On Friday, January 24, the McKenna Foundation officially kicked off its Choose Kindness Campaign to celebrate the good things happening in Comal County.

Read the full story here.

Learn more about Choose Kindness.

Project 10:27, an organization dedicated to combating loneliness and isolation among senior adults, has been honored with the 2024 Community Choice Award by the Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio (BHFSA).

This distinguished award is granted to nonprofit organizations that go above and beyond in their commitment to serving the community—an honor made even more meaningful as it is peer-nominated by fellow nonprofit leaders.

In addition to receiving a Community Impact Grant, Project 10:27 was recognized with a surprise $10,000 award at BHFSA’s annual reception, a gathering celebrating the 109 nonprofit organizations awarded a collective $9.4 million in grants this year. The Community Choice Award, one of only two given, underscores the exceptional impact of Project 10:27’s mission to bring companionship, connection, and hope to senior adults in Bexar and surrounding counties.

“We are incredibly honored to receive this recognition from Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio and our nonprofit peers,” said Shane Carter, Executive Director of Project 10:27. “This award is more than just an honor—it is a celebration of the collective effort of our team and community. It reaffirms our mission to bring companionship, hope, and connection to seniors and motivates us to expand our impact even further.”

The BHFSA Community Choice Award is a unique distinction, as recipients are nominated and selected by fellow nonprofit organizations in recognition of outstanding service and selfless dedication to others.

“BHFSA understands that small, localized organizations like Project 10:27 are just as capable of meaningful, life-changing work as their larger counterparts, and we are excited to invest in their continued success. We’re glad to see other organizations in the community recognizing how well Project 10:27 is meeting their mission,” said Brent Salter VP of Programs of BHFSA.

Since its formation in 2004, Baptist Health Foundation of San Antonio has awarded over $100 million in grants to fund nonprofit healthcare initiatives across Bexar County and seven surrounding counties, furthering its mission to honor God by improving the health of the community.

As we say goodbye to 2024, the McKenna Foundation is excited to usher in the new year with a simple but powerful message: Choose Kindness.

Despite the countless acts of kindness that happen every day in New Braunfels and Comal County, they often go unnoticed, unrecognized, and unrewarded.

Determined to change that, the McKenna Foundation is launching a year-long “Choose Kindness” campaign to celebrate and highlight these acts of goodwill.

The McKenna Foundation will host the kick-off at 10 am on Friday, January 24 at the McKenna Events Center. 

The community is invited to attend this event, which will feature complimentary coffee and treats, as well as free stickers to spread around New Braunfels and Comal County. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a pledge activity, where they can write their name or a message on a smiley face and pin it to giant letters spelling out “KIND,” symbolizing their commitment to choosing kindness in 2025.

The campaign aims to celebrate the good things happening in Comal County and recognize our kind neighbors. The Foundation invites the public to nominate and submit acts of kindness that occur throughout the year, making the positive actions of our neighbors more visible.

Each week, these acts of kindness will be highlighted on the Choose Kindness social media pages (Instagram, Facebook) and on the campaign’s website.

Click here to let us know of a time when you or someone else chose kindness! 

As the year progresses, the Foundation hopes the community will embrace the campaign, spreading kindness far and wide. The Foundation also plans to host various Choose Kindness events in partnership with local nonprofits and businesses throughout the year.

If your organization has an idea for how you can encourage others to Choose Kindness, McKenna wants to partner with you! For more information, to submit an act of kindness, partner on a kindness event, or to sign up for the Choose Kindness weekly newsletter, click here.

McKenna Foundation CEO Alice Jewell sits down with Philanthropy SA Podcast host Dan Rebmann to discuss the Foundation’s impact and the needs of New Braunfels and Comal County.

Listen here: Spotify – Apple – iHeart – Youtube – Audible

After gathering over 1,000 community nominations, the McKenna Foundation presented three local nonprofits with grant awards during its annual Christmas Breakfast.

The Foundation also gave a bonus award to a New Braunfels organization for its collaboration with Mental Advocacy Partners (MAP) in sparking community conversations surrounding mental health.

Read the full story here.

The New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership New Braunfels class and the McKenna Foundation are set to focus on the importance of volunteerism in the community. To support this initiative, they will host a volunteer fair for both New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce members and the general public to visit with non-profit organizations and civic groups as a way to get more involved in the community.

