First Benchmark Study on Bay Area Muslim Community, One of Nation’s Largest, Finds Broad Diversity, Economic Gaps, Institutional Need

(SAN FRANCISCO) — Wednesday, May 15, 2013 — A new study, the first of its kind to provide a broad assessment of the Bay Area Muslim community, finds that Muslims across all walks of life continue to face entrenched Islamophobia more than 11 years after 9/11.

The Bay Area is home to one of the largest, most diverse Muslim populations in the U.S., with nearly 250,000 Muslims living in the six counties surrounding San Francisco.

While the study shows that the regional Muslim community is very diverse, socioeconomically and culturally, one challenge shared by virtually all of its members is a “heightened sense of Islamophobia,” says one of the principal researchers.

“More than a decade after 9/11, we see that Muslims of all ethnicities and backgrounds are still dealing with a lot of anxiety, a lot of fear, a lot of bias,” said Dr. Hatem Bazian, a professor at UC Berkeley and one of the study’s principal researchers. “Unfortunately, the tragic events in Boston won’t help the problem.”

The Bay Area Muslim Study: Establishing Community and Identity finds that across the region, Muslims struggle with widespread discrimination, negative portrayals in the media, and a sense of being “double minorities” due to their ethnic and religious backgrounds — despite the fact that many Muslim immigrants settled in the Bay Area because of its reputation for cultural tolerance.

The study, the first to provide a broad look at a community that has experienced “meteoric growth,” finds that Muslims make up some 3.5 percent of the region’s total population.

The study’s key findings also include:

• The Muslim community is incredibly diverse, ranging from new immigrants from various world conflicts, to highly educated and well established professionals, to native-born Muslims and recent converts, among many others.
• As a whole, the Muslim community suffers from a significant socio-economic gap, with median household income below the Bay Area average.
• Huge disparities exist within the community as well. While a highly educated, highly paid segment of the community exists — largely in Silicon Valley — a disproportionate number of Muslims live below the poverty line, particularly in San Francisco and Alameda County.
• South Asian Muslims have the highest incomes in the community, with nearly half having household income above $100,000.
• Among immigrant Muslims, 67 percent speak at least three languages.
• The institutional support — the mosques, nonprofit organizations and government agencies required to serve any community — is still underdeveloped.
• Charitable giving is a core value among a vast majority of Bay Area Muslims, with almost two thirds of those surveyed identifying as civically engaged.
• Poorer Muslims, particularly clusters of refugees living in larger cities, are particularly vulnerable.

“Refugees from Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere have tremendous needs,” Dr. Bazian said. “They’re often clustered in public housing complexes or dense areas of the inner city, and the resources are just lacking. We need to invest in our communities.”

The Bay Area Muslim Study: Establishing Community and Identity, was commissioned by the One Nation Bay Area project, comprised of four leading Bay Area philanthropic foundations. The research, conducted by the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, is a “benchmark study” – the first of its kind to look at the Bay Area’s Muslim Community. This research report was authored by UC Berkeley Professor, Hatem Bazian, Ph.D. and ISPU’s Director of Research, Farid Senzai, Ph.D..

“The findings not only show that there is broad diversity, socioeconomic gaps, and institutional needs — they call out the resiliency and strength of a community. Our commitment to working with Muslim communities in the Bay Area is strong, and we intend to continue our long-term investment in strategies that will empower women and girls, and invest in legal services, capacity building, and promoting civic engagement to deepen cultural and religious understanding, ” said Dr. Sandra R. Hernández, CEO of The San Francisco Foundation.

The One Nation Bay Area project is a collaboration among The San Francisco Foundation, Marin Community Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and AAPIP (Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy).

More than 1,100 Bay Area Muslims were surveyed for the study, which looked at a) identity/religiosity; b) civic engagement; and c) challenges/needs.

Over the past two years, One Nation Bay Area has supported collaborations between American Muslims and non-Muslims working on solutions to community needs. One Nation Bay Area commissioned this report to help create informed, responsive and sustainable action by philanthropic institutions, public agencies, and the private sector.

Download the full report and the executive summary.

