Tax Day is that day that calls on all of us to think about what it means to be a citizen of the United States and what our obligations are to each other. It goes beyond the oversimplified arguments about government being too big or being too small. For me, it is more about what it means to have obligations to each other as citizens who share a social contract about how we are going to get along. That social contract, which has been memorialized in the Constitution and all of the laws and regulations derived from it, including the tax code, are the formal structures that shape our sense of community.

Beyond this formal structure, what does it mean to share a common destiny with all of the obligations and commitments implied in that? If taxes are a way to “settle accounts” between us, through the instrumentality of government, how are we to interpret current budget talks and conversations about tax reform? Square in the middle of this are fundamental concepts of justice, opportunity, and equity. One taxpayer’s tax burden is another taxpayer’s chance at a job training program, a decent public education system or treatment for a deadly disease. As Barney Frank has said, “Government is simply the name we give to the things we choose to do together.”

You don’t have to look at polls to appreciate how contested the issues of size of government and taxes are. While a majority of Americans accept the idea of higher taxes for some public goods, most people do not want their taxes raised. Compared to other wealthy countries, the United States tax burden is ranked 32nd among countries with higher tax rates. Compared to rich countries like Germany and Norway we pay significantly less, but we also pay less than less wealthy countries like Slovakia, Turkey, and Poland. The real question isn’t how much we pay comparatively, but how much those taxes yield for us.

Of those 31 countries that pay more, the majority of them use tax money to extend life expectancy, support education, and sustain a more outcomes oriented safety net. We have the highest per capita health costs, declining high school graduation and a growing underclass. We don’t seem to be getting value for our money compared to other countries.

Many Americans say that government is inefficient and does not spend money effectively. But, if you look at Medicare, our government program for the elderly and long term disabled, health care costs, including administration, are the lower than any commercial health insurer. Our government can be efficient.

Let’s remind ourselves that we are all in this together and that when we all get better (financially, medically, socially), we all get better. Let’s take a look at how much we pay as a country and what we get as a country, in terms of the health, education, economic opportunities and environmental outcomes from our taxes. Let’s understand why we get so little compared to our competitors and allies in the global economy and commit ourselves to overhauling and simplifying our tax code, improving progressivity, and getting value for our expenditures. Let’s turn the rhetoric down and increase the transparency and accountability we have to strengthen our contract with each other and to promote justice and the well being of us all, including those who have the least.

So many times, reaching for the phone, we went to get your view, your story, your joke of the day.

We have had moments in the mountains, in meetings,  on a hike, on a bike, on a horse, at a concert or rehearsal and you and your joy have been in full color.

In the office, I have wondered what guidance you would offer but more now wonder what I should offer others.

We have danced, we have given thoughtfully, we have made sure the table seats everyone.

We are in a big community who holds you and all  your memories close.

We miss you every day; today we send a message your way: you left this world a year ago but remain forever in the forefront of the love and joy that is our work.

In Memory of F. Warren Hellman, beloved friend, Bay Area civic and business leader, philanthropist, and our Former Trustee, who passed away one year ago today, on December 18, 2011.

We’re happy to announce that our Open Applications Cycle Grant Program for Arts and Culture, Community Development, Community Health, Education, and Environment will be opening  online Monday, November 12. These applications are open to nonprofit organizations serving residents of San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin and San Mateo. This application process allows us to hear from our longstanding partners and learn about new organizations. It helps us keep an ear to the ground, where we learn about what’s working, as well innovative approaches nonprofits are implementing, as they try to solve the problems Bay Area residents are facing.

For organizations interested in applying, I encourage you to review the goals and objectives on our Program pages, attend a How to Apply Workshop, review the guidelines, and after November 12, visit the Grantee Center to submit your application.

The Open Cycle is an important time for us to hear from the nonprofits that are helping to build a better, more vibrant and healthy Bay Area.

He was a highly regarded ophthalmologist, she a master gardener. Together Gilbert W. Cleasby, M.D., and Marie Mendenhall Cleasby cared deeply about helping those in need, and left a legacy that is improving the lives of women and children and strengthening the community for us all.