The Volunteer Fair will be held at the McKenna Events Center on December 17, from 3:30 to 4:30 pm.

The event is aimed to connect local non-profits and groups with community members eager to volunteer. Participants in the volunteer fair will have an opportunity to learn about various organizations, their missions, and discover how they can contribute their time and skills to make a difference.

Not only is this fair a chance for organizations to recruit volunteers, but it also provides individuals with meaningful ways to get involved in the community.

The fair will initially open to the Leadership New Braunfels class, with access extended to other members of the New Braunfels Chamber of Commerce and the general public shortly after 3:30 pm.

Whether you are passionate about helping others, contributing to community development, or exploring other areas of interest, there is a place for you to make an impact!

Don’t miss this opportunity to get involved and contribute to the well-being of New Braunfels.

The event will take place at the McKenna Events Center, located at 801 W San Antonio St., from 3:30 to 4:30 pm on December 17.

The McKenna Foundation is thrilled to announce that one school from New Braunfels Independent School District (NBISD) and one from Comal Independent School District (CISD) will each receive $10,000 as part of the Foundation’s final grants of the year.

As we approach the festive season, with Christmas and the New Year just around the corner, the Mckenna Foundation is eager to spread a message of kindness throughout our community. We are calling on schools to show us how they will ‘Choose Kindness!’

With $20,000 up for grabs, the Foundation invites each school in both NBISD and CISD to participate by creating and submitting a video.

The guidelines are simple: (1) one video per school, no longer than 60 seconds; (2) show us how you Choose Kindness; and (3) be creative!

After all submissions are received, a select panel of community judges will evaluate each video, considering creativity, thoughtfulness, enthusiasm, originality, and the level of student involvement. One winner from each district will then be decided.

The contest opens on December 2, 2024, and the deadline for submissions is December 13, 2024. The winners will be announced prior to Winter Break!

“We are excited to gift $10,000 to one school from each district this year,” said McKenna CEO Alice Jewell. “Typically, our grants are awarded to local nonprofits serving our community, but we know our schools work so hard and make an extreme impact on our community, too. Our board felt that this is another way we can make some meaningful community investments while also getting the students and staff involved in something fun.”

The awarded funds are unrestricted, allowing the winning schools to allocate the $10,000 where it is most needed. This is an opportunity to not only win a substantial grant but to inspire and uplift our community through acts of kindness.

The McKenna Foundation looks forward to seeing the innovative and heartfelt ways our local schools plan to make a positive impact through kindness!

For more updates and information, please visit www.mckenna.org and follow the Foundation’s social media channels @mckennafoundation.

The McKenna Foundation plans to culminate a fantastic and productive year by awarding two year-end unrestricted grants to nonprofit partners. This year, the Foundation is once again asking the community to participate in the nomination process!

The Foundation is thrilled to invite the public to nominate a nonprofit organization serving Comal County for a chance to receive one of these generous grants. What organization has made a substantial difference in your life or the lives of others? Which nonprofit has been a stellar partner to the community? Who deserves special recognition for going above and beyond? This is your opportunity to shine light on those who have made a lasting impact.

Nominate here.

Please include a few sentences explaining why you believe your chosen organization deserves to be recognized this year.

Nominations will remain open through December 10.   

“For many years, we have asked our nonprofit partners to nominate one of their peers. However, last year we decided to involve the community, and we were overwhelmed by the response, receiving over 3,300 nominations,” said McKenna’s program officer Kristen Fain. “With such a great community response, we are excited to do it again this year and hear from even more voices!”

The recipients will be announced during the Foundation’s annual Christmas Breakfast on December 17 at the McKenna Events Center. The news will be shared on the McKenna website.

This year, the Foundation has already awarded nearly $1.5 million in grants to 39 nonprofit organizations in Comal County. Since the Foundation began its grantmaking efforts in 2009, nearly $30 million in funding has been awarded to nonprofits serving our neighbors.

Join us in celebrating the incredible work being done by our local nonprofits and help choose the year-end grant recipients!

For more information or to nominate a deserving nonprofit to receive an end-of-the-year impact grant, please visit the McKenna website. Follow McKenna on Instagram at @mckennafoundation.