Growing up in the heart of Illinois farmland during the Great Depression, Kay Riddell was raised with a love of the land, and values of giving to those in need. When she and her husband Bob Riddell, a theoretical physicist, moved across the country to Berkeley, their joint appreciation of the land only grew. “Land [...]
In the recession, a perfect storm of dramatically reduced government, foundation, and individual donations hit the network of organizations serving the region’s most vulnerable people–rendering many on the brink of survival. The San Francisco Foundation acted quickly to shore up the region’s safety net. We made a $15 million commitment over three years to support [...]
Thirty years ago Martha Ryan had a vision to provide care for one of the City’s most vulnerable and under-resourced populations, homeless pregnant women. She brought this vision to The San Francisco Foundation and received seed funding to launch Homeless Prenatal Program. As the once small clinic grew to become the nationally recognized care model [...]
We seek tremendous, lasting change in community, which comes with discipline and a long-term vision. In these years following the financial crisis, more than ever we are seeing the payoff of this prudence, having a steady hand and not course correcting reactively to market fluctuations. As a result, in fiscal year 2012 the Foundation’s ten-year [...]
Water. Ubiquitous for so many of us. We don’t think twice about it until it’s not there. Bay Area residents are fortunate to receive the majority of our drinking water from the Hetch Hetchy reservoir. A proposition to shut down the dam signaled far-reaching implications and detrimental effects for all Bay Area residents, especially those [...]
A café in Potrero Hill, run entirely by formerly at-risk youth. In Berkeley, a congregation spiritual, resourceful, and uplifting. The Canal Welcome Center in Marin, a buzzing hub of energy and advocacy, built from the ground up in five years. These are a few of the dozens of projects the Koshland Civic Unity Awards Program [...]
Nationally, and throughout our region, jobs are the key to a full recovery from the recession. Creating new jobs is one of the most important, complex challenges in our society. Receiving national attention and support as a model to replicate around the country, our Bay Area Workforce Funding Collaborative (BAWFC) is an exciting public-private partnership [...]
Every day, Bay Area food banks and shelters do the heroic work of feeding and housing the most vulnerable individuals and families through these tough economic times. Facing increased need and budget cuts, these safety net organizations are as important to the community as ever. Over the last two years, to help low-income and disadvantaged [...]
In the three decades since its founding, the Multicultural Fellowship Program has changed the face of philanthropy and the public service sector. More than 60 leaders have launched from this two-year program that gives them hands-on experience and leadership opportunities. Our program alumni include Fred Blackwell, who is bringing new business and development to Oakland [...]
Community schools are the bright promise that has the potential to transform public education. The community schools philosophy looks at students within the context of their families and support networks, and ensures that those networks are strong and thriving. By creating local hubs that provide family support and health services in one place, the community [...]