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2011 Year-End Giving
Now is the time for making your year-end, tax-deductible charitable contributions.
The San Francisco Foundation’s Philanthropic Services team is here to help. Contact our team at 415-733-8500.
- Donation deadline: For your charitable contribution to be tax-deductible for 2011, The San Francisco Foundation must receive it by 12:00 p.m. PST on Friday, December 30, 2011. If you are transferring securities or wiring contributions, please notify Joshua Jones, donor services assistant, at 415-733-8587 or jxj@sff.org.
- Grant advising deadlines: Grant recommendations of greater than $50,000 are due by 5:00 p.m. on December 16, 2011. Grant recommendations of $50,000 or less must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on December 23, 2011.
- Please
note that the Foundation will be closed on November 24 and 25, and
December 26. We will be available all day on December 30.
2011 Annual Donor Investment Forum on Navigating Through Volatile Market
Our 2011 Annual Donor Investment Forum on
"Navigating Through Volatile Market" was held on Monday, November 7, 2011 from
3:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. at The City Club of San Francisco. There were
presentations by Michael Miller, Co-founder and Managing Director of
Colonial Consulting LLC and TSFF Investment Committee members, including
Committee Chair and Panel Moderator Stephanie DiMarco, Founder and CEO
Advent Software, Inc.; Andy Ballard, Managing Director, Hellman &
Friedman LLC; and Edward H. McDermott, Managing Director SPO Partners
& Co.
Read the Summer 2011 Donor Newsletter
- Image of Donor News - Summer 2011 Cover
In this issue: Koshland Young Leaders, Courtney's Foundation,
Meet the New Philanthropic Services Staff, The San Francisco Foundation
2011 Community Leadership Awards, and Supporting Events Through Donor
Advised Funds. Read it online or download the PDF.
Support Relief and Recovery from Recent Storms
The storms and floods that have devastated parts of the South and Midwest in recent months have left hundreds of people dead and scores missing, massive property damage, and thousands in need. The San Francisco Foundation encourages donors who would like to support immediate relief and long term recovery efforts to contribute to foundations close to the impacted areas. Please click here for a list of these foundations.
Support Relief Efforts in the South
The storms that recently hit the South in the largest outbreak of tornadoes in US history left devastation in their wake – more than 350 people dead and scores missing, massive property damage, and thousands in need. The San Francisco Foundation encourages donors who would like to support immediate relief and long term recovery efforts to contribute to foundations close to the impacted areas. Please click here for a list of these foundations.
Support Relief Efforts in Japan
The largest earthquake to ever hit Japan registered at a 8.9-magnitude and struck at 2:46 p.m. on March 11, 2011, in northern Japan near the Tohoku region killing thousands and injuring many more. The death toll is expected to rise as recovery efforts continue.
Thank you to our donors and community members who turn to The San Francisco Foundation for referrals and information about donating to the relief and recovery efforts in Japan.
The San Francisco Foundation encourages those interested in supporting the relief efforts to support the Japanese Cultural & Community Center of Northern California (JCCCNC), which has established a fund to help the victims of the devastating earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan March 11th.
JCCCNC is a local trusted nonprofit here in San Francisco's Japantown. Established in 1973, JCCCNC serves over 185,000 individuals a year and conducts numerous exchange programs between the United States and Japan. In spring of 2010, the JCCCNC lead a tour to Sendai, Japan, the epicenter of the earthquake.
100% of your donations to JCCCNC will go directly towards citizen relief efforts in the most affected areas.
Make a grant recommendation to JCCCNC from your donor advised fund by
clicking on the Recommend a Grant tab in Donor Center, or contact the
Philanthropic Services Team at donorservices@sff.org
or 415.733.8500.
Read our 2010 Annual Report
- Cover of the 2010 Annual Report
Check out our latest annual report – read about our donors, our work in the Bay Area community, our grants, and our financial investments.
Donor Investment Forum Highlights Returns and Impact
On November 30, 2010, more than 100 donors and financial advisors joined us at our Annual Donor Investment Forum to hear an overview of our investment strategy and performance and a panel of our Investment Committee members discussing “Predictions and Forecasts When All Bets Are Off.”
