Selected Additional Areas of Funding in 2017
Described in the following paragraphs are six areas of funding by the Foundation. We recognize these grantees as examples of the good work being done in many nonprofit agencies serving our communities. See the "Awarded Grants" section of this Website for a complete listing of Foundation Grants.
Grants Funding Services for Persons with Disabilities
Agencies serving persons with disabilities were awarded 22 grants in 2016 for a total of $1,515,000. Of that, $350,000 was awarded to agencies serving individuals with multiple disabilities.
A $250,000 grant was awarded to TEAMability to maintain access to care for its minimally responsive, unfunded clients. Children with severe combined disabilities typically have limited speech, difficulty with mobility, hearing impairment, cognitive difficulties and extensive medical issues. Despite these barriers, these children have the ability to learn primitive skills that will help with functional and social skills. These children, at the lowest level of functionality, are not served with consistent eligibility for typical benefits because they do not appear to make progress toward stated goals over time. If it were not for TEAMability, their needs could not be served.
Children’s Association for Maximum Potential, Inc. was awarded $100,000 in 2017 in support of its programs for children with special needs. CAMP offers an accredited residential camp during the summer for individuals with special needs and their siblings. This camp serves individuals between the ages of 5 and 50 who are typically not eligible to participate in other camps due to the severity of their disabilities. The camp activities include swimming, horseback riding, canoeing, nature, archery and arts and crafts. Throughout the year, respite programs are offered for families who are dealing with the unremitting pressures of caring for a child with special needs. Throughout the year, CAMP provides Parents Night Out, weekend camping trips for the children and for families and a monthly program where individuals with special needs can get together for a social activity. All the activities provide a unique opportunity for the individuals with special needs and provide respite for their caregivers.
Grants Funding Prevention of Child Abuse
Child serving agencies with a focus on prevention of child abuse were awarded 18 grants in 2017 for a total of $4,325,000.
Hill Country CASA, Inc. provides trained volunteers who serve as advocates and are sanctioned by the courts to gather information to advocate for children removed by the state from the home due to abuse and/or neglect. The program provides extensive training for volunteer advocates and case supervision by professional staff. Volunteers routinely go beyond the scope of their responsibilities. It is not uncommon for them to spend additional time mentoring the child and assisting CPS caseworkers in assessing new placements for children. The Kronkosky Charitable Foundation awarded Hill Country CASA $35,000 in support of CASA advocacy in Bandera and Kendall Counties.
Roy Maas’ Youth Alternatives, Inc. was awarded $75,000 in support of its treatment programs for children who have been abused/neglected. RMYA provides multiple programs including: San Antonio Bridge Emergency Shelter which is staffed 24 hours a day and may receive youth at any hour of the day and the RMYA Family Counseling and Resource Center which provides individual and family counseling, crisis intervention, and life skills training for at-risk youth. The counseling services are also available to the community. The Thrift Store provides life skill training and allows the youth to shop for personal needs. For most of the children, this is the first time they have ever had that experience. The Turning Point Transitional Living Program prepares young adults who will be ageing out of the foster care system for independent living. The Boerne Meadowland Campus is a residential program that serves youth with severe emotional and behavioral issues. Current capacity is 80 boys and girls between the ages of 6 and 17. Residents are typically wards of the State.
The Kendall County Women’s Shelter and the Comal County Family Violence Shelter each received grants of $50,000 in support of the services they provide to victims of domestic violence.
The Comal County Family Violence Shelter operates a 36 bed facility for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. It provides services to women, children and men of all ages. These services include 24-crisis line, shelter, counseling, support groups, legal advocacy, assistance with filing for child support, case-management, victim’s advocacy, transportation, information/referral and community education/prevention.
The Kendall County Women’s Shelter provides emergency shelter and supportive services to victims of domestic violence, their children and pets. Services include crisis intervention, case management, legal advocacy, individual and group counseling, life skills courses, and nutrition classes. Victims of domestic violence receive services in both residential and non-residential settings. The agency also provides community education and prevention services throughout Kendall County.
Grants Funding Services Related to Illnesses
Services for persons with illnesses were a major funding area in 2017. A total of $2.7 million grants were awarded to 17 organizations.
Community health centers in all four counties were awarded a total of $300,000. The New Braunfels Christian Ministries in Comal County received $75,000 in support of its medical and dental care clinic. The clinic provides free medical and dental care to qualified Comal County residents. The Arthur Nagel Community Clinic in Bandera County also received $75,000. Its services include treatment for non-emergency conditions; chronic illnesses; sexually transmitted diseases, physical examinations; women’s health concerns; pre-natal care; prescription assistance, and a wellness awareness program. It also has low-cost referral arrangements with local dentists and specialists. The Clinic pays for the first patient visit to a dentist and/or specialist.
This included $100,000 to Rise Recovery which offers programs that address the needs of chemically dependent youths and young adults. These programs include individual and group counseling, peer group meetings, leadership training, retreats, community service projects and chemical-free social events and activities. It also has programs that address the needs of the entire family. This program is the only local recovery and prevention program that focuses on adolescents while providing comprehensive and ongoing services free of charge.
Grants Funding Elderly Services
Agencies serving the elderly were provided funding in 2017 totaling $2,193,750.
The University of Texas Foundation received a total of $1,000,000 designated to purchase medical equipment for its Institute for Alzheimer and Neurodegenerative Disease Service located at the Medical Arts and Research Center. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, constituting 60% to 80% of all dementia cases. Texas is projected to experience a 36.1% increase in the number of residents with Alzheimer’s disease, from 360,000 in 2017 to 490,000 in 2025. The Institute for Alzheimer and Neurodegenerative Disease will off patients and families excellent comprehensive clinical care and access to breakthrough medical research, including clinical trials. Comprehensive care will include evaluation; diagnosis and counseling; disease screening; management and treatment; basic and clinical research including the latest in caregiver services; and the education of future health care providers focused on Alzheimer’s disease.
