An Area Foundation Update
Check out our blog posts, follow our work, our progress toward our goals, community impact and more.
Investing In Our Youth Is Investing In Our Community’s Success
A proud fifth-generation Texan, Gavin Nichols was born and raised and Dallas but he’s proud to call San Antonio home since he has lived here for nearly four decades. Much of that time he spent working in IT for HEB. He sought to shift to the nonprofit sector, joining the Area Foundation’s Community Engagement and Impact…
Donn “Corky” McCorkindale: Living Life To The Fullest
As with any good coach, Pete Wesp has good pep talks in his arsenal. Right at the top of his list is schooling his athletes on the importance of developing a strong work ethic. To get his point across, Wesp reminds his charges about “Corky,” his best buddy from high school days. “You teach them…
New Grants Boost San Antonio’s African American Community
The San Antonio Area Foundation is proud to team up with and support the San Antonio African American Community Fund (SAAAACF), one of our outreach funds. SAAAACF leadership couldn’t have been more thankful when construction company Vulcan Materials offered a $25,000 donation, since their many supporting nonprofits still suffered from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The unexpected…
Standing Tall: Nonprofits Take On The COVID-19 New Normal
As time went by and with no relief in sight, Ben Tremillo began realizing what all that talk about the new normal he was hearing everywhere was all about. Weeks turned into months and the doors to the venerable artistic hub on San Antonio’s West Side known as San Anto Cultural Arts remain shuttered due to the relentless havoc…
Time To Speak Up As If Our Lives Depended On It
I’ve had many close friends check in on me over the last few months. Given everything going on with racial unrest across the country, they just wanted to make sure I was doing OK. I appreciated their care and concern and I let them know as much. But I was also honest – no, I…
Keeping it Vibrant: Going All in on Arts & Culture
If you’re familiar with our mission and work, you likely know that we work with generous donors to help fund hundreds of wonderful nonprofit organizations across our community. What you may not have heard about are our dedicated and passionate staff members within our Community Engagement and Impact (CEI) team who work with those organizations in getting…
New National Funding Boosts Equity For San Antonio’s Youth
Blue Meridian Partners Makes $8 Million Commitment The San Antonio Area Foundation welcomes a tremendous opportunity to lift up our youth by increasing and enhancing educational and economic opportunities through new national funding. National philanthropic organization Blue Meridian Partners awarded the Area Foundation as well as UP Partnership an $8 million commitment to ensure continued economic mobility…
Pandemic no obstacle for leadership program
More than a dozen executives complete our HOLT Values-Based Leadership™ training Congratulations to our HOLT Values-Based Leadership™ Program Fellows on completing the intensive training during these unprecedent times! The cohort began face-to-face classes in September of 2019 and transitioned to online learning this March after the onset of the coronavirus pandemic forced a hard stop…
West Side Families Count On Good Neighbors During Pandemic
House of Neighborly Service Still Strong After 100+ Years Even with restrictions gradually lifting on being out and about during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Estela Trujillo feels quite jittery about heading out of the house. As an older adult, she knows that unfortunately she’s in the primary target demographic for the dangerous virus. She does…
UP Partnership: Prioritizing An Equitable Recovery For Our Youth
In order to have a truly equitable post-coronavirus recovery, one key factor cannot be overlooked: academic systems serving young people can no longer work independently of one another. “The pandemic clearly showed us that as a city, we are extremely dependent on one another. Education systems, including schools and wrap-around student services, do not work…
A Message from the CEO
Check out some updates from our CEO, Marjie M. French.
COVID-19 Response Fund Growth
Dear Members of the Area Foundation Family, 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…
In Response to COVID-19
Dear Members of the Area Foundation Family, 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…
COVID-19 Grants and Updates
Dear Friends and Colleagues, 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…
Preparing for COVID-19
Dear Friends and Colleagues, 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…
2019 Year in Review
Dear Friends, 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…
It’s Time for Annual Responsive Grants!
Dear Friends and Colleagues, It’s time for annual responsive grants! We are preparing for the first of two competitive funding cycles in the annual responsive grants program. The first cycle will provide funding to nonprofits related to our two new areas of impact – Youth Success and Cultural Vibrancy. Several information sessions have been planned for nonprofits to learn about the process,…
Get Your San Antonio Area Foundation Fiesta Medal
Dear Friends, 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…