When The San Francisco Foundation has strong investment returns, that means that your philanthropy, and the philanthropic vision of generations before us have exponentially stronger community impact and life-saving, human implications. $115 million in investment returns this past year translates into hundreds of thousands of meals for the hungry, shelters to prevent families from homelessness, opportunities and stabilizing supports that mean education and futures for the most vulnerable, and innovative, important public policy partnerships and initiatives that strengthen our entire Bay Area.
CEO Sandra R. Hernández, M.D., and Chief Financial Officer Monica Pressley spoke about this meaningful impact our investment returns have on the Bay Area, as well as the esteemed Investment Committee whose diligence, insights, and expertise navigated us through these volatile times. Michael Miller, co-founder and managing director of Colonial Consulting, presented an overview of the returns from the past year. For more details about our investment strategy and performance, download a PDF of our Fiscal Year 2010 Investment Report. Profiles of our investment managers are available in this password-protected PDF; please contact Roberta Schutz at rschutz@sff.org or 415.733.8538 for access.
San Francisco Foundation Investment Committee Chair Stephanie DiMarco, founder and CEO of Advent Software, moderated a lively panel with Edward H. McDermott, managing director at SPO Partners & Co., and Sarah Stein, managing director and co-director of research at Hall Capital Partners, LLC. They provided insights as to how the Investment Committee considers its strategy and allocations in these tumultuous times.
Watch videos of the presentations.
View the photo gallery of the luncheon.
Read the Fall 2010 Donor Newsletter
- Small image of the Fall 2010 Donor Newsletter
In this issue: Donor Deborah Santana, Supporting The San Francisco Foundation Impact Fund, Upcoming Annual Donor Investment Forum, 2010 Community Leadership Awards, and Important Year-End Dates. Read it online or download the PDF.
Report Reveals Bay Area Funders’ Response in Economic Downturn
Strengthening
the Safety Net: Bay Area Philanthropy’s Response and Early Lessons, a
report released on Monday, June 7th by The Safety Net Funders Network, details
the recession’s impact on families and individuals in the Bay Area and provides
new perspectives and strategies for collaboration, setting priorities, public
policy, and funding. 
While many economic indicators point to a recovery, families in the Bay Area are still suffering its effects. In 2010, the Bay Area will lose another 20,000 jobs, spiking unemployment to 10.5%, and housing foreclosures are on the rise. The demand for safety net services continues to intensify, calling funders to action. "Given the tumultuous economy, organizations are regrouping and rethinking how to continue mission related services. This report identifies important trends and strategies so that funders can make the most of scarce resources," said Denise Martin, Program Director, Public Policy, Advocacy, and Community Health at The San Francisco Foundation.
The report highlights a number of Bay Area grantmaking trends:
- Safety net grantmaking has increased in response to the recession.
- This reflects a shift in priorities in independent, community, and corporate foundations whose grantmaking budgets have overall decreased.
- $170 million was granted to 1,500 safety net nonprofits from 2008 through November 2009. Safety net nonprofits are defined as providing human services, housing and shelter, agriculture and food, and mental health and crisis services.
- Grants mostly ranged from $25,000 to $50,000, with some $100,000 grants, and a few of more than $1 million.
- Community foundations granted the largest proportion of safety net grants in California, distinguishing the state from national trends, where independent foundations played a larger role.
- Of the safety net nonprofits, housing and shelter received the most funds, and mental health services and information and referral received the least.
- Funders mostly provided project funding and restricted support. Core operating support or grants that are given to organizations for general support was the second most common category of funding.
Collaboration, public-private partnerships, and systems change were identified by the report as keys to successfully strengthening the safety net nonprofits, and the public agencies that support them.
The Walter and Elise Haas Fund, the Y & H Soda Fund, the United Way of the Bay Area, and The San Francisco Foundation launched the Safety Net Funders Network in September 2009. Bank of America, S.D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation, Blue Shield of California Foundation, The California Endowment, S. H. Cowell Foundation, Episcopal Charities, East Bay Community Foundation, Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, Jewish Community Federation, Kaiser Permanente Northern California, Koret Foundation, Dean & Margaret Lesher Foundation, Thomas J. Long Foundation, Philanthropic Ventures Fund, Charles & Helen Schwab Foundation, Silicon Valley Community Foundation, and the Women’s Foundation of California participate in the Network.
