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.”
Carissa was training a group to go into rural areas and teach others when she had an aha moment.
“For me it was a life-changing moment of realizing this is what I want to be about, equipping the leaders who are going to go out and make an impact in their sphere,” she said. “I really view that as my purpose.”
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…
Gable Crowder learned early on the difference having a positive role model makes in a kid’s life. Growing up in the projects of Baltimore, he was the only kid he knew who had a father at home…
SVPSA Partner Sharon Krietzburg never intended to be the executive director of a nonprofit. She was working part-time for one when the founders decided to shut it down. Krietzburg, now fully committed to the mission, decided to continue the work she was passionate about: providing once-in-a-lifetime vacations to San Antonio for children with disabilities and their families from all over the U.S.
The most important (leadership trait) of all, Shoemaker said, “is a generosity mindset, which looks for ways to connect people and is based on the belief that bringing people together makes the whole greater than the sum of its parts.”
“It’s insanely important in the world today. It’s not about being nicey nice and polite. Having a generosity mindset is a truly strategic way you approach your work. When you walk into the room, are you looking to see who should be connected?” he said.
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.
SVPSA is featured on Great.com, a podcast based in Sweden that talks to 7 nonprofits every week about the good work they are dong.
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.
This month, local nonprofits reported they surpassed $1 million in value from skilled virtual volunteers provided by a local funding cohort started during the pandemic by Social Venture Partners San Antonio (SVPSA). Nonprofits started using the virtual volunteer website, Catchafire, in the fall of 2020, early in the pandemic to help fill critical skills gaps when most offices were shut down and organizations were forced to change how they raised money, delivered services, used technology and communicated with board and donors.