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ONE NATION BAY AREA PROJECT partners:

About The San Francisco Foundation
The San Francisco Foundation (TSFF) is the community foundation serving the Bay Area since 1948, granting more than $800 million over the past ten years. Through the generosity and vision of our donors, both past and present, TSFF granted $89 million in fiscal year 2012. TSFF brings together donors and builds on community assets through grantmaking, leveraging, public policy, advocacy, and leadership development to make a greater impact in our community. 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, TSFF is also focusing funding on safety net partners, job creation and training, and mortgage foreclosure relief and neighborhood preservation. The San Francisco Foundation serves San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, and San Mateo Counties. www.sff.org

About AAPIP
AAPIP (Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy) is a national member-supported philanthropic advocacy organization dedicated to advancing philanthropy and Asian American/Pacific Islander communities. AAPIP members include foundations, staff and trustees of grantmaking institutions, and nonprofit organizations in ten regional chapters in the United States. AAPIP engages communities and philanthropy to address unmet needs; serves as a resource for and about AAPI communities; supports and facilitates giving by and to our communities; and incubates new ideas and approaches for social justice philanthropy. AAPIP is committed to Building Democratic Philanthropy – a framework to support the development of institutions and philanthropic practices that begin with the vision of communities first, and that draws on the assets of those communities as the starting place for any blueprint to maximize their potential. www.aapip.org

About the Marin Community Foundation
The Marin Community Foundation is the primary center for philanthropy in Marin County, CA and is one of the largest community foundations in the U.S.  It manages the assets of the Leonard and Beryl H. Buck Trust and over 400 funds established by individuals, families, and businesses.  The Foundation makes significant improvements in communities around the world in two ways: by spearheading initiatives for long-term, sustainable change in Marin, and by distributing grants from donor-advised funds locally, across the U.S., and around the world. Now in its 25th year, the Marin Community Foundation has assets of approximately $1 billion, with annual grant distributions of approximately $50 million. www.marincf.org

About Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Silicon Valley Community Foundation makes all forms of philanthropy more powerful. We serve as a catalyst and leader for innovative solutions to our region’s most challenging problems. The community foundation has $2.9 billion in assets under management and more than 1,650 philanthropic funds. As Silicon Valley’s center of philanthropy, we provide individuals, families and corporations with simple and effective ways to give locally and around the world. www.siliconvalleycf.org

The prestigious award, established by the late photographer John Gutmann (1905-1998), brings with it $10,000 to support the development of Umbrico’s creative work.

“Sunset Portraits from 8,480,717 Sunset Pictures on Flickr on 12/29/10,” 2010, machine c-prints,
detail of 2500, 4in x 6in

Administered by The San Francisco Foundation, photographers are nominated by a distinguished group of professionals in the field. The award is then adjudicated by a separate group of eminent photographers and photography curators.

Umbrico has exhibited widely, both nationally and internationally, and her work is in the permanent collections of the Guggenheim Museum, NY; Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; Museum of Modern Art, NY; Museum of Contemporary Photography, Chicago; and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, among others.

Her photo-based installations, video, and digital media works explore the ever-increasing production and consumption of images on the Internet. She is the recipient of numerous awards including most recently a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship, and a Deutsche Bank-NYFA Fellowship.

“Broken Sets (eBay),” 2011, installation Recontres d’Arles, Discovery Award Nominee Exhibition, c-prints on metallic Kodak paper, each 20in x 30in

Umbrico’s first monograph, “Penelope Umbrico (photographs)“, was published by Aperture in 2011.

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As TSFF’s vice president of philanthropic services, Ruben will oversee our donor relations, business development, planned giving, and professional advisor relations, and championing philanthropic giving to make a great impact on the most pressing needs in the Bay Area. Ruben will work closely with our donors and Foundation Program staff to maximize our donors’ philanthropic impact, and with the professional advisor community to facilitate and enhance their clients’ charitable giving. With our philanthropic services team, Ruben will work hand-in-hand with individual and family donors to create charitable legacies that provide effective solutions to complex issues, fulfilling visions of a stronger region, and world.

Prior to joining The San Francisco Foundation, Ruben was vice president for development at the Boston Foundation where he managed and directed their new business development efforts, which include professional advisor relations, new donor cultivation, and planned gifts. During his tenure as VP, the Foundation increased its annual giving 180%, reaching a record annual amount of more than $100 million.

Ruben was the first Executive Director of the Crossroads Community Foundation, and also worked at the Council on Foundations as the Director of Community Foundation Services where he managed all services and programs for community foundation members. Ruben is a graduate from Occidental College in Los Angeles and received his Masters in Business Administration from the University of Maryland.

