UTSA Institute for Economic Development and San Antonio Area Foundation’s Center for Nonprofit Support work together on training for economic and community development
The San Antonio Area Foundation and UTSA’s Rural Business Program at the Institute for Economic Development have developed a partnership to train organizations that are part of the Middle Rio Grande Valley Development Council (MRGDC) developing the communities surrounding the Eagle Ford Shale natural gas projects.
The Area Foundation’s Center for Nonprofit Support (CNS) has designed a two-day workshop focused on building the community infrastructure required to support the exponential growth in the region spawned by the Eagle Ford Shale development. The workshop, “Building Communities Through Collaboration,” will be held on August 30 and 31 in Uvalde, and presented by Francesca Rattray of CNS, and Francisco Gonima, Founder and Owner of Arquero Consulting. “Building Communities” will bring together leaders of community and economic development organizations with membership in the MRGDC.
The workshop comes at a critical moment, as the communities along the Eagle Ford Shale region struggle to provide basic services, such as housing, healthcare, schools and hotels, to keep up with the blistering pace of investment and growth.
The two-day workshop will address the building blocks of community development, how nonprofit community development organizations can build their capacity and create public and private partnerships to strengthen the community, and provide training in the basics of nonprofit management – including board development, change management, strategic planning, and resource development.
Darryl Byrd, CEO of the Pearl, will present the luncheon keynote, sharing his experiences in community economic development in San Antonio.
Gilbert Gonzalez, Director of the Rural Business Program at UTSA, said, “We’re working with UTSA’s Schools of Architecture, Business and Public Administration to help the Eagle Ford Shale region create sustainable communities.”
“The role of CNS,” notes Dennis E. Noll, President and CEO of the San Antonio Area Foundation, “Will be to build the capacity of nonprofits striving to meet the critical needs in this rapidly growing community.”
For more information about the San Antonio Area Foundation’s Center for Nonprofit Support, please contact Francesca Rattray at 210.242.4711 or frattray@saafdn.org.
ABOUT THE SAN ANTONIO AREA FOUNDATION
By providing a personal approach to charitable giving, the San Antonio Area Foundation connects donors of all backgrounds to the causes they care about most for the greater benefit of the community. According to our donors’ wishes and through a responsibly managed grant program, the San Antonio Area Foundation provides funding to a wide range of nonprofits in Bexar and surrounding counties and beyond. The Area Foundation helps strengthen nonprofits to become sustainable with organizational development support and training from its Center for Nonprofit Support. In addition, more than 300 students each year receive financial assistance for higher education from Area Foundation managed scholarship funds.
