Strategic Partnerships and Investments

We partner with the public, corporate and private sectors to leverage philanthropy’s intellectual, community and financial capital to achieve positive change.

Strategic Partnerships

We partner with the public, corporate and private sectors to leverage philanthropy’s intellectual, community and financial capital to achieve positive change.

By 2030, we will increase postsecondary enrollment of Bexar County High School Graduates in a degree or credential program to 70%.

The Future Ready Bexar County Plan is a community wide place-based partnership, dedicated to shared action towards a more equitable future for youth in our communities. 

How will we know when young people are Future Ready?

Healing

Young people will be future ready when they have the developmental relationships and healing supports they need to thrive. 

Access

Young people will be future ready when they can access high quality education and career opportunities. 

Voice

Young people will be future ready when their voices are heard and their leadership potential is nurtured.

As an anchor partner for the Bexar County Future Ready Plan, the San Antonio Area Foundation has committed to providing 25 million dollars over the next seven years in support of advancing community wide systems change and deep collaboration that will drive progress towards our shared goal.

There is currently no grant process open for the Future Ready Initiative. Please sign up for our newsletter to keep up to date on grant opportunities in 2024. 

What is the Corporate Partners for Racial Equity?

In 2021, 12 corporate leaders and philanthropists in San Antonio joined efforts to form the Corporate Partners for Racial Equity (CPRE) with a mission of improving racial equity in our greater San Antonio community. As part of this effort, these leaders took a close look at racial equity disparities in San Antonio and recognized how complex and deeply rooted they are. They educated themselves on current systemic disadvantages underserved groups face and how those factors influence nearly every aspect of life, from access to healthcare, housing, transportation, education and capital to involvement with the justice system.

They jointly pledged over $13M to support initiatives for underserved people in three focus areas – equitable education, economic opportunity, and community safety and justice. The United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, UP Partnership and the San Antonio Area Foundation are partnering with CPRE to execute the program’s investments into the community’s nonprofit organizations. The San Antonio Area Foundation is administering the overall program and managing the CPRE fund.

What is the CPRE Work?

The CPRE programs are addressing root causes of deep-seated inequities, including but not limited to:

Equitable Education

  • Investments in in-school and out-of school time tutoring for children of color to expand access to quality academic resources in specific geographic areas to achieve at-grade levels in reading and math.
  • Internship programs to provide job readiness training, wrap-around support services and demonstration of the link between academic subjects and actual workplace skills to ensure the success integration of you adults into the work environment.
  • Investment in the community digital equity plan and roadmap to solve issues long term.

Economic Opportunity

  • Investing in subsidized quality early childhood education for children O – 5 and out of school time programming for children 6 – 10; investing in job ‘readiness’ classes, parenting classes, financial coaching, employment, education, workforce training and certification programs; and investing in case management (coaching), family engagement and networking activities, and basic needs supports to build financial stability.
  • Establish a non-dilutive financial capital fund with wrap-around services that include training, networking, and marketing opportunities for micro and small business owned by people of color. “Non-dilutive” funding does not require a small business owner to give up equity in her or his business.

Safety and Justice Equity

  • Investment in wraparound services dedicated to secondary and tertiary violence.
  • Creating internship opportunities with mentoring support, skill acquisition, and career development especially for justice-involved youth.

What is Being Done?

Equitable Education

    • In-School and Out-of-School Tutoring (also known as Multiply Success).
    • Implementation Partner: United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County – Multiply Success.
    • Amount: $700,000 annually for three years.

Strategy and Scope of Work:

  • As part of achieving at-grade level in reading and math, this effort is reducing summer slide and ensuring social emotional learning in ways that are culturally sensitive and tailored to the needs of children of color with an emphasis on Black students.
  • Digital Inclusion.
  • Implementation Partner: SA Digital Connects.
  • Amount: $100,000 annually for three years.
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Strategy and Scope of Work:

  • Investment in this strategy supports SA Digital Connects, a public-private-community collaboration that developed the San Antonio and Greater Bexar County Digital Equity Plan.
  • SA Digital Connects will track and report progress in un/underserved areas, impacting households, students, older adults, veterans, people living with disabilities, workforce, telemedicine, and e-justice.
  • Dual Generation.
  • Implementation Partner: United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County – Dual Gen.
  • Amount: $400,000 annually for three years

Strategy and Scope of Work:

  • This is a place-based initiative that is both an economic development strategy and a way to address economic inequities and disparities for families and their children aged 0 to 10.
  • This community-wide solution coordinates the expertise of community partners who bring decades of experience serving children and families to help them find safe housing, education, childcare and employment. By removing these barriers, families can break the cycle of poverty, achieve greater stability, and fulfill their potential.
  • Non-Dilutive Capital
  • Implementation Partner: Lift Fund
  • Amount: $540,000 annually for three years

Strategy and Scope of Work:

  • This strategy offers micro and small Black owned businesses access to capital without the business owner giving up equity or ownership. It will provide the ability for businesses to be innovative, develop new processes, technologies, and continue building equity.
  • Additionally, awardees will have access to workshops, business and financial consultations and a mentorship program.
  • Wrap-around Services and Community Diversion Efforts
  • Implementation Partner: UP Partnership
  • Amount: $845,000 annually for three years

Strategy and Scope of Work:

  • This strategy will lead to an increase in community safety and student success, while decreasing ethnic, racial and geographic disparities in both high school completion and justice system involvement, especially for young people with highest trauma exposure.
  • Six 3-year grants were awarded to organizations providing Campus-Based Restorative Justice programs in the Harlandale, Judson, and San Antonio ISDs.
  • Internships and Work Placement for Justice-Involved Youth.
  • Implementation Partner: UP Partnership.
  • Amount: $267,000 annually for three years

Strategy and Scope of Work:

  • This strategy will lead to an increase in community safety, while decreasing ethnic, racial and geographic disparities in employment.
  • Chrysalis Ministries was identified and selected as the lead agency in 2021.
  • This program will serve 20 – 25 youth per year with a goal to move 6 – 8 of them to full-time employment.
  • Partnership with Juvenile Probation and Restore Education. Restore Education will provide GED training and testing, Chrysalis Ministries will provide access to internships and jobs, and wrap-around case management support to the intern as needed.

Public Partnerships

In every part of the country, community foundations of all sizes are partnering with the public sector to leverage philanthropy’s intellectual, community, and financial capital to achieve positive change. Members of the Council on Foundations are leading these public-philanthropic partnerships. In our community, the San Antonio Area Foundation partners with the City of San Antonio and Bexar County on work that aligns with our Mission and Values.

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