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MEDIA TOUR:
When: Tuesday, January 29, 2013
10am to Noon

Where:  Star Route Farms
95 Olema Bolinas Road
Bolinas, California, 94924

Contact:
Helge Hellberg
Organic Consultant
h2@helgehellberg.com

Sara Ying Rounsaville
The San Francisco Foundation
syk@sff.org

(SAN FRANCISCO) – Thursday, January 24, 2013 –Veteran assistance group Farmer Veteran Coalition (FVC), has been awarded a $105,000 grant from The San Francisco Foundation specifically for Veteran placement on organic farms in Marin County. The award to Farmer Veteran Coalition reflects the ongoing commitment of The San Francisco Foundation to support the health and well-being of Veterans in the Bay Area.

Four Veterans will receive paid internships with food and farm businesses in Marin County. This experience provides job skills and offers employment opportunities for returning U.S. soldiers. At the same time, the project helps participants heal from the trauma of war by working with the land and growing food.

Army Veteran Mike Walgrave is the first intern for the Marin Veteran Project. He has been placed at Warren Weber’s Star Route Farms, the oldest certified organic row crop farm in California, and Mr. Walgrave plans on becoming an organic farmer after completing the internship.

Organic Consultant and the Executive Producer of the national radio show “An Organic Conversation”, Helge Hellberg (formerly the Executive Director of Marin Organic) directs the project and serves as mentor for Mr. Walgrave.

“This is an unprecedented opportunity – Veterans can tend to the land, be surrounded by life, contribute in the production of organic food, learn job skills, and become a part of the West Marin community. It is healing for the Veterans, for the land, and for us as eaters. What a beautiful way to take care of and re-integrate our Veterans,” says Hellberg.

“The young men and women that FVC serves – many of them Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan – are driven by a sense of purpose and a profound desire to nurture, whether it is with plants or animals. Sustainable agriculture gives them both,” adds Michael O’Gorman, Founder and Executive Director FVC.

“The San Francisco Foundation brings together donors and nonprofits to serve populations most in need. There is a growing number of veterans in the Bay Area looking for jobs – and many of them seek a new start through careers in farming, agriculture, and food production,” says Francesca Vietor, Environment Program Officer at The San Francisco Foundation. “Fortunately, this region is a hub for organic, sustainable, rich agriculture, and this is an emerging area of interest at The San Francisco Foundation. We are pleased to partner with The Marin Farmer Veteran project and showcase this wonderful example of how to strengthen the environment while we strengthen our communities.”

About Farmer Veteran Coalition
Farmer Veteran Coalition is a not-for-profit organization that connects military Veterans with opportunities for employment, training, and places to heal on America’s farms. Started in 2008, Farmer Veteran Coalition’s mission is to Mobilize Veterans to Feed America. By connecting Veterans with sustainable farming resources and education to assist them in building their farm and ranch businesses, Farmer Veteran Coalition helps Veterans become successful farmers. For more information about Veteran farming and Farmer Veteran Coalition’s mission to mobilize Veterans to feed America, call them at (530) 564-1226 or visit them at www.farmvetco.org

About Star Route Farms
Star Route Farms has been an organic farm in Marin County since 1974. Weber began on five acres using horse-drawn sulky plows and cultivators and a lot of long haired ambition. As pioneers in the then fledgling organic industry, Weber adopted production and post-harvest technologies–such as precision planters and hydrocooling equipment–in order to insure top quality produce for the consumer. Star Route Farms is the oldest continuously certified organic grower in California. The farm is presently certified by Marin Organic Certified Agriculture (MOCA). www.starroutefarms.com

About The San Francisco Foundation
The San Francisco Foundation (TSFF) is the community foundation serving the Bay Area since 1948, granting more than $800 million over the past ten years. Through the generosity and vision of our donors, both past and present, TSFF granted $89 million in fiscal year 2012. TSFF brings together donors and builds on community assets through grantmaking, leveraging, public policy, advocacy, and leadership development to make a greater impact in our community. 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, TSFF is also focusing funding on safety net partners, job creation and training, and mortgage foreclosure relief and neighborhood preservation. The San Francisco Foundation serves San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, and San Mateo Counties. www.sff.org

(SAN FRANCISCO) – Monday, October 01, 2012 – Four Bay Area leaders will be recognized for their outstanding contributions to the Bay Area community at The San Francisco Foundation’s 2012 Community Leadership Awards. This year’s awardees – Rita Semel, Brenda Way, Chinese for Affirmative Action, and Aim High – are being honored for their impact in bringing together communities of different faiths, creating an artistic community hub, uniting people to confront racial and economic injustice, and inspiring and lifting up youth. The event will include a tribute to the life of Bay Area philanthropist F. Warren Hellman, performed by ODC and East Bay Center for the Performing Arts.

