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SA2020 | San Antonio Area Foundation Turns Gifts Into Educational Impact | SA2020

San Antonio Area Foundation Turns Gifts Into Educational Impact

The San Antonio Area Foundation understands impact. The community foundation helps people make meaningful gifts that will have a long-lasting impact on the quality of life in San Antonio. Together with these donors, the San Antonio Area Foundation helps local nonprofits strengthen their mission, leads the way on several key community issues, and creates change through grants and scholarships.

One key impact area is the education of today’s students. Donors at the San Antonio Area Foundation believe that the future success of our community rests in the hands of today’s students and that success is greatly enhanced by a quality education. That’s why donors have established more than 90 scholarship funds for graduating high school and current college students to ensure educational dreams and goals are not hindered nor altered due to financial concerns.

In 2016 alone, 649 students received scholarships for a total of $3.3 million. In addition, the Area Foundation began the College Success Program in 2017 to help renewable scholarship recipients complete their education on time. The College Success Program includes emergency assistance grants, an annual scholarship event, a texting system to remind students of upcoming deadlines, on-campus meet and greets, and other valuable information.

The Area Foundation also focuses on high school completion, another key community initiative, to ensure students are equipped and empowered for graduation. The Area Foundation does this by awarding grants to nonprofit organizations that provide out-of-school programs to Bexar County students in third through ninth grade. In addition to grants, the Area Foundation provides resources and leadership to help make these programs high quality and high impact.

Other key impact areas include training and development for area nonprofits, and again co-hosting the Big Give, South Central Texas’s annual 24-hour day of philanthropy, which funds hundreds of nonprofits serving area of need in our community, including education.

By funding and supporting our local nonprofits and students, the San Antonio Area Foundation is transforming both the lives of San Antonio’s young people and the future of our community. We’re grateful for their work to expand opportunities throughout San Antonio.