An Area Foundation Update
Check out our blog posts, follow our work, our progress toward our goals, community impact and more.
Major Donation Puts San Antonio On The National Map For Student Scholarship Programs
Opening the path to college for students through new $2 million annual fund SAN ANTONIO — Nothing was going to hold back Alyssa Pacheco from pursuing her lifelong dream of attending a top liberal arts college in the East Coast. Not even the rather astronomical tuition and fees that tend to come with attending one…
Pandemic Potato Donation Helps Feed Hungry Families
By Gavin Nichols SAN ANTONIO — In late 2019, John Galbraith called the San Antonio Area Foundation to propose the idea of providing a truckload of potatoes to food banks in our region. We were in the process of starting to find funders when COVID-19 hit our region and were not able to do anything…
Centro Cultural Aztlán: Keeping Chicanx Traditions Alive
SAN ANTONIO — No surprise that in a city so steeped in Mexican culture, traditional celebrations originating south of the border would have strong and lasting influences here. One omnipresent example is the annual celebration come every beginning of November: Día de los Muertos or also commonly known as Day of the Dead celebration. Yet as…
The Public Theater: Keeping The (Virtual) Doors Open
By Hernán Rozemberg SAN ANTONIO — About a year ago with the advent of the coronavirus pandemic in our community, Jeff Morden and staff were gearing up for their seventh performance of the year. It was one of The Public Theater of San Antonio’s large-scale musical productions, with a staff of three dozen artists and backstage crew. But…
Making San Antonio Livable No Matter Your Zip Code
By Hernán Rozemberg SAN ANTONIO — Jennifer Cook exudes passion and determination. Those are but a couple of the many strengths and values she brings to the San Antonio Area Foundation as our Senior Program Officer overseeing the Livable and Resilient Communities (LRC) impact area as part of our Community Engagement and Impact team. Jennifer has been…
Help On The Way: Cultural Arts Scene On The Path To Recovery
SAN ANTONIO – Just about a year ago, Mary Heathcott and her team were giddy following another successful First Friday event, hosting hundreds of people strolling gleefully through their art galleries all evening long. Heathcott and staff at Blue Star Contemporary were at the time also knee-deep in planning for “Red Dot Art Sale,” their top annual…
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…
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…