In the past 6 months, we’ve welcomed 14 new Nonprofit Partners. All of these organizations work across San Antonio and Bexar County to serve our neighbors and move us closer to the Community Vision we created together. By working in partnership, we can help coordinate and align efforts and foster collaboration among our 156 Nonprofit Partners. Get to know these 14 organizations below!

Celebrate Dyslexia

Founded in 2019, Celebrate Dyslexia increases community awareness of dyslexia and helps provide earlier diagnosis and more robust treatment, particularly in schools, for people with dyslexia. Understanding that dyslexia affects 1 in 5 school age students nationally, Celebrate Dyslexia provides tailored support for parents and teachers. One of their most notable awareness-building initiatives is an exhibit, Beautiful Minds: Dyslexia and the Creative Advantage, that will showcase at the DoSeum before traveling nationwide.

CI:Now 

Community Information Now (CI:Now) is a nonprofit data intermediary working to improve people’s lives and decrease disparities through democratized data. Serving Bexar County and 11 surrounding counties, CI:Now expands people’s access to data that is understandable, trustworthy, neutral, and timely through public web-based tools and reports, data trainings and resources, and targeted data support for partner organizations. They also participate in the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership, which connects people with neighborhood data.

City Education Partners

City Education Partners works to ensure San Antonio students will be college and career-ready upon graduation by bringing funders, schools, businesses, and the community together to create transformational public schools, create pathways for innovative educators, and equip families with the information they need to navigate the education system. Through programs like Educate 210, City Education Partners recruits and trains 400 teachers annually. Educate 210 supports school districts and charters to connect with top talent. City Education Partners built San Antonio School Finder as a one-stop-shop where families can easily search over 600 San Antonio public schools and after-school programs for their children. The tool shares state data, after-school programs, and stories about each school’s culture.

Common Threads

Founded in 2003, Common Threads is a national nonprofit that gets people Cooking For Life through comprehensive cooking and nutrition education. Their programs equip families with the tools they need to maintain healthy eating habits and to prepare low-cost, nutritious, and delicious home-cooked meals. Funded in part by Texas Health & Human Services, Common Threads partners with schools and community organizations to reach the children and families who need their services the most, including South San Antonio ISD, Catholic Charities, Girls Inc., and SA Youth. From 2018-2019, 7,500 San Antonians participated, making more than 40,000 healthy snacks, and 187 professionals were trained to facilitate their Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills aligned student curriculum.

Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance

Incorporated in 2005, the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance (GEAA) coordinates and promotes effective broad-based advocacy for aquifer protection throughout the twenty-one county Edwards Aquifer region. The Edwards Aquifer is the source of the largest springs in Texas and the sole source of drinking water for more than 1.7 million Texans. Our overall goals are to preserve the Edwards and Trinity aquifers, springs, streams and rivers, contributing watersheds, flora and fauna, and the history and culture of the Texas Hill Country. GEAA has  successfully developed and implemented a model of working with our 52 member organizations – researching issues, sharing technical expertise, and developing policy positions to advocate a regional vision and regional solutions to threats to our water resources.

Older Adults Technology Services (OATS)

Founded in New York City in 2004, Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) combines technology, in-person training, online tools, and community-building spaces and events to strengthen the quality of life for people 60 and older. The Senior Planet San Antonio program, in partnership with senior centers, community and neighborhood centers, faith based organizations, public housing, and social justice organizations, provides 5- and 10- week courses and other tech-themed programs to older adults. From October 2018 to September 2019, OATS has served more than 900 people at 36 different sites in San Antonio.

Seton Home

Seton provides a safe home for girls, ages 12 to 18, who are pregnant and/or parenting, the majority of whom have been removed from their homes by CPS due to severe abuse, neglect or sexual assault. Since its establishment in 1981, Seton is the only state-licensed 24-hour residential facility with significant capacity in Bexar County focused exclusively on the needs of these fragile young families. Seton provides a holistic dual generational approach. The program encapsulates everything from job skills training, high school completion, financial literacy, child development, pregnant and parenting education, health, household management, spiritual guidance, and individual and group therapy sessions to address their trauma and begin the healing process. Our goal is to provide a supportive environment in which our young moms are equipped with the skills they need to become nurturing parents in order to break the generational cycle of abuse and neglect; guide them into self-sufficiency ensuring they are capable of caring for their families upon leaving our facility through education and job skills training; and engender stable, food secure, and child safe households for every mom and child that transitions from Seton Home.

