Brand architecture

We are a branded house: one brand, one identity. Funds, initiatives, partnerships, supporting organizations, and campaigns each have a set place in it. The place is a decision, not an accident.

The name

San Antonio Area Foundation

Our name. First mention, formal contexts, and the wordmark.

Area Foundation

After the first mention. The short logo forms exist for this.

Area Fdn

Informal, in type only. Never a logo.

The four tiers

Download brand logos

Funds & scholarships

Typical funds & scholarshipsThe majority. The fund name appears in type, inside the Area Foundation brand, with no logo of its own. "Joseph Allen Fund," set in Trust, on our system.

Set the name in Trust 3A Regular, Fiesta Pink, flush left under the short wordmark: ascenders two-thirds of the wordmark's height, with a gap of about half the wordmark’s height.

Joseph Allen Fund

Legacy Scholarship Fund

Specialty fundsFunds with their own branding, managed by the Area Foundation. Limited, strategic exceptions. Example: Texas Sport for Healing Fund.

Initiatives & partnerships

Major partnershipsWhen referring to major partnerships, like Santikos Entertainment, use a co-branded approach with the other organization's logo.

Keystone initiativesSignificant external initiatives that are owned or powered by the Area Foundation. Examples: SALSA, Generations Over Dinner.

Branded initiativesSignificant external initiatives the Area Foundation is actively engaged in, where branding is set by the external party. Examples: Press Forward, Future Ready.

Programs & cohortsPrograms and cohorts may have names, but they use the Area Foundation identity. No separate marks.

No new brands

No new logos without the Chief Marketing Officer's approval.

Initiatives, partnerships, programs, cohorts, and similar efforts may not create their own logos, standalone brands, visual identities, or sub-brands without explicit approval from the Chief Marketing Officer.

The Area Foundation is a branded house. New visual identities are extremely rare and carefully governed. When in doubt, use the Area Foundation identity and ask MarComm.

Supporting organizations

John L. Santikos Charitable FoundationWhen the Foundation name is legally required, the name appears in type, inside the Area Foundation brand, with no logo of its own. "John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation," set in Trust, on our system.

John L. Santikos
Charitable Foundation

Other supporting organizationsOrganizations we provide operational support to are not branded with the Area Foundation. They keep their own identities.

Campaigns & event brands

Campaign and event identitiesCampaign and event identities are temporary, time-bound expressions owned and managed by Area Foundation MarComm. Each one is created for a specific initiative, campaign, anniversary, event, or moment. They never become independent brands. When the effort ends, the identity is retired. Example: our 60th Anniversary.

How to decide

Is it a fund or scholarship? Set its name in Trust under the Area Foundation wordmark. Only specialty funds keep a logo, as a co-brand.
Is it an initiative, partnership, program, or cohort? It uses the Area Foundation identity. A new logo or visual identity needs explicit approval from the Chief Marketing Officer.
Does it legally need its own name? Set the name in type inside our brand, like the John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation. No logo of its own.

Default to the Area Foundation identity. Every new mark costs recognition. A name in type already looks like it belongs.
Campaign identities expire. MarComm owns them, and they retire when the campaign or event ends. They never become independent brands.
Inside our brand means on our system. Fund names, programs, and campaigns share our colors, type, photography, and pattern rules.