Rita Semel and Brenda Way will receive $10,000 each, and Chinese for Affirmative Action and Aim high each will receive $20,000.

2012 Koshland Young Leader Awards will also be presented to ten college-bound San Francisco public high school students. Each student will receive $7,000, in recognition of their outstanding academic achievements, their leadership, and their success in the face of economic and social hardships.

WHEN: Tuesday, October 2, 2012
6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
6:00 – Doors open
6:15 – Entertainment
6:30 – Awards ceremony
7:30 – Reception

WHERE: Herbst Theatre
San Francisco War Memorial Veterans Building
401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco

RSVP: Journalists: Please call 415.531.5588
Online at tsffcla.eventbrite.com

For photo opportunities before, during, and after the event, call 415.733.8588.

Awardees:

Rita Semel, interfaith pioneer and Jewish activist, for her life-long successes in creating healthy, just, and inclusive communities in the Bay Area and worldwide, and for building bridges of understanding to help alleviate poverty and end discrimination.

Brenda Way, founder and artistic director of ODC, for creating a community hub through dance, and for inspiring dancers and audiences, cultivating artists, and engaging the community.

Chinese for Affirmative Action, for being a champion against discrimination and for advancing systemic change for a racially just society.

Aim High, for closing the achievement gap through summer programs that inspire a love of learning and a strong sense of community.

Koshland Young Leader Awards
•    Luri Chen Zheng, Mission High School
•    Kyron Covington, City Arts and Technology High School
•    Deandra Crawford, Leadership High School
•    Mollie Cueva-Dabkoski, Ruth Asawa School of the Arts
•    Marlyn Martinez, San Francisco International High School
•    Edith Melendez, San Francisco International High School
•    Rodrigo Mendez, San Francisco International High School
•    Erica Nguyen, Mission High School
•    Nga Pham, Raoul Wallenberg High School
•    Stacy Thomas, City Arts and Technology High School

About The San Francisco Foundation Community Leadership Awards
We celebrate extraordinary individuals and organizations in the Bay Area who are rolling up their sleeves, taking initiative, and solving problems in their neighborhoods and communities. The San Francisco Foundation Community Leadership Awards recognize leaders who have made a significant impact in their particular Bay Area communities. Their works spans societal and civic issues, health or environmental concerns, and the arts and humanities.

The Community Leadership Awards showcase individual or organizational excellence in leadership as demonstrated by outstanding initiative, impact of work, and inspiration of others. With each award, The San Francisco Foundation publicly affirms present achievements, seeks to encourage further work on the part of the recipients and hopes to motivate others to follow their lead in service to Bay Area communities.

About the Koshland Young Leader Awards
Created by the vision and generosity of Professor Koshland and his family, The Koshland Young Leader Awards recognize the next generation of leadership in our community. High school seniors from San Francisco public schools are selected for their academic and leadership success while managing challenges of family and economic responsibilities. The students are nominated by their teachers and counselors during their junior year for this $7,000 award.

(SAN FRANCISCO) – Wednesday, July 18, 2012 – The San Francisco Foundation announced today 12 Koshland Community Fellows of the Excelsior community of San Francisco. The 2012 Daniel E. Koshland Civic Unity Awards add up to $300,000 over the next five years.

This initiative in the Excelsior community will enhance civic unity by promoting mutual respect and collaboration among diverse communities to resolve neighborhood problems. The Koshland Community Fellows, along with their neighborhood colleagues, will distribute an average of $75,000 per year through 2017. The initiative will focus on leadership development, promoting civic unity, and celebrating unsung heroes.

“We are excited about the promise and future of San Francisco’s Excelsior District.” – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi

What:   2012 Daniel E. Koshland Civic Unity Awards Ceremony
When:  Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Time:   5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Where:  El Patio Español
2850 Alemany Boulevard
San Francisco

Who:    2012 Daniel E. Koshland Civic Unity Award Fellows
Nicole Agbayani, Corridor Manager, Excelsior Action Group