The Texas Ramp Project was awarded a grant in the amount of $50,000 for its program that provides qualification screenings, home assessments, and wheelchair ramps for low-income seniors, the indigent and persons with disabilities. The Texas Ramp Project is an all-volunteer agency. It works closely with civic organizations to recruit volunteer build team leaders and ramp build teams. Applicants are screened and all ramp projects are thoroughly reviewed to ensure the needs of the client are met. During Calendar Year 2016 the program received 464 referrals for individuals residing within the Kronkosky four counties and 173 ramps were built.
Grants of $688,750 were awarded to senior centers in Bandera, Bexar, Comal, and Kendall counties for general operations primarily for Meals on Wheels and related nutritional services.
The Bulverde Senior Center provides quality programs to seniors residing in western Comal County including: Health and Fitness; Social Activities; Community Service and Outreach; and Transportation. To meet the transportation needs, the Center purchased a 15 passenger bus with wheelchair lift. $30,000 of the $90,000 grant awarded was restricted to paying off the van loan.
Grants Funding Character Development of Youth
Yes! Our Kids Can was awarded a $750,000 grant in support of its programs to assist low-income parents and students develop the communication and education skills necessary to achieve success. The YOKC program promotes success among economically disadvantaged families by using technology to bridge the gap between school and home. This bilingual program, which begins in first grade, utilizes fun, culturally-related songs, videos, activities and games, along with messages that reach and motivate parents 3 times per week on their smartphones. The YOKC program is innovative and if proven to be effective can be very scalable and duplicated throughout many elementary schools.
An Endowment Grant of $500,000, restricted for use within the Kronkosky Charitable Foundation’s four counties of interest, was awarded to Humanities Texas. According to the TEA’s 2015-16 accountability data, students in nine of the independent school districts, located within the KCF four counties had lower than average scores in humanities subjects (i.e., reading, writing, and social studies). In fourteen San Antonio area school districts, fewer than half of the graduates were considered “college ready” in reading and writing. Humanities Texas develops and distributes high quality curriculum materials that help teachers and students learn about the aspirations and achievements of some of the nation’s greatest presidents, heroic military leaders, influential writers, and the extraordinary accomplishments of average citizens. The principal goal is to improve the humanities education of students in low performing schools and to educate students about our government’s founding principles, the leadership qualities of significant individuals at critical moments in our nation’s history, and the literary and cultural texts that reflect our democratic values. The program will ultimately improve students’ academic performance and deepen their interest in reading and learning. It will also stimulate character development and expand students’ capacity for self-sufficiency and active civic involvement. Humanities Texas fills a critical void, that is absent in public school districts, in the education and character development of youth.
Communities In Schools of South Central Texas provides program services to at-risk and/or low income students include: character development through the Character Counts Curriculum; supportive guidance; health referrals and access; transportation; academic support; career awareness; parental involvement; suicide prevention; and enrichment activities. Home visits are conducted and the CIS SCT representative proactively works with parents to get them involved with their children. CIS SCT was awarded $75,000 for programs in Comal County.
Thru Project received $20,000 for its Foster Youth Mentor Program. This program fills a gap in the need to provide youth aging out of foster care with the skills, confidence and connections to prepare them to succeed in an unstructured environment by recruiting adult volunteers who have a desire to mentor and provide advice to these youth. The volunteer advisors help them navigate the maze of private, state and federal programs and assist them with education, employment, healthcare and housing. They also advocate for the youth when needed.
Grants Funding Arts and Culture
Arts and culture funding in 2017 totaled $2,153,837 for 21 organizations ranging from individual arts activities to libraries and museums.
Musical Bridges Around the World, Inc. was awarded a $75,000 in support of its musical programs and young people's concerts. Musical Bridges provides free concerts to the community with a focus of uniting people through concerts which highlight cultural differences. The groups that perform are nationally and internationally recognized performers and will cover various genres. During the 2015/2016 season, The Kids Concerts had 54 performances and reached over 50,000 students. These performances are educational and interactive. There are roughly 116 schools on a wait list for the Kids Concerts. The Golden Age program takes free performances to various retirement communities. It is estimated that 25-35 Golden Age concerts will be held this year. The agency also holds 5 concerts annually at the San Fernando Cathedral. These concerts are free and open to the public. A meet the artist reception is held after each concert. In February 2017, the agency held its annual International Music Festival. During the 10 day event, free concerts were held at different venues in the community. While the performers are in town, many of them will offer master classes to local students or visit local schools.
Youth Orchestras of San Antonio was awarded a $100,000 grant for its operations. The YOSA Orchestral Music Education Program provides orchestral, educational and performance opportunities for young musicians. It includes weekly rehearsals; sectional coaching by professional musicians; an extensive concert schedule; master class opportunities; summer string camp; outreach performances in other communities; plus national and international concert tours. During the regular season students are placed in one of nine ensembles. Tuition assistance is available for young musicians who participate in YOSA orchestras and Summer Symphony Camp. YOSA School Partnerships are offered at no cost to school districts, schools, and students. A new program, YOSA Invitational, will give 16 local school bands the chance to record and perform in the Tobin Center H-E-B Performance Hall.
Grants Funding Assistance for Victims of Disasters
BCFS Health and Human Services received $500,000 to assist efforts in the Texas Coastal Bend region devastated by Hurricane Harvey. With Kronkosky funding BCFS provided disaster relief expertise, selected nonprofits best able to provide disaster relief services, put into place the accountability procedures to ensure proper use of funds, and monitored nonprofits through field visits and weekly reports.