As we wrap up 2024, we at SVPSA are excited to reflect on a year filled with growth, collaboration, and commitment to empowering nonprofit leaders in our community. Our journey this year has been marked by a series of impactful initiatives, trainings, and a deepening of partnerships that have strengthened both our organization and the nonprofits we serve.

January Kicked Off with Essential Training

The year began with our Fellowship training program, where executive-level nonprofit leaders gathered for a day of financial education. This included one-on-one discussions with our partners and corporate donors, ensuring that our fellows could ask questions tailored to their specific needs. We also hosted an online TechSoup training about communications strategy, setting the stage for ongoing support and development for our nonprofit partners.

Engaging the Community

In February, Becky Dinnin presented on skilled volunteering at the Alamo Heights Rotary Club, emphasizing its positive impact on nonprofits. Our monthly Fellowship sessions continued to focus on vital areas such as marketing and communications, allowing partners to provide constructive feedback on the Fellows’ organizational pitches. We also hosted an important Zoom conference call on pending federal labor law changes, keeping our local nonprofits well-informed.

March brought further opportunities for engagement as we presented to local funders on the impact of skilled volunteering through Catchafire. We celebrated Women’s History Month by attending Boerne’s national Women’s Day celebration, honoring one of our Fellows. Our final Fellowship session for Class 4 included key training on fundraising, grant writing, and revenue diversity.

Celebrations and New Initiatives

April saw us participating in vibrant spring events hosted by Alpha Home, Project Transformation Rio, and United Way, while also celebrating the Fellowship class. In May, we launched the inaugural IMPACT Summit of Texas at Hallmark University, bringing together stakeholders to share insights and strategies. We were extremely proud to see that there was so much interest in an annual professional development day for nonprofit staff – we definitely will host another in 2025. Watch our emails for information.

June was equally dynamic, as we hosted our SVPSA partner breakfast with over 30 attendees and provided additional training later in the month for volunteers at Farm Bureau Bank. We also initiated discussions about future programming aimed at developing strong board members with the United Way Emerging Leaders group.

Welcoming New Leaders

The fall brought another wave of excitement. In September, we kicked off our fifth Fellowship class at Boeing Center, welcoming 26 new nonprofit executive leaders. This session, led by Rebecca White, focused on leadership development and building connections among the leaders.

In October, we made our first appearance at the Texas Women’s Conference, collaborating with SVP Austin and SVP Dallas to further promote our mission. We hosted a second session for the Fellowship, led by Leslie Palmer, focusing on board development, and celebrated the grand opening of Celebrate Dyslexia, a Fellowship alum’s new public charter school.

Year-End Celebrations

As the year drew to a close, November was filled with partner recruiting lunches and a gathering for Fellowship alumni at Stonewerks Grill. We wrapped up the month with a session on marketing for the current Fellowship class, led by Nisi Bennett. Our celebrations culminated in December was hosted by our corporate partner, RK Group at the Red Berry Mansion, where we enjoyed the company of our Fellows, alumni, and new partners.

Looking Ahead

Throughout 2024, SVPSA has remained dedicated to enhancing the capacity of nonprofits in San Antonio, fostering collaboration, and tracking our impact. Our commitment to continuous improvement and support for leaders in the nonprofit sector stands strong as we look toward the future.

Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey! Here’s to another year of driving impact and building community together.