Paulo Acosta Cabezas, Owner, Mama Arts Café
Jacquie Chavez, Vice President of Parent Involvement, Parent Teacher Association (PTA), San Francisco Unified School District
Joni Tam Chu, Director, OMI/Excelsior Beacon Center
Rachel Ebora, Executive Director, Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center
Carlton Eichelberger, Area Director, Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco
Tiffani Marie Johnson, Advisor, Leadership High School
Rene Luna, Bay Area SCORES Program Leader, Cleveland Elementary School
Beth Rubenstein, Executive Director, Out of Site Youth Arts Center
Charlie Sciammas, Community Organizer, People Organizing to Demand Environmental & Economic Rights (PODER)
Alex Tom, Executive Director, Chinese Progressive Association
Terrence Valen, Organizational Director, Filipino Community Center

Highlights of a Few Neighborhood Leaders’ Stories:
Alex Tom’s family immigrated to San Francisco Chinatown in the early sixties where they worked to make ends meet before finally opening up a small business in Chinatown. Now as Executive Director of The Chinese Progressive Association, Alex is realizing a life long dream; to return to work in the community that had a significant impact on his youth.

Nicole Agbayani is native to San Francisco and the Excelsior Neighborhood. At Excelsior Action Group, Nicole works hand in hand with individual merchants, as well as the community, at large to foster a vibrant and active commercial corridor that is a cherished asset of the Excelsior. Her dedication to the community where she grew up is at the heart of her work.

Rachel Ebora is the Executive Director of Bernal Heights Neighborhood Center (BHNC), a multi-service affordable housing organization providing linguistically and culturally appropriate programs and services in Bernal Heights and the surrounding areas. BHNC runs the Excelsior Community Center as a hub for senior, youth and employment programs, as well as public safety organizing and community engagement work. Rachel was recently honored by the SF Board of Supervisors “for being a passionate and articulate advocate on behalf of the oppressed and marginalized communities in San Francisco.”

The Daniel E. Koshland Civic Unity Awards were established in 1982 by The San Francisco Foundation as a memorial to one of its founders and major benefactors, Daniel E. Koshland, a businessman and philanthropist who committed himself to making the Bay Area a better place in which to live.

In 2009, the One Nation Foundation announced a $3.5 million initiative to partner with community foundations in cities across the United States by providing a dollar-for-dollar match to support increased understanding between American Muslims and non-Muslims in their local communities.

ONBA is a partnership between The San Francisco Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Marin Community Foundation, and AAPIP (Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy).

The participating community foundations collectively have a long history of supporting immigrant, limited-English speaking, and economically and politically underrepresented communities—often in spite of opposition or institutional barriers that marginalize these populations.

The importance of engaging American Muslims and non-Muslims to understand each other was highlighted in a 2010 Gallup Survey finding that “not knowing a Muslim” is related to the highest level of bias against Muslims.

In addition, a September 2010, a Washington Post-ABC News poll showed that 49 percent of Americans held an unfavorable view of Islam, a significant increase from 39 percent in October of 2002.

Recent estimates indicate that the American Muslim community in the Bay Area is comprised of nearly 250,000 people and an estimated 58 mosques, with the heaviest concentrations in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, and San Francisco Counties. They represent one of the largest Muslim communities in the U.S.

ONBA projects bring together diverse Muslim communities—including African Americans, Afghanis, Arabs, East and Northeast Africans, Indonesians, Iranians, and South Asians—with people from many different religious and cultural backgrounds, including Catholics, Episcopalian, Hindu, Jewish, Sikh, Arab and Asian Americans.

The grantmaking program was guided by American Muslim and non-Muslim communities across the nation as well as in the Bay Area.

A number of innovative strategies to bridge communities, among them:

•    Islamic Cultural Center of Northern California will expand its interfaith social action by serving homeless and low-income individuals and families in the Oakland area who have fallen on difficult economic times, in partnership with Kehilla Community Synagogue and Montclair Presbyterian Church.
•    Oakland Community Organization will develop American Muslim leaders and strengthen interfaith relationships by increasing economic opportunities for hard-to-employ men of color between the ages of 16 and 35. Four People Organizing to Improve Communities (PICO) affiliates—Congregations Organizing for Renewal, San Francisco Organizing Project, and People Acting in Community Together—will also be working collaboratively to share best practices and strategies to bring their work to scale across the state and nationwide.
•    Voice of Witness will use its book, Patriot Acts: Narrative of Post 9/11 Injustice, to provide oral history training for Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian communities, and to develop curricula support for teachers, local schools and organizations.
•    League of Women Voters California Education Fund and Northern California Islamic Council will collaborate to provide voter education, speakers bureau trainings and presentations, and voter registration drives at six mosques in Alameda, Santa Clara and San Mateo County.
•    The International Association of Sufism in Marin County will sponsor a program of dialogue, roundtable discussions, and personal stories among Dominican University Muslim and non-Muslim students.

