Amir Samandi serves as the Executive Director for Students of Service (SOS), a nonprofit dedicated to providing high school students with transformative educational experiences through travel and service programs.
Reflecting on a Year of Impact: SVPSA’s 2024 Highlights
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 … Read More
The Future of Giving: What National Trends Mean for San Antonio’s Nonprofit Community
The new Generosity Commission report confirms what we’ve long believed at SVPSA: strong nonprofits need more than just funding—they need strategic partnership.
Where Are They Now: Gable Crowder III
Transformative Growth: My Journey through the SVP Fellowship Program Participating in the Social Venture Partners (SVP) Fellowship Program has been nothing short of transformative. As the Director of Community Engagement, I have always strived to expand my horizons, sharpen my leadership skills, and deepen my understanding of the nonprofit sector. The SVP Fellowship has not only met these aspirations but … Read More
Connecting Millennials and Gen Z to Philanthropy: SVPSA’s Approach
Social Venture Partners San Antonio (SVPSA) wants to discover ways to get Gen Z and Millennials engaged with philanthropy by giving both time and treasure. As part of our strategy to cultivate more donors, we are finding ways to connect all generations for the betterment of our community. One initiative is to collaborate with the United Way of Bexar County’s … Read More
Culturingua receives visit from Duke and Duchess of Sussex
part of Culturingua’s Sewing for Success program, a Welcome Project grantee. The Duke and Duchess were hosted by Nader Mehdawi, Culturingua COO, and Nadia Mavrakis, Culturingua CEO, respectively.
The Welcome Project, a program of the Archewell Foundation, supports the programming provided by Culturingua for women who have recently resettled in San Antonio from Afghanistan. Through Culturingua’s Sewing for Success classes, these women benefit from group gatherings where they develop their sewing skills and build community.
Helping the homeless one life at a time
As the director of homeless services for Christian Assistance Ministry (CAM), Valerie Salas often feels like Batman putting on his cape.
She leads a team of five assisting one of the city’s most vulnerable and challenging populations: people experiencing chronic homelessness.
Most of them are not candidates for more conventional homeless services due to mental illness, physical disabilities or substance abuse issues. Salas’ team meets them where they are, whether it’s on CAM’s downtown campus or the streets. When they’re ready, CAM will help them with other needs, such as ID recovery, employment, housing, and other support services.
Restoring the lives of young women rescued from sex trafficking
Residents of the Youth Center of Texas are in many ways typical young women in their late teens and early twenties. They love music, clothes, doing their hair and nails and making plans for the future.
To look at them, you’d never know they are all survivors of sex trafficking in San Antonio.
They’re now receiving comprehensive care through YCOT, the only residential facility in Bexar County providing support services exclusively to young women aged 18-22 who have experienced sexual exploitation or trafficking.
Connecting local nonprofits through technology
Bill Neely left a successful 24-year technology career in the corporate world after he started having more fun working with nonprofit organizations.
Neely’s IT experience combined with his passion for helping others has led him to establish his own nonprofit organization. Today he’s the executive director of the San Antonio Community Resource Directory (SACRD), which maintains a free, comprehensive online directory of social services offered by nonprofit organizations, congregations, government agencies and other community groups in and around San Antonio.
SVPSA discusses how to support mental health programs for youth
Social Venture Partners San Antonio hosted a sold out crowd of community leaders who gathered to learn more about how to support the mental health programs helping youth in our area. Why was this so important to SVPSA? Our focus is to cultivate an ongoing learning journey helping us to discover how to give better and to dig deep into … Read More