(photo) Jeana Orman and her boarded and eventually adopted guide dog, Bomba. When Jeana Orman first ventured into the nonprofit world, her journey began like many others—sitting on a board, attending meetings, and helping wherever she could. But for Jeana, this traditional route left her yearning for more. “I felt like I wasn’t doing enough,” she recalls. “Being in board … 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.
Dalia Contreras: Pioneering a Citywide Vision for Education in San Antonio
Dalia Contreras, the CEO of City Education Partners (CEP), is no stranger to the challenges and opportunities in the field of education. With a career that began in the classroom and led her through various leadership roles, Contreras has always been driven by a desire to understand and improve the systems that shape educational experiences. Today, she is at the helm of CEP, where she is channeling her extensive experience into creating a transformative impact on education in San Antonio. Contreras was in the SVPSA Fellowship Class 3.
Where Are They Now? Kimberly Sama
We’re thrilled to highlight the inspiring journey of Kimberly Sama, a dynamic leader whose experience has propelled her to new heights in her career. With an infectious enthusiasm and unwavering dedication to making a difference, Kimberly’s story is one that truly embodies the spirit of the SVP SA Fellowship. Meet Kimberly Sama Kimberly Sama currently serves as the Senior Director … Read More
Steven Meyer: A Local Leader Committed to Community Impact
With deep roots in the San Antonio community and a passion for making a difference, Steven is a welcome addition to our network of changemakers. As Branch Manager at ABC Home and Commercial Services in San Antonio, Steven brings a wealth of leadership experience and a commitment to enhancing community welfare.
Developing a Plan for Giving
A majority of giving to nonprofits is with a donation here and there. We look at our list once a year around tax time. We give to our school, to our church, maybe a hospital that helped our family. You get a lot of requests and give to those who catch us at the right time, one here, two there and so on.
All of these causes need your support, but do you actually measure the impact of your giving and see measurable change? Would you like to be more purposeful in your charitable giving? You don’t have to give a million bucks to see change. That is a myth! All of us can see an impact from our giving.
Founding Partner describes growth of SVPSA
Pawl and two other partners were introduced to the concept of Social Venture Partners (SVP) by a member of the SVP chapter in Austin. He admitted he had never heard of anything like it from a philanthropic standpoint, and was immediately intrigued. Pawl comes from a capital markets background and had worked with venture capital firms before. So the venture capital approach to business being applied to philanthropies was something that was immediately attractive for Pawl.
“I’ve seen how impactful private capital can be when applied appropriately, along with professional guidance to growing private businesses,” Pawl said. “And I thought, what a fantastic thing to do in the philanthropic world.”
Helping nonprofits make an impact
After moving to San Antonio in 2022, Rebecca White quickly found her niche. With two decades of experience in the nonprofit world, including five years leading her own consulting firm, she immediately started to explore the local nonprofit landscape.
When she learned about SVPSA from Partner Billy Cox, she was captivated.
“At first I thought wow, could this be? Maybe I don’t understand what he’s saying,” she said. “Then I dug into SVPSA and I was just so impressed.”
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.