Click herefor the full list of grants awarded under ONBA.

About AAPIP
AAPIP (Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy) is a national member-supported philanthropic advocacy organization dedicated to advancing philanthropy and Asian American/Pacific Islander communities. AAPIP members include foundations, staff and trustees of grantmaking institutions, and nonprofit organizations in ten regional chapters in the United States. AAPIP engages communities and philanthropy to address unmet needs; serves as a resource for and about AAPI communities; supports and facilitates giving by and to our communities; and incubates new ideas and approaches for social justice philanthropy.  AAPIP is committed to Building Democratic Philanthropy – a framework to support the development of institutions and philanthropic practices that begin with the vision of communities first, and that draws on the assets of those communities as the starting place for any blueprint to maximize their potential. www.aapip.org

About the Marin Community Foundation
The Marin Community Foundation is the primary center for philanthropy in Marin County, CA and is one of the largest community foundations in the U.S.  It manages the assets of the Leonard and Beryl H. Buck Trust and over 400 funds established by individuals, families, and businesses.  The Foundation makes significant improvements in communities around the world in two ways: by spearheading initiatives for long-term, sustainable change in Marin, and by distributing grants from donor-advised funds locally, across the U.S., and around the world.  Now in its 25th year, the Marin Community Foundation has assets of approximately $1 billion, with annual grant distributions of approximately $50 million. More at www.marincf.org

About The San Francisco Foundation
The San Francisco Foundation (TSFF) is the community foundation serving the Bay Area since 1948, granting more than $800 million over the past ten years. Through the generosity and vision of our donors, both past and present, TSFF granted $82 million in fiscal year 2011. TSFF brings together donors and builds on community assets through grantmaking, leveraging, public policy, advocacy, and leadership development to make a greater impact in our community. 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, TSFF is focusing funding on safety net partners, job creation and training, and mortgage 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.

About Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Silicon Valley Community Foundation makes all forms of philanthropy more powerful. We serve as a catalyst and leader for innovative solutions to our region’s most challenging problems. The community foundation has more than $2 billion in assets under management and more than 1,500 philanthropic funds. As Silicon Valley’s center of philanthropy, we provide individuals, families and corporations with simple and effective ways to give locally and around the world. Find out more at www.siliconvalleycf.org

About One Nation Foundation
George F. Russell, Jr. founded One Nation after seeing an increase in negative and prejudicial attitudes toward American Muslims that stemmed from misperceptions following 9/11. One Nation was formed to change misperceptions and reduce prejudicial attitudes toward American Muslims to uphold America’s highest ideals of pluralism and inclusion, and the great promise of liberty and justice for all. One Nation programs exist in 12 communities across the U.S., including New York, Chicago, and the Bay Area. www.onenationfoundation.org.

(SAN FRANCISCO) – Tuesday, November 22, 2011 – Dr. Sandra R. Hernández, CEO of The San Francisco Foundation, announced today $5 million in grants to Bay Area nonprofits focused on jobs, foreclosure prevention, and the safety net.

With California’s unemployment rate hovering at 11.7% and home foreclosures accelerating throughout the state, many Bay Area residents are relying on support from nonprofit organizations that provide resources, services, and stability to vulnerable families. To strengthen these nonprofits and the families they serve, The San Francisco Foundation granted $5 million to nonprofit organizations throughout the five Bay Area counties.

The Safety Net grants support immediate needs of individuals and families most impacted by the economy, and also sustains and strengthens the nonprofit safety net. $2,090,000 supports 53 organizations that provide food, housing, financial and legal assistance, and supportive services for low-income and disadvantaged populations. Additional aid is given to domestic violence and mental health crisis services, given the upsurge in stress, depression, and domestic violence in direct relation to the challenging economic climate.

The Job Training and Creation grants expand training and employment opportunities that provide family sustaining wages and career advancement to low-income, low-skilled workers. $1,455,000 goes to 33 organizations that provide a pathway out of poverty by readying clients for current or future employment, increasing their self-sufficiency, and creating more jobs.

Foreclosure Response and Neighborhood Preservation grants assist families facing foreclosure, help to protect their assets, and stabilize the negative effects of foreclosed properties on neighborhoods. $1,402,050 supports 28 grantees providing foreclosure counseling, assisting with loan modifications, helping tenants who are displaced because of foreclosures, and buying, rehabilitating, and reselling foreclosed properties.

