Future Ready Impact Grants

Future Ready Impact Grants is sponsored by San Antonio Area Foundation. Supports local nonprofits that help young people build pathways toward college, careers, and long-term wellbeing.

Future Ready Impact Grant < San Antonio Area Foundation Future Ready Impact Grant Empowering Student Success Home ► Future Ready Impact Grant Future Ready Impact Grant In Bexar County, Advisor-to-Student ratios are often more than double the state recommendation and evidence shows that inexperience, misaligned workloads, and siloed advising strategies all have significant impacts on young people.

To dissolve these barriers, we are creating a “community of advising” for Future Ready independent school districts, postsecondary institutions, and community-based organizations throughout our community. Anchor partners, including the San Antonio Area Foundation, work with the understanding that a lot of advising occurs outside the school day through youth serving agencies. The strategy starts with middle grades.

We are looking to support 6-7th grade students in the first year and adding two grade levels in each additional year. Eventually 100% of students in Future Ready Districts receive an advising touchpoint every year beginning in 6th grade and expanding upwards to 12th grade.

While grantees do not have to be currently focused on the 6 th and 7 th grades, the San Antonio Area Foundation is looking for partners who can coordinate their relevant middle and/or high school programs in Future Ready partner school districts with this larger communitywide effort to provide coverage to 6 th to 12 th graders. Grantees will be accessed to reinforce key messages around the local college and career landscape.

Have questions? We’re here to help. Director of Youth Success The San Antonio Area Foundation is proud to serve as an anchor partner for the Bexar County Future Ready Plan, with the goal of increasing enrollment in postsecondary pathways to 70% by 2030.

This grant opportunity is for community-based organizations who: 1) are signed Future Ready partners, and 2) have an established focus on helping middle and/or high school students with college and career readiness.

Grantees will be contributing to the Future Ready milestone of an additional 100,000+ Pre-K through college students accessing accelerated personalized interventions and supports, across the county, within partner districts, compact neighborhoods, community-based organizations, and colleges and universities.

Organizations are exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, for a minimum of one year by the application deadline. Organizations must be signed Future Ready Partners. Nonprofit work takes place in Bexar County.

Includes work with one or more partner ISD’s including: ECISD, EISD, HISD, JISD, SAISD, SWISD, and/or NISD, and if not, must be open to coordination with campus and central office leaders of these districts.

Additional preference will be given to organizations who work in one or more Area Foundation target zip codes including: 78202, 78203, 78204, 78205, 78207, 78208, 78210, 78211, 78214, 78215, 78220, 78221, 78225, 78226, 78228, 78237, and 78242. Participate in a centralized database and/or agree to share ongoing data.

At the top of the web page, enter access code: 2030Future Application Opens: November 1, 2024 Application closes: December 13 th at 11:59 p. m. Outcome notification and grant disbursement: April 2025 Please click the link below to schedule a meeting with senior program officer, Andrea Figueroa.

Do I have to be a Future Ready at the time of application or can I join as a Future Ready partner if funding is received? Must be a signed Future Ready partner at the time of grant opens for applications. When will applicants be notified of the grant decision?

Applicants will be notified of their application status in April 2025. My organization only serves high school students, am I eligible to apply? Yes.

Direct service organizations who serve middle and/or high school grades are eligible. How long is the funding cycle? This is a multi-year funding commitment.

Organizations selected for funding will be awarded a 6-year impact grant contingent on the fulfillment of grant requirements, including participation in Future Ready workgroups/meetings, mile-stone check-ins, and annual reports. Is this a general operating grant? Yes.

Each organization will have the ability to determine how they utilize their grant funds. However, organizations will be required to report on their progress to advance Future Ready outcomes regardless of how they use their funds. What are the reporting requirements?

Grantees will be required to submit annual reports on their progress. Additionally, Area Foundation staff will schedule time to meet with non-profits on an annual basis to learn more about the work and impact they are making. This is an opportunity for non-profits to share updates, successes and challenges, and to connect with resources at the Area Foundation.

What are the grant amounts? Grants are awarded based on Total Organizational Budget Total Organizational Budget Does the Area Foundation award both full and partial grants? Grants are made at the full award amount based on Total Organizational Budget.

Partial grants are not typically awarded but may be considered. How many agencies will be awarded? We expect to award between 10 – 15 organizations through this grant process.

How can I get help with the application? The Area Foundation offers several ways to get support in the application process, including: A virtual information session will be scheduled. Information sessions are an opportunity to learn more about the process, hear questions from fellow applicants, and speak directly with Area Foundation staff.

Staff are available to meet with applicants in advance of the deadline to provide guidance on the process and answer questions about the application. Staff will not review or edit application drafts of the application. Organizations are encouraged to attend the information session or view the recorded information session prior to requesting a meeting with a staff member.

To schedule a meeting with a staff member, contact: Andrea Figueroa, afigueroa@saafdn. org Jennifer Cook, jcook@saafdn. org Issues with the grant portal, attachments, or other technical questions can be directed to Catherine Garcia at cgarcia@saafdn.

org. I don’t have a 501(c)3. Can I still apply?

Organizations with at least one year of documented programming or service in the community may apply under a fiscal sponsor. Prior approval of the fiscal sponsor is required. Contact Andrea Figueroa at afigueroa@saafdn.

org or Jennifer Cook at jcook@saafdn. org to learn more. Which financial documents are required with the application?

The following documents are required: Current Board Approved Organization Budget and the last two years of historical financials. For example, if your fiscal year begins July 1, 2024 and ends June 30, 2025, you should submit the board approved budget for the year ending June 30, 2025 along with historical financials for FY2024 and FY2023.

Audited Financial Statements If Audited Financial Statements are not available, a Balance Sheet (also known as a Statement of Assets and Liabilities) and Statement of Revenues/Expenses for the most recently completed fiscal year are required. Why do you need an applicant’s board approved organizational budget and the last two years of historical financials in order to consider a grant application?

The Board and staff of the San Antonio Area Foundation serve as stewards of our donors’ funds and, therefore, must have confidence that the investments we make in organizations are sound. The Financial Statements and Financial History (part of the application form) are reviewed to determine the financial stability of each organization. Is there a template that should be used to submit our financial information?

No. We recognize that budgets are unique to each organization. To keep the submission process as simple as possible, please submit the your financial information in the format/template your organization uses. If, for any reason, your organization does not have a standard budget template, please reach out to our staff and they can provide you one.

If an organization does not have Audited Financial Statements, what documentation is required? Only organizations with budgets over $500,000 annually are required to submit audited financial statements. If your organization’s budget meets this threshold and does not have Audited Financial Statements, submit a Balance Sheet and Statement of Revenues/Expenses for the most recent fiscal year.

Both statements are required. (Do not submit IRS Form 990.) If an organization does not have three years of Financial Summary information, what is required?

If an organization does not have three (3) years of budget information, provide all available financial history. In other words, complete the financial records for the year(s) the organization has been in operation. Can an organization submit more than one grant application?

No, organizations may only submit one application for this grant. If my organization applies for this grant may we also apply for other grants available through the Area Foundation? Strategic Partnerships & Investments Nonprofits Resources and Training Reggie Williams Resource Library Professional Advisor Council