While Santana remains deeply involved with Milagro, the everyday operations are overseen by a dedicated long-term team of two and granting is done two or three times/year by staff and a board of directors. What they all have in common is a passionate belief that children everywhere deserve to live a life with full access to proper healthcare and education as well as opportunities to develop into creative human beings. With funds generated by concert ticket donations, Santana licensed products and generous philanthropic partners and individual donors, Milagro supports children and youth in the San Francisco Bay area, across the United States and in countries around the world touched by the music of Santana.
The emphasis Milagro places on health also makes it a truly unique organization. Funding health agencies around the world from South Africa to Haiti to Malawi as well as organizations in the United States, the Milagro Foundation focuses on HIV prevention, malaria prevention, water resources, mental health issues, preventive education and cancer interventions.
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Milagro was started by Santana and his close-knit family in 1998 and has helped hundreds of children across the globe since its inception.
Milagro, the Spanish word for ‘Miracle’, provides support for vulnerable children and adolescents around the world who do not have as many opportunities as those with more resources. The focus of the Milagro Foundation is to provide health care, art, and education for children through monetary grants. These grants are then distributed to non-profit organizations that have programs for at-risk youth who might not otherwise receive help. Between October 1998 and August 2014, the Milagro Foundation has supported low income, underserved and underrepresented children in 36 states and 35 countries by granting $5,881,213.00 to 355 agencies working with children and youth.