The San Francisco Foundation grants go to:

Safety Net Program – $2,090,000 to 53 organizations
Supportive Services, including legal assistance, financial assistance, and social services
Allen Temple Health and Social Services Ministries
Bay Area Legal Aid
Bayview Hunters Point Multipurpose Senior Services
Berkeley Food and Housing Project
Catholic Charities CYO
Catholic Charities of the East Bay
Contra Costa Crisis Center
Crisis Support Services of Alameda County
Davis Street Family Resource Center
East Bay Community Law Center
The Fremont Family Resource Center
General Assistance Advocacy Project
Greater Richmond Interfaith Program
Homeless Prenatal Program
Monument Crisis Center
Puente de la Costa Sur
San Francisco Bar Association Volunteer Legal Services Program
Street Level Health Project

Domestic Violence Services
A Safe Place
Building Futures with Women and Children
Center for Domestic Peace
Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse
Family Violence Law Center
La Casa de las Madres
Safe Alternatives to Violent Environments
San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center
STAND! Against Domestic Violence

Food Security
Alameda County Community Food Bank
California Association of Food Banks
Coastside Hope (formerly Coastside Opportunity Center)
Ecumenical Hunger Program
Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano
Glide Foundation
Hope 4 the Heart
Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa
Meals on Wheels of San Francisco
Open Heart Kitchen of Livermore, Inc.
Prescott-Joseph Center For Community Enhancement, Inc.
Project Open Hand
San Francisco Food Bank
Second Harvest Food Bank of Santa Clara and San Mateo
Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County
St. Anthony’s Foundation

Housing and Homeless Prevention
Abode Services
Compass Family Services
East Oakland Community Project
Emergency Shelter Program, Inc.
Hamilton Family Center
Homeward Bound of Marin
Saint Mary’s Center
Samaritan House
Shelter Network
Shelter, Inc. of Contra Costa County

Job Training and Creation – $1,455,000 to 33 organizations
Job Training
Allen Temple Housing & Economic Development Corporation
Arriba Juntos Center
Asian Neighborhood Design
City of Richmond Employment and Training Department
Concord Community Economic Development (Chavez Center)
Goodwill Industries of the Greater East Bay
Jewish Vocational Services
JobTrain
Marin City Community Development Corporation
Opportunity Junction
Rising Sun Energy Center
San Francisco Conservation Corps
Solar Richmond
The Stride Center
Youth Employment Partnership, Inc.

Job Creation
AnewAmerica Community Corporation
Brightline Defense Project
Canal Welcome Center
Congregations Organizing for Renewal
East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy
La Cocina
New Door Ventures
Opportunity Fund Northern California
REDF
Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center
Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County
Supportive Housing Employment Collaborative
The Bread Project
Women’s Action to Gain Economic Security
Women’s Initiative for Self Employment

Job Training and Job Creation
Rising Sun Energy Center
Rubicon Programs, Inc.

Strengthening the Regional Workforce System
The Workforce Collaborative

Foreclosure Response and Neighborhood Preservation – $1,402,050 to 28 organizations
Foreclosure Response and Housing Preservation
Asian, Inc.
Causa Justa :: Just Cause
Community Housing Development Corporation of North Richmond
Community Legal Services in East Palo Alto
Consumer Credit Counseling Service of San Francisco
Contra Costa Interfaith Supporting Community Organization
Eviction Defense Collaborative
Homeownership San Francisco
Housing and Economic Rights Advocates
Legal Aid of Marin
Mission Economic Development Agency
National Housing Law Project
Project Sentinel
Spanish Speaking Unity Council of Alameda County, Inc.
Tenants Together
The Greenlining Institute
Urban Strategies Council

Neighborhood Stabilization and Innovation
Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment Institute
California Reinvestment Coalition
Center for Responsible Lending
East Bay Community Recovery Project
Habitat for Humanity East Bay
Hello Housing (formerly Hallmark Community Solutions)
Human Investment Project
Northbay Family Homes
Northern California Urban Development
Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services
San Francisco Community Land Trust
About The San Francisco Foundation
The San Francisco Foundation (TSFF) is the community foundation serving the Bay Area since 1948, granting more than $860 million over the past ten years. Through the generosity and vision of our donors, TSFF awarded grants totaling more than $83 million in fiscal year 2010. TSFF brings together donors and builds on community assets through grantmaking, leveraging, public policy, advocacy, and leadership development. By focusing on people, organizations, neighborhoods, and policy, 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, TSFF is focusing funding on safety net partners, job creation and training, and foreclosure response and neighborhood preservation for three years. The San Francisco Foundation serves San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, and San Mateo Counties.

