A few months ago, I experienced one of those rare days that fills the soul.
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.
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.
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