Download the full report here [2.7 MB PDF].
Important 2010 Year-end Message
Last week both houses of Congress supported President Obama's tax bill, which extends the Bush-era tax cuts through 2012. The legislation maintains current income tax rates and the 15% rate for capital gains and dividends, establishes a lower 35% estate tax (with a $5 million per individual exemption and $10 million for couples), and provides for an Alternative Minimum Tax patch and a payroll tax cut for 2011. In addition, the plan calls for an extension of the expired 2009 tax provisions, including the IRA charitable rollover.
The IRA charitable rollover means eligible donors may make a direct gift to impact the issues you care most about. You may establish or add to a fund that contributes to The San Francisco Foundation’s endowment, or our Impact Fund.
If you have an IRA or a Roth IRA and are over age 70 1/2, you may transfer up to $100,000 directly from your IRA to a variety of funds at The San Francisco Foundation or directly to your favorite charitable organization. If you have not taken your 2010 IRA required minimum distribution, by using this option you likely will be able to reduce your income taxes with an IRA charitable rollover. Even if you already have taken your required IRA distribution for 2010, you still may find the IRA charitable rollover a very convenient way to make a gift because you can take your 2011 minimum distribution by January 31, 2011, and count it as a 2010 gift. Or, you can make a charitable gift of up to $100,000 with an IRA charitable rollover any time next year prior to December 31, 2011.
We encourage you to take advantage of the many philanthropic options available to you through The San Francisco Foundation. Donor advised funds are a simple and fast way to ensure immediate tax deductions for year-end, with unlimited time to decide which charitable causes and nonprofits you wish to support.
Thank you for your ongoing partnership and generosity, and we invite you to partner with The San Francisco Foundation as your trusted source to make the most impact with your giving. To learn more about how you can make a charitable impact with your IRA this year, or for guidance finding organizations that align with your passions, please contact our Philanthropic Services team at 415.733.8500 or donorservices@sff.org.
2010 Year-end Giving and Grantmaking Important Dates
The San Francisco Foundation philanthropic services staff is eager to support your giving and grantmaking all year round, and especially during this holiday season. Please read this important information about upcoming availability and deadlines.
Holiday Schedule
We are here for you and encourage you to contact us at 415.733.8500 or donorservices@sff.org. Please note the Foundation will be closed on December 24th. We will be available from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on December 31st.
Giving Deadline
For your charitable contributions to be tax-deductible for 2010, The San Francisco Foundation must receive them by 12:00 p.m. PST on Friday, December 31, 2010. If you are transferring securities or wiring contributions, please notify Joshua Jones, donor services assistant, at 415.733.8587 or jxj@sff.org.
Grantmaking Deadlines
Our grantmaking schedule will follow its usual schedule for the remainder of the year. For grants to be distributed this calendar year, on December 30, 2010:
- Grant recommendations of greater than $50,000 must be submitted by 3:00 p.m. on December 22, 2010
- Grant recommendations of $50,000 or less must be submitted by 3:00 p.m. on December 29, 2010
- Cover of the 2010 Investment Report.
Strategy, Diligence, Impact - 2010 Investment Report
We are fortunate to rely on the strength of our Investment Committee their expert and disciplined involvement, and their guidance in investment strategy. We invite you to learn more about these strategies and review the past year's performance by downloading a PDF of our Fiscal Year 2010 Investment Report. Profiles of our investment managers are available in this password-protected PDF; please contact Roberta Schutz at rschutz@sff.org or 415.733.8538 for access.