Bob Peck is a managing director of FPR Partners, a private investment partnership focused on public equities. Prior to founding FPR, Bob was with the Murchison family and RPM Metropolitan Capital, a company he co-founded. He also spent eight years with Perot Investments with his last position as head of public equities.

Bob serves on the boards of the Fremont Group, the S. D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, REDF, California STEM Learning Network, and Grace Cathedral. He is also president of the Day School Foundation, which is affiliated with St. Matthew’s Episcopal Day School in San Mateo, CA.

Bob received an M.A. in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He also graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University with an A.B. in History.

2011 Community Leadership Awards Honorees:

Bishop Yvette A. Flunder, founder and director of Ark of Refuge, for courageously addressing the issues of HIV/AIDS prevention, response, and care within the African American faith community. As a pastor, scholar, teacher, and activist, she has united gospel and social ministries to create unique programs that improve the quality of life of some of the most marginalized in our community.

Gonzalo Rucobo, co-founder and executive director of Bay Area Peacekeepers, for helping former gang members reach their potential and successfully contribute to society. By intervening with gang-affiliated communities in the East Bay, he helps channel grief and anger into activism, creating positive alternatives to violence.

John Santos, musician and cultural activist, for making music that transcends cultural barriers and serves as a tool for social justice. As an educator, scholar, performer, and composer, he celebrates and promotes Latin music and understands that art has the power to inform and nurture.

Jordan Simmons, artistic director of the East Bay Center for Performing Arts, for building a better future for young adults through music and cultural programs. As a musician and arts administrator, he has changed the lives of thousands of people in Richmond’s Iron Triangle through rigorous artistic training, school-based outreach, and performances of traditional and original work.

Ravenswood Family Health Center, for providing high quality, cost-effective healthcare to southeast San Mateo County, and for advocating for the need to address health disparities and inequities. Through its innovative health education programs and Health Navigators outreach, Ravenswood serves as a model for tackling complex community health issues locally and nationally.

Koshland Young Leader Awardees:

Makda Beyene, Mission High School
Antonio Cruz, Ruth Asawa School of the Arts
Daynelita Dulalas, Metropolitan Arts and Technology High School
Maria Figueroa, Mission High School
Sintia Henriquez, June Jordan School for Equity
Dina Lemus, June Jordan School for Equity
Christopher Quinteros, Mission High School
Huimin Yang, Balboa High School

Awards Celebration
Please join us for an evening of inspiration, fun, and food at The San Francisco Foundation 2011 Community Leadership Awards Celebration. 

WHEN: Tuesday, September 27, 2011
6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
John Santos and the John Santos Sextet will perform from 6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Awards ceremony begins promptly at 6:30 p.m., followed by a reception at 7:30 p.m.

WHERE: Herbst Theatre
San Francisco War Memorial Veterans Building
401 Van Ness Avenue, San Francisco
Press RSVP to publicaffairs@sff.org or 415.733.8588.

For photo opportunities before, during, and after the event, call 415.733.8588.

About The San Francisco Foundation Community Leadership Awards
We celebrate people who are rolling up their sleeves, taking initiative, and solving problems in their neighborhoods and communities. The San Francisco Foundation Community Leadership Awards recognize individuals and organizations whose leadership has made a significant impact in their particular Bay Area communities. This work may confront societal or civic issues, address health or environmental concerns, or promote arts and humanities. The Community Leadership Awards showcase individual or organizational excellence in leadership as demonstrated by outstanding initiative, impact of work, and inspiration of others. With each award, The San Francisco Foundation publicly affirms present achievements, seeks to encourage further work on the part of the recipients, and hopes to motivate others to follow their lead in service to Bay Area communities.

About the Koshland Young Leader Awards
The Koshland Young Leader Awards recognize the next generation of leadership in our community. These impressive high school seniors from San Francisco public schools are strongly motivated to achieve in spite of the added challenge of responsibilities to their families. The San Francisco Foundation applauds the Koshland Young Leader Awardees for their commitment to achieving their goals, succeeding academically, and pursuing their career ambitions. The students are nominated by their teachers and counselors during their junior year for this $7,000 award.