continue to provide case management services to deserving clients without this grant from the San Antonio Area Foundation, which has a stringent due diligence process to ensure that donated funds are spent wisely.

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