Standing with Haiti: From Disaster Relief to Long Term Recovery
- Dr. Joia Mukherjee, chief medical officer at Partners In Health
On October 14, 2010, we hosted a donor briefing featuring Joia Mukherjee, M.D., M.P.H., chief medical officer at Partners In Health (PIH) about relief and recovery efforts in Haiti. Discussion topics included:
- How 25 years' experience in Haiti prepared PIH to respond to the devastating earthquake
- PIH's shift from short term relief to long term recovery in Haiti
- Lessons from Haiti that are improving responses to the chronic disasters of poverty and disease in communities around the world
Impact Investors Symposium
On October 6, 2010, the Foundation hosted a symposium focusing on getting started with and lessons learned about impact investing. The morning program featured panel discussions with leading impact investors representing private and community foundations, financial institutions, and family offices on getting started and lessons learned. The afternoon program consisted of break-out sessions where investors learned about specific co-investment opportunities in a variety of sectors, including affordable housing, access to healthy foods, education, sustainable agriculture, and clean energy.
Organized by Imprint Capital Advisors and Global Impact Investing Network. Supported by Global Philanthropy Forum, Lundin for Africa, The San Francisco Foundation, Skoll Foundation, and W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
Making Marriage Equality a Reality – For Good
On September 16, 2010, donors and Foundation colleagues participated in a conversation about next steps and lessons learned in the fight for marriage equality.
Prominent leaders in the field – Geoff Kors, executive director of Equality California Institute, Kate Kendell, executive director of National Center for Lesbian Rights, and Tawal Panycosit, director of API Equality – discussed the recent court ruling, polling results from different ethnic groups, and communication strategies that can move opponents of marriage equality into proponents of the issue. The evening concluded with a dialogue about keeping the momentum going within diverse constituencies and the resources needed to support organizations fighting to make marriage equality a reality for good.
For a photo gallery from the event, click here.
The San Francisco Foundation hosted this briefing in partnership with Horizons Foundation, Jewish Community Federation, Equality California Institute, and the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund.
Check out the Summer 2010 Issue of the Donor Newsletter
Donors Mauree Jane and Mark Perry, Strengthening the Safety Net,
2010 Community Leadership Awards, Donors Connect at the Women Changing
the World Luncheon, and more. You can read the enewsletter version or download the PDF.
Celebrating the 2010 Koshland Young Leaders
- Guests at 2010 Koshland Young Leader Awards celebration.
The San Francisco Foundation honored the 2010 Koshland Young Leaders Awardees on June 9, 2010, celebrating seven college-bound San Francisco public high school juniors who are highly motivated to achieve despite facing formidable challenges in multiple aspects of their lives, such as economic and family responsibilities. They embrace a commitment to supporting their families and communities, and receive a $7,000 award for educational expenses.
Although incredibly diverse in origins and goals, this year’s awardees are united in their compassion, sheer drive to succeed, and gratefulness to their teachers, friends, families, mentors, and peers – many of whom cheered them on at the celebration.
- Guests at 2010 Koshland Young Leader Awards celebration.
This year’s winners are Fany Chan Xu of Galileo High School; Oscar Alfredo Figueroa-Flores, Emalata Paea, and Moneace Smith of June Jordan School for Equity; and Noe Rivas, Ana Gabriela Avalos Tizol, and Weichao (Steven) Zhuo of Mission High School. For more information about the Awards, please visit our Koshland Young Leader Awards page.
The Koshland Young Leaders Award were established in 1982 by Dr. Daniel Koshland, Jr. In this 17th year the awards are presented, we are honored to have the family tradition continue with the participation of Yvonne Koshland, Gail Koshland, and Jim Koshland on the Awards Committee.
For a photo gallery from the celebration, please click here.
Connecting at the Women Changing the World Donor Luncheon
San Francisco Foundation donors connected with the power of philanthropy at the Women Changing the World luncheon on June 2, 2010. Donors, their daughters, granddaughters, nieces, and sisters joined with San Francisco Foundation philanthropy experts, including Beth Brown, Vanitha Venugopal, and Denise Martin, in a conversation about women’s high-engagement philanthropy. From the art and science of giving to the intuition they rely on, they discussed impact and how to align passion, purpose, and philanthropy.
The San Francisco Foundation aspires to continue this conversation about women’s philanthropy. We invite you to share your ideas on how we might continue to engage you in this subject.
For a photo gallery from the luncheon, please click here.
