Joining Together to Build Momentum in Social Justice Philanthropy

Since our founding, The San Francisco Foundation's dedication to social justice philanthropy has remained steadfast. For more than 60 years, we have been an incubator for community investment, original ideas, and passionate leadership. We've joined with the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, and our partners in social change philanthropy, to build momentum for effective and strategic giving that leads to positive and lasting social change.

We pledge to continue our commitment through dedicating a majority of our grants toward underserved communities, and to provide substantial support for strategies that seek solutions to social problems. We will continue to form respectful partnerships that cultivate common understanding and ensure a caring community, and act as a catalyst for change to build strong communities, foster civic leadership, and maximize our impact to create equitable and lasting solutions across the Bay Area's five counties.

Below is The San Francisco Foundation's public statement about joining Philanthropy's Promise. You can also view our statement in PDF.

Dear Colleagues:

The founding benefactors of The San Francisco Foundation understood the injustices that existed more than 60 years ago, and they created a foundation to right those wrongs. Our community foundation has been a long-time funder of civic engagement and advocacy, with a focus on engaging and including voices from communities that are the most isolated and disenfranchised.

With our endowment, we have the charge and responsibility to direct resources to address the pressing contemporary needs in our community. These are remarkable times marked by high rates of poverty and unemployment. For that reason, we work closely with our donors on such issues as poverty alleviation and to mobilize partners to meet the increased need for safety net services. Many of our donors are committed to social justice and engaged deeply in areas of education, literacy, asset building, health, and environmental sustainability, with an emphasis on low-income communities.

All of our programmatic goals and objectives focus on the social determinants of building communities filled with opportunities for all children, where adults are actively making our democracy stronger. We believe systemic change includes working with individuals, organizations, neighborhoods, and through policy. In diverse neighborhoods throughout the region, we support natural leaders to strengthen the social cohesion and civic engagement.

The San Francisco Foundation enthusiastically supports the Philanthropy’s Promise and pledges at least 50 percent of our unrestricted funding toward underserved communities. Our current strategic plan focuses on statewide fiscal and governance reforms that will improve the viability of the public and private programs that seek to broaden opportunity for low-income, isolated, and newcomer populations. The foundation’s strategy is to make sure that the voice of the marginalized is heard and included in solving social issues. We take this approach because we believe it is the only way to create equitable outcomes and find lasting solutions to the challenges facing our communities.

Sincerely,

Sandra R. Hernández, M.D.
Chief Executive Officer

David Friedman
Chair, Board of Trustees