Donate
Donate

2025 Regional Programs and Budgets Convening

This month, we proudly hosted four statewide convenings for our Collective organizations across Texas. Our goal was to create spaces for collaboration, reflection, and innovation as we prepare for 2026. Each convening centered on strategic planning, shared learning, and integrating wellness into every level of our work. Every region brought its own perspectives, strengths, and visions for a more equitable and thriving future.

We began our convenings in Houston, where our Program Manager Joco Soto worked with fifteen nonprofit leaders to discuss the future of our progressive movement. Conversations focused on maintaining and expanding current programs, celebrating recent victories, and envisioning new strategies for the year ahead. Together, participants explored how to translate organizational success into greater visibility and impact for Houstonians. We are grateful to see the flame of movement work burning bright across the city. 

Next, we gathered in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) where our Programs Director Roseangela Hartford worked with 8 dedicated organizational leaders who shared powerful insights on regional transformation. Discussions centered on redefining impact beyond numbers and social media. Instead, focusing on the importance of shifting mindsets, inspiring younger generations, and adapting organizing tactics to meet local realities. Leaders reflected on how collective efforts can reshape the narrative of the RGV, ensuring that the region’s strength and resilience shines through.

In Dallas, our Finance and Operations Director Felicia Garrett coordinated with nine organizational leaders to focus on the critical topic of budgeting for programmatic success. Together, they examined how to align resources, strengthen collaboration, and maximize the impact of their organizing work. The sense of unity and shared purpose in the room highlights the power of collaboration to build sustainable change across the Dallas region.

We concluded our convenings in San Antonio, where our Executive Director and Founder H Drew Galloway met with twenty organizational leaders to define the city’s collective future. Building on conversations from other regions, participants delved deeper into program development and financial management. Through thoughtful discourse, they identified strategies to ensure efficiency, accountability, and growth. They also focused on sharing innovative approaches to strengthen organizational wellness and sustainability.

Across all four convenings, a total of 31 organizations worked together to envision a progressive future for Texas. A future  that is diverse, strategic, and grounded in care. These gatherings reminded us that while each region has distinct needs and approaches, our shared commitment to justice, wellness, and collaboration connects us all. Together, we are building a Texas that reflects the strength, creativity, and hope of its people.

Picture of Joco Soto (she/her/ella), Programs Manager

Joco Soto (she/her/ella), Programs Manager

Joco is a grassroots organizer with expertise in program development, civic engagement, and coalition building. She has led national programs and campaigns dedicated to impactful social change for underrepresented communities.

Welcome BRIDGE’s new Programs Director, Cole Still!

I’ve spent my career alongside people building things that matter—in nonprofits, higher education, healthcare, entrepreneurship, and community development. And I’ve learned that the most capable leaders are often carrying more than anyone sees.
My background is in helping ambitious ideas become programs, partnerships, and strategies that actually sustain themselves—work that’s generated more than $1M in new revenue for the organizations I’ve supported. I’m proud of that. But the numbers aren’t what matters most to me. The people are.

Read More »
August 28, 2026

Democracy Doesn’t Happen Every November: Why Year-Round Organizing Matters

Every election cycle, communities get flooded with reminders to register, vote, and participate. Then those efforts disappear almost as quickly as they showed up.

Democracy doesn’t start on Election Day, and it doesn’t end there either.

Strong civic participation is built through relationships, trust, and consistent engagement. The organizations that create lasting change aren’t the ones who mobilize communities every two or four years — they’re the ones who show up every month, listening to residents, developing leaders, and creating real pathways for people to participate in civic life long before a ballot shows up in front of them.

Read More »
August 3, 2026