Donor Investment Forum
- From the annual Donor Investment Forum on 4.15.10
The San Francisco Foundation's investment track record continues to be impressive, in the last year returning more than 31%. We have significantly outperformed our benchmark and comparably sized community foundations. Our portfolio has delivered the best or second best returns for community foundations with assets greater than $250 million during the past one, three, five, seven, and ten year reporting periods. This performance increases resources for grantmaking and community impact.
At our annual Donor Investment Forum, this year on April 15, 2010, the Foundation's Investment Committee Chair Stephanie DiMarco and Chief Financial Officer Monica Pressley, as well as Michael Miller from Colonial Consulting, focused on how the Foundation responded to both the challenges and opportunities in the capital markets in the past year.
To see more photos from the event, visit our photo gallery.
To access a recording of the webinar, please contact us at donorservices@sff.org.
To read the Fiscal Year 2009 Investment Report, click here. To read profiles of our investment managers, please click here.
To read the latest Long Term Donor Advised Pool Investment Strategy and Performance Report, click here.
Celebrating the Impact of Legacy Gifts
Legacy gifts leave a lasting impact on the people and places in our community. Your gift helps create solutions to complex issues and meet the changing needs of the community in perpetuity.
- Legacy Society luncheon March 2010
In response to the recent economic downturn, the Foundation was able to quickly launch several strategic programs, because we had the support of generations of legacy donors. Our $5 million Safety Net Fund reached out and supported the most vulnerable who need food to eat, a place to sleep, cash assistance, and protection from domestic violence. As our community contends with dramatic cuts in services because of deep local, state, and federal budget cuts, we have been working closely with the nonprofit sector as it rethinks and regroups. The Nonprofits Transitions Fund provided $700,000 to support strategic mergers and closures to strengthen our region overall. These funds help comprise this year’s grants of $20 million from endowment earnings and $60 million from donor advised funds to support more than 700 Bay Area nonprofits.
Our Annual Legacy Society Luncheon on March 24, 2010, highlighted Foundation partners who are responding to the changing needs of the Bay Area now and into the future. Three grantees shared their stories of the meaningful impact these legacy gifts have on our communities.
- Legacy Society luncheon March 2010
Ben Mangan, president, CEO, and co-founder of EARN, painted a picture of how EARN empowers low-income workers to create economic prosperity for themselves and for generations to come. “But it isn’t just the dollars that are transformative,” he said. “It’s the hope – that starts to feel tangible in a new way for our savers. It’s the vision that comes to life, and the view of the future that shifts from despair to opportunity.” He explained how EARN’s innovative ways, using matched savings accounts, checking accounts for the unbanked, micro-loans, and money management coaching, give low-income workers the power to create economic prosperity for themselves and for their families for generations to come.
Rose Padilla Johnson, executive director at Davis Street Family Resource Center, spoke passionately about the 10,000 people who rely on the organization for their basic needs, such as food and clothes, healthcare for themselves and their children, and so much more. She described how the need is vast and growing, and how the faces at the Center are changing. Over the past three decades, the organization has repeatedly listened to its community, and added programs in response.
The experimental model artist space Red Poppy Art House exemplified how the arts are a central component of what makes the Bay Area so vibrant. The Art House creates a space for artistic exchanges both casually and through formal collaborations and programs. Nefasha Ayer, a collective of musicians who received its first grant from the Foundation’s Fund for Artists, performed melodies that reflect the many cultures of its members. Below, watch the video of their performance.
To see more photos from the event, visit our photo gallery.
If you have named the Foundation in your estate plans, or are considering doing so, we invite you to join the Legacy Society. To learn more, please visit our Legacy Society page or contact Philanthropic Services at 415.733.8500.
Support The San Francisco Foundation Impact Fund
Now more than ever – Your investment makes a difference
- Intro photo for the 2009 Impact Fund
Angelina was still in preschool when her father lost his construction job. Angelina’s mother’s housecleaning wages were not covering the mortgage payments for their newly purchased two-bedroom house in the Bayview. Bus fare for her father’s job search meant they could not afford meals with fresh produce or meat. Eventually, things got so tight, the bank foreclosed on their small home. It was the eighth foreclosure on that one block in San Francisco, the 30th in the neighborhood.
