The pandemic crisis. Then a power and water crisis. And ongoing crises for those unable to receive essential services in their lives every day to build a better future. What do the women of Impact San Antonio do? They use their power to help the community.
We all have communities that are precious to us – our families, our friends, our neighbors, our religious groups, the greater San Antonio area and many more. What I’ve seen and I’m sure you have as well is the selfless side of our human spirit to be there for others who need support and to graciously provide it.
The recent extreme winter weather created havoc for so many. I’ve loved giving and receiving random acts of kindness to create comfort and relieve the stress for those without power, water and food. And I hope we are all well on our way to recovering from this latest challenge. Our Membership Kickoff Event on February 8 closed with long-time member Rosemary Kowalski expressing that the true essence of Impact San Antonio is —Woman Power! In fact, all our Kickoff special guests — representing local leaders, agency partners and our members — strongly endorsed what we do and how we do it.
Women are an increasingly important force in the world of philanthropy. MacKenzie Scott awarded more than $4 billion to nonprofits around the U.S. last year, with San Antonio nonprofits receiving more than $30 million.
Ms. Scott did her homework in evaluating problems and nonprofits that help to solve them. She made her decisions on where to invest based on how it would benefit and influence society, culture and the community. She went broad, covering a wide range of needs.
That is what we at Impact San Antonio have done for 16 years, albeit on a much smaller scale. We are investing in a better future for our community, and our five focus areas allow us to go broad. We, too, focus on what the impact could be.
And we offer every woman who joins us the opportunity to come together to create an impact far beyond what any of us could do individually.
Our model invites nonprofits to propose grants to our membership, and then we collectively research, collectively consider and collectively decide where our philanthropic dollars should go.
You don’t need to take my word for how impactful we have been. Here are just a few comments from speakers at our Kickoff event program on the impact we make.
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg: “The women of Impact San Antonio have been an important partner in providing hope, change and opportunity to our community. Our city is a better place because of your efforts.”
Marion Sokol, Executive Director, Children’s Bereavement Center, and Impact SA Member: “I am just so indebted and grateful to Impact San Antonio for supporting families and giving every child a better chance of life.”
Dr. Neela Patel, physician for UT Health San Antonio and Impact SA member: “It is women, such as those of Impact San Antonio, who bring equity to the served and underserved to make a difference in people’s lives.”
It felt so good to hear from our many supporters that Impact San Antonio is making a difference. It reminds us that our efforts are appreciated and that our community needs us.
Now it’s your turn to help improve the quality of life in our community through Woman Power! Please join or renew your membership today and continue our legacy of bringing positive, transformative change to our community.