The Cleasbys were long-time residents of San Francisco, world-travelers, and supporters of meaningful causes throughout their lives. When it came time to think about their legacy, the Cleasbys’ estate planning attorney, Mary White, encouraged them to name The San Francisco Foundation in their will to manage their legacy.
“I often recommend working with a community foundation like The San Francisco Foundation so that my clients save money and, as a result, the organizations they want to support receive larger gifts,” said Mary. “And the fees they pay help the community and themselves in the process – The San Francisco Foundation staff provided invaluable guidance and introductions to organizations that matched the Cleasbys’ interests.”The Cleasbys selected 22 organizations to receive specific gifts, and dedicated the remainder to providing support and shelter to survivors of domestic violence and homeless women and children. They asked their longtime friend Cameo Jones to serve as an advisor on their estate and determine which organizations would receive the remaining funds.

After Dr. and Mrs. Cleasby passed away in 2011 and 2008, respectively, The San Francisco Foundation in partnership with Cameo set out to fulfill and honor their legacy – researching organizations, selecting projects, and making grants based on their passions and philanthropic goals.

“It is a great responsibility and honor to be asked by the Cleasbys to help fulfill their wishes,” Cameo said. “Working with the Foundation has made it painless. Jackie Anderson Downing, our donor relations officer, provided wonderful guidance and research, and also gave me the space to do my own due diligence. I especially appreciated Jackie’s relationships with the nonprofit executive directors to fine tune their proposals so we could help these organizations accomplish goals they had only dreamed of.”

After thoughtful conversations and several site visits to cornerstone organizations serving women and children in San Francisco, Cameo is selecting a handful of exceptional organizations to receive grants. Thanks to the Cleasbys’ legacy, several nonprofits are expanding their programs, improving their facilities, and ensuring that these advancements last for generations. Here are a few examples:

• One generous gift helped the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center (SFCAPC) jumpstart a fundraising campaign to build a new Child Advocacy Center in the Bayview Hunters Point neighborhood. Right now, SFCAPC reaches more than 15,000 people each year through its TALK Line Family Center, and provides 1,000 vital direct service visits to young children and families impacted by violence and trauma. With this grant from the Cleasbys, SFCAPC is building a garden at the new center to be named after Mrs. Cleasby, which will serve children healing from trauma. As well, a small endowed fund at the Foundation will ensure the garden will be cared for in perpetuity.

• La Casa de las Madres, California’s first and the nation’s second shelter dedicated to women and children escaping domestic violence, provides expert intervention and prevention services to 15,000 individuals each year, and reaches more than 50,000 community members annually through its education and outreach activities. La Casa will finally be able to complete much needed renovations at its emergency shelter, replacing doors and windows in serious disrepair and upgrading the kitchen where women and children fleeing domestic violence prepare meals. It will also take the momentous step of establishing an endowment to ensure its vital services continue for years to come.

• The Homeless Prenatal Program provides more than 3,000 poor and homeless families each year the ability to end childhood poverty, and its family resource center programs empower families, particularly mothers motivated by pregnancy and parenthood, to recognize their strengths and trust in their own capacity to transform their lives. Thanks to the Cleasbys’ legacy, Homeless Prenatal Program paid off half its mortgage, and engaged another donor to commit to paying off the remainder by next summer. By owning its own building, Homeless Prenatal Program will free up significant resources for programs designed to help parents deliver healthy babies and nurture children in stable homes.

• Compass Family Services, which helps more than 3,000 families each year escape the cycle of poverty and crisis through a variety of supportive services including shelter and childcare, utilized a portion of its gift as a matching challenge, and as a result set a new fundraising record at its annual event. It, too, will make improvements to its facilities and invest in its organization for long term stability.

Dr. and Mrs. Cleasby will be remembered for their compassion for the women and children of their beloved city of San Francisco. We are proud to be their partner in fulfilling their philanthropic vision.