Teaching kids life lessons through golf

first tee San Antonio

“The thing I loved about the SVP fellowship was that it was more tactical toward what you’re doing every day,” she said. “With me being new to nonprofits, looking at the financials, HR, marketing, fundraising – the information was incredible. But beyond that, the conglomeration of other nonprofit leaders just sharing ideas with the tools we were given from SVP was truly invaluable.”
Zamora is one example of how First Tee of Greater San Antonio is changing the lives of young people. First Tee San Antonio is the local chapter of a national youth development organization that empowers kids and teens through golf.

Creating a world-class park in San Antonio

One of the best parts of Shannon Perry’s job is when she sees children leaving a show at the Magik Theater. As soon as they turn to see Yanaguana Garden at Hemisfair, their eyes get bigger, their jaws drop and they start running with joy toward the colorful, vibrant playground next door.  

“That never gets old,” she said. “I love seeing the faces of those kids.”

Supporting moms and families

When Tia Gibson’s younger brother died tragically, she was lost in grief. 
“I didn’t realize how deep-rooted it was. I didn’t know how to deal with it, but I knew I still had my children to take care of,” Gibson said. “I decided I needed to do something that would allow me to feel again and to live out his legacy.”

That’s when she decided to start Monster Moms…

Advancing and engaging people with disabilities

Melanie Cawthon was working with people with intellectual disabilities when she discovered her calling. She saw that while many organizations exist to help people with specific disabilities, a person or their caregiver dealing with multiple disabilities would need to find three, four or more different agencies to get assistance. The city needed a unified community of service providers. That insight … Read More

Supporting veterans with personalized care

Military service sometimes comes at a personal cost for service members and their families. That’s why Endeavors, a San Antonio-based nonprofit organization, is dedicated to helping veterans and their families with personalized, comprehensive care. Hear from one of the SVPSA Fellows on their mission to support military and their families.

The Power of the SVPSA ConnNectwork

Connections through SVPSA

A car wash does not seem to be a very big deal. However, when a fledgling organization gets an unexpected communication offering the proceeds of a Haunted Car Wash to be held the weekend prior to Halloween, the wheels start to turn.

Nonprofits We Love: Pride Center San Antonio

The Pride Center San Antonio provides much-needed support to the city’s lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ+) community, who often face significant obstacles in their daily lives.

Refreshed Thinking Transforms Fellows’ Work

Texas Kidney Foundation

After each gathering of the SVPSA Fellowship, Texas Kidney Foundation CEO Tiffany Jones-Smith comes home with a checklist of action items. Paging through her notebook to the most recent entry, she reflects, “If I implemented five of the nine that are here, that’s transformative.” 

Providence Place Addressing Generational Trauma

Providence place

Founded in 1895, Providence Place began as a rescue mission for young unmarried mothers, evolving today to create innovative programs for women in crisis to address and end generational trauma. One fact has remained true: it is not the size of the program that matters, but the impact it makes in the lives of women and families.