On September 25, 2016, the community vision known as SA2020 will celebrate 6 years of existence. And in these six years, I can clearly say that the shifts in our community can be attributed to partnership, collaboration, and deliberate, thoughtful action.
SA2020, (no longer just a vision, but also a nonprofit organization), works in a very distinctive way: use the community’s vision and the indicators you prioritized to highlight successes and shine a light on challenges in order to align and engage. We do this by working with our data partner, CI:Now, to track 59 community indicators. These high level indicators serve as an overarching guide to align programs and resources. Then, we use the challenge areas to inspire action.
We’re currently raising dollars for our seventh year. And the goal—much like our vision itself—is bold: $35,000. Along with setting a fundraising target, we’ve also set goals for our year 7 accomplishments. From producing a report on our community’s progress to increasing volunteerism in San Antonio, we know we have another busy, exciting year ahead of us. You can learn more about our priorities and donate right here.
SA2020’s last year
Since our last birthday, we’ve doubled down on our efforts to realize our collective vision—and to share our community’s progress with you.
We updated our Data Dashboard, which houses all 59 indicators, twice, and we released a report card, showing where we stand on each of these community indicators.
Based on these indicators, we targeted new Partners. In fact, we grew our nonprofit partnerships from 88 to 145. You can see and learn more about all of these organizations here. We made some significant upgrades to our website, providing an opportunity for you to narrow your focus to one or two of the eleven Cause Areas that make up the SA2020 vision. Then, we can connect you to our Partner organizations that have proven they are doing work to move the needle in these areas. We want you to find the organization that speaks to you, then give your time, talent, or dollars to them. We even provide microsites for each partner, so that you may find out more about them.
In areas where we needed major intervention, we partnered with, facilitated for, coordinated, or convened multiple coalitions and initiatives.
In Early Childhood, we coordinated the outreach and engagement effort for ReadyKid SA, a countywide, early-childhood initiative for the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County, which includes the development of a website that provides a one-stop resource for parents/caregivers of children ages 0-8.
In Education and Workforce, SA2020 coordinated outreach and engagement efforts for Destination College, a community initiative of more than 15 partner organizations to make college top of mind. This year, SA2020 partnered with San Antonio Education Partnership, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, P16 Plus, City of San Antonio, and Region 20 on a Call to Action breakfast for 200 industry and nonprofit professionals and coordinated logistics and outreach for College Signing Day, which hosted 1,100 high school seniors from across San Antonio. Additionally, in partnership with KLRN, Communities in Schools, Project Worth, and Camp to Success, SA2020 hosted a panel discussion – Operation Opportunity — with local students to discuss challenges and opportunities in our education system. Finally, in partnership with City Year, SAISD, Girls Inc., Excel Beyond the Bell, and College Advising Corps, we produced the My City, Our Community Youth Summit for the MLK Commission.
And because we believe that showing the community the ways in which they can get involved is important, we hosted or co-hosted community events that saw more than 6,000 people in attendance. These ranged from panel discussions to community conversations to PechaKucha Vol. 20. Plus, we’ve endorsed over 90 community events, connecting individuals to new opportunities and events in San Antonio.
We’ve spread the word of our community’s work in over 30 presentations to more than 4,000 people. We’ve been invited to Nashville, St. Louis, and Louisville to show people how a community not only envisioned a bold vision, but is actively working to achieve it. We’ve fielded calls from Victoria, Jacksonville, Arizona, Tulsa, Seattle, and New York to help other communities implement their very own SA2020.
As we approach our birthday, we’re celebrating both these past accomplishments and the exciting future that’s still ahead. The last 6 years have certainly flown by, but we’re not to 2020 yet. With 31% of our community indicators either on track or met/exceeded, we know there’s still much to do. We hope you’ll continue to be a part of it! You can help us start off year 7 strong by donating to SA2020 here.