Most days, Angelina straggled into preschool with a runny nose, cranky and sleepy, underfed, and, even at four years old, stressed out. It was a challenging year.
But by the end of the year, as Angelina readied for kindergarten, she had a bit more light in her eyes, a little more hope in her voice.
What changed? A lot. Angelina’s family tapped into resources, services, and programs provided by the Bay Area’s vast and effective nonprofits who are working hard to support those families most hard hit by the recession and its collateral effects.
The San Francisco Foundation’s program experts are in the community, they are your eyes and ears – bird dogging where the needs are greatest, and finding which solutions, strategies, and nonprofits hit the spot.
As a sophisticated and caring philanthropist, you want to make sure every dollar you invest makes the most impact. Partner with The San Francisco Foundation so that together, we can make a difference.
Please join us.
The San Francisco Foundation Impact Fund currently has two funds that focus on the community's most pressing concerns, addressing both immediate needs and longer term poverty issues that hit the most vulnerable in our society.
Recession Response Impact Fund
In response to the recession, The San Francisco Foundation identified three priority issues: securing the safety net, foreclosure response and neighborhood recovery, and job training and creation. We are investing $5 million – between now and the end of 2010, to resource these priority areas, so that families like Angelina’s have a fighting chance to avoid a deeper spiral into an intractable life of poverty.
Join us and support the Recession Response Impact Fund and invest along side us to provide support, shelter, and hope for our most vulnerable Bay Area families. This fund invests in Bay Area nonprofit organizations that are on the ground, providing critically needed emergency food supplies, training for jobs that offer livable family wages, and support for families and neighborhoods devastated by the financial wreckage of widespread foreclosures.
Poverty Alleviation Impact Fund
The Poverty Alleviation Impact Fund invests in the proven strategy that launches modest savings accounts for low-income families – thereby increasing their chances of success for the long term. Savings accounts, financial literacy training, and staying and performing in school are critically important elements that lead to a family’s success and prevent a spiral down into poverty.
The Fund invests in a number of Bay Area organizations that build independent savings accounts for low-income families. The Fund also supports the Kindergarten to College program, the first of its kind in the nation to help plant the seeds – in both minds and bank accounts – that young students can graduate from college and raise up their families and communities with them. Every child entering kindergarten in San Francisco will receive $50 in a college savings account, with incentives, matches, and additional support to help the funds grow. Over the next 13 years, the students and their families will develop a culture of savings, improve their financial literacy, and increase their assets. The result will be a city of students who are inspired, ready, and able to afford and attend college.
How to Support The San Francisco Foundation Impact Fund
There are two ways Foundation donors can make a grant to The San Francisco Foundation Impact Fund:
A. Recommend a grant to one of our Impact Funds in Donor Center. Please follow these steps:
- From the Recommend a Grant tab, click Change/Select. This will take you to the Foundation’s organization search screen.
- Search for and select one of our two Impact Funds by typing Recession Response Impact Fund or Poverty Alleviation Impact Fund into the Organization Name field.
- Complete the remainder of the online grant recommendation form indicating grant amount, acknowledgment information, and any special instructions.
- To grant to an additional Impact Fund, please repeat this process by searching for and selecting a different Impact Fund name.
B. Complete the Grant Recommendation form and return it by mail or fax.
New Investment Strategy for Short Term Donor Advised Pool
In the Short Term Donor Advised Pool, we are pleased to announce a new investment strategy that provides us with potentially higher returns while still maintaining the flexibility required for grantmaking. We are now investing in an enhanced cash strategy with the goal to provide capital preservation, grantmaking liquidity, and income consistent with short term Treasury bills. This strategy is not a money market fund and can be subject to some short term volatility. Over the past ten years this strategy turned in positive results in 97% of the quarters and outperformed a 3-month Treasury bill by 0.63% annually. When the strategy had a negative quarter (3% of the time), it took less than two months to recoup the losses. Click here to read our Frequently Asked Questions.
Receive Quarterly Statements Online
Quarterly Statements are available on your secure Donor Center account. This exciting service enables you to access your fund activity more conveniently than ever before. Quarterly statements can be found on your Donor Center homepage beneath your account balance.