Spurs Give

Spurs Give, formerly known as Silver & Black Give Back, is the official nonprofit organization of Spurs Sports and Entertainment. Their mission is to strengthen and serve the community through impactful programming, player engagements, and investments that enrich the lives of youth and those around them.  More recently, in partnership with the City of San Antonio, Spurs Give has committed $1 million to renovate parks and community basketball courts across San Antonio and $120K to implement healthy eating habits in SAISD through CHEF. Passionate about what sports can do for the community, Spurs Give is committed to giving children a positive experience with sports early on. Spurs Give believes that sport teaches young people essential leadership skills necessary for success in life. Through programs like the Spurs Youth Basketball League, San Antonio Futbol Club Micro League, Spurs Give encourages young people to stay active and develop lifelong leadership skills.

Supporting Multiple Arts Resource Together (S.M.A.R.T.)

S.M.A.R.T. brings innovative arts curriculum and mentoring to schools. In 2012 the Briscoe is S.M.A.R.T. program partnered with Briscoe Elementary reaching over 500 elementary students annually. As a result, in 2020 the campus earned their status as a World IB in district charter school (SAISD) focused on fine arts and world music. Launching programs like beMOCA (Briscoe Elementary Museum of Contemporary Art), a student run contemporary art museum on campus, S.M.A.R.T. cements the connections between school, community, and institutions while connecting student voices globally. Additionally, through its professional development program, S.M.A.R.T. partners with local universities to mentor students in art handling, framing, presentation, and the science of archivability and marketability. In 2017, S.M.A.R.T. connected artists and community members to create murals along the World Heritage Trail through the City of San Antonio’s Public Arts San Antonio (PASA) program.

Located in the iconic 1906 building, S.M.A.R.T. houses a custom picture frame shop, 14 art studios, nonprofits, a design firm and inspiring architecture. In 1998 S.M.A.R.T. founded the Second Saturday Artwalk continue to bring over 12,000 people annually to its facility.

Texas Diaper Bank

Established in 1997, Texas Diaper Bank is the first and largest diaper bank in the state. Texas Diaper bank seeks to impact the physical health, mental health, and economic well-being of families through immediate diaper assistance, child health classes, parenting skills and financial literacy classes, disaster relief distribution, incontinence assistance, and period supply distribution. To qualify for TXDB’s services, clients must fall 150% or below the Federal Poverty Line. The Diaper Bank has distributed over 2.7 million diapers annually and served over 83,000 people annually across 13 counties.

Texas Fashion Industry/Style Lush TV

The Texas Fashion Industry Initiative (TFII) is the state’s first nonprofit dedicated to the growth of the fashion industry. Headquartered in downtown San Antonio, TFII cultivates a network of fashion entrepreneurs, showcases artists, awards grants and scholarships to students, and draws global attention to the Texas fashion scene. As a result of TFII’s work, San Antonio is home to Texas Fashion Week and the first educational business curriculum for fashion professionals.

Texas Kidney Foundation

The Texas Kidney Foundation’s (TKF) mission is to improve the health and well-being of people at risk or affected by Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). TKF educates the public about CKD, conducts free early detection screenings among high-risk populations, offers Continuing Medical Education accredited training to medical providers, and promotes a legislative agenda designed to change how we address CKD in Texas and beyond. Five TKF Board Members serve on the recently reinstated Governors Chronic Kidney Disease Task Force.

 In 2018, in partnership with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, TKF launched the Kidney C.A.R.E. (Clinician and Adult Renal Education) Campaign to raise awareness of CKD among medical professionals and the public. TKF has since served over 9,000 participants in 68 Texas counties.

The Dee Howard Foundation

The Dee Howard Foundation, founded in 2013 by Dee Howard’s children, preserves San Antonio’s aviation history and nurtures future innovators in the aviation and aerospace sectors. The Dee Howard Foundation’s Pre-K through 16+ aeronautical STEM education program strengthens existing STEM curricula in Pre-K, elementary, middle, and high schools in Bexar and contiguous Counties with a pathway to continue their studies at the college/university level. The Foundation currently collaborates with the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, UTSA and other local colleges and universities, industry and military, six San Antonio school districts, and Port San Antonio’s Compass Rose campus with a goal to add on average one new school district per academic year.

Vet TRIIP, Inc.

Vet TRIIP provides free integrative healthcare services to veterans, service members, and their families and caregivers living with intense symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress and chronic pain. Half of the 211,000 veterans and active duty service members living in Bexar and surrounding counties live with pain. From 2012-2019, Vet TRIIP has served more than 3,200 veterans, and recruited, trained, and mentored more than 300 service providers, and peers. Ninety-eight percent of veterans served by Vet TRIIP report improvements in stress and pain. Their integrative healthcare services including teaching daily self-practices for long-term recovery and healthy lifestyles. Vet TRIIP provides services in Bexar, Comal, and Harris counties, and in 112 different zip codes across Texas. Appointments may be arranged online at www.vettrip.org or by calling (210) 490-2010.