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San Antonio Education Partnership

San Antonio Education Partnership (SAEP) creates college opportunities, access, and success for those in our community pursuing higher education. Since SAEP’s founding in 1989, their expert college advisors have walked hand-in-hand with a quarter of a million students. They have guided, mentored, and cheered students on to earn thousands of degrees. They have also provided students with millions of dollars in scholarships to make their educational dreams come true.

Our initial partnership involved coaching and guidance to their Director of Development and Chief Executive Officer. We worked one-on-one to grow and expand individual giving. Together, we developed and implemented several new fundraising strategies. The goal was to streamline their fundraising activities, foster a culture of gratitude, and engage in meaningful donor relations.

As the organization began to embrace a culture of philanthropy, it also became important to integrate powerful stories communicating the organization’s mission and impact while moving people to action. To help with this, the Cielo Strategy Group team also developed a storytelling process to empower the organization to collect and share stories for a variety of purposes.

In the middle of our partnership, COVID-19 upended everyone’s lives. San Antonio Education Partnership was planning their major fundraising event for March 2020, but had to postpone. Our work shifted to help support this transition. We worked hand-in-hand with their team to completely reimagine their event to a virtual conversation hosted in September 2020. After a successful event, the team brought us back on to support their 2021 event.

Even though our work changed and transitioned, that is exactly what San Antonio Education Partnership needed. We enjoy being flexible and adapting to what an organization needs at the moment.

Back to Our Clients

  • The Cielo Strategy Group team brings a passion for strengthening nonprofits to their work, and it is evident in their every detail – from their outstanding customer service, to their impeccable follow-through, to the way they engage with residents, board and staff – I just can’t say enough good things. They are professional, knowledgeable, and genuinely dedicated to creating a sustainable organization. I am forever grateful to them.

    SANDRA WHITLEY, FOUNDER/FORMER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    Thrive Youth Center

  • The Bay City ISD School Board and staff could not have been more enthusiastic about the marketing plan that Cielo Strategy Group developed for us. We are extremely excited to see what we can do with the tools you've given us. Thank you so much for making my job easier."

    GRANT MCGALLIARD, CHIEF COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER
    Bay City ISD

  • Thank you so much, Cielo Strategy Group for creating capacity within our organization now and for the future. You guided us, coached us, encouraged us, and taught us how to execute ideas that had always felt like far-off dreams. You didn’t come in and point out our weaknesses – you celebrated our strengths, and then, you met us where we were and gave us actionable steps to strengthen our board governance, fundraising, communications, storytelling, and operations. We are stronger because of you!

    MINKA MISANGYI, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    Girls on the Run Bexar County

  • The Cielo team has been a trusted partner strengthening our organization from the inside out. After facilitating our initial organizational assessment process, they identified key areas we needed to focus on that would move our mission forward. They didn’t just give us a report with recommendations, they jumped in and created the infrastructure we needed to help us operate more effectively – from basic Board governance documents and processes to a staff and volunteer handbook, to operational planning and goal-setting. They have coached me to become a better leader. As we celebrated our ten-year anniversary, we accepted a transformational gift to purchase our own land and build upon our vision. We could not have done this without “getting our house in order”, which is what Cielo Strategy Group did for us.

    DEBRA FRANCO, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    South Texas Juvenile Diabetes Association

  • The Cielo team has been instrumental in helping the Weslaco Museum rebuild for the future. As a new Executive Director, I am thankful for their unwavering commitment. They provided our organization with the proverbial “light at the end of the tunnel” – enabling us to focus on our vision and mission. They have helped the Weslaco Museum grow our member base, streamline our website, strengthen our board, and our overall vision for the future.

    CRYSTAL RODRIGUEZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    Weslaco Museum

  • Cielo Strategy Group is part of our Clinic family. With our long standing partnership, I have relied on their team as a steady support system – responding to our needs and flexing with us. They have elevated our storytelling and communications, guided us through annual fund development plans, designed and project managed annual appeal mailings, coached us through grant proposals, facilitated Board sessions and a strategic planning process. They push us toward excellence and don’t settle for less.

    GLORIA Z. CANSECO, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
    San Antonio Christian Dental Clinic
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