Mission & History

Our Mission

The San Francisco Foundation mobilizes resources and acts as a catalyst for change to build strong communities, foster civic leadership, and promote philanthropy.

Our Values

We embrace these values for ourselves and for the community that we serve:

• build respectful partnerships to foster common understanding, solve problems, and ensure a caring community;
• develop our resources to effectively listen, reflect, and share lessons;
• foster excellence and leadership in individuals and institutions;
• value diversity and equity in all of our actions; and
• demonstrate integrity through accessible, timely, and responsive actions.

The San Francisco Foundation's History

Founder Daniel Koshland, Sr.

In 1948, a small group of forward-looking civic leaders, led by the late Daniel Koshland, started The San Francisco Foundation with the help of a small founding grant from The Columbia Foundation. "Mr. Koshland and his colleagues sought a vehicle to pull the community together to create pride and unity and improve quality of life," says current Foundation CEO Sandra R. Hernández, M.D., noting that this basic mission continues to this day.

The San Francisco Foundation reflects the vibrant philanthropic spirit of the Bay Area.

From these visionary beginnings, The San Francisco Foundation has become one of the nation's largest community foundations awarding grants totaling more than $800 million over the past ten years. This growth reflects both strong fiscal stewardship and a vibrant philanthropic spirit in San Francisco and the Bay Area. We continue to build on Mr. Koshland's vision with our annual grantmaking, the Koshland Neighborhood Program, the Community Leadership Awards, various neighborhood and affinity based initiatives, community convenings, and other programs designed to work with community leaders and nonprofits to improve the quality of life in the Bay Area.

The San Francisco Foundation addresses community needs by supporting innovative ideas and strengthening existing nonprofit organizations that lack sufficient resources or infrastructure. Through the generosity and vision of our family of donors, both past and present, The San Francisco Foundation awarded grants totaling more than $80.6 million in fiscal year 2009. By focusing on people, organizations, neighborhoods, and policy, advocacy and organizing, the Foundation addresses community needs in the areas of community health, education, arts and culture, community development, and the environment. In response to the economic downturn, the Foundation is focusing funding on safety net partners, job creation and training, and foreclosure relief and neighborhood preservation for the next three years. The San Francisco Foundation serves San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, and San Mateo Counties.

Important and successful efforts catalyzed by the Foundation's support include: KQED, The Trust for Public Land, Bridge Housing, and On Lok Senior Health Services. "The San Francisco Foundation and the organizations we work with reflect the diversity of the Bay Area's residents and communities," adds Dr. Hernández.