News

October 2011

Community Health Grant Application Update

In light of deficit reductions and shrinking government budgets, the Community Health program is moving to providing 2-year core operating support grants to help stabilize organizations while they deal with projected cuts. Our goal for the 2011-2012 cycle is to award approximately half of our grants as 2-year grants. If you are applying to our Open Application Cycle, we encourage you to submit an application for a 2-year grant.

Hepatitis C in San Francisco: Task Force Recommendations for Addressing the Epidemic

San Francisco has been severely impacted by the hepatitis C virus epidemic, with an estimated 12,000 people infected with the virus, many of whom are unaware of their status. In response to this crisis, a Task Force, created in November 2009, was charged with developing specific recommendations to address the hepatitis C epidemic in San Francisco. Drug Policy Alliance was the lead sponsor of the Task Force; members included medical and social service providers, public health officials, hepatitis C advocates, people living with and affected by hepatitis C, and other stakeholders. In December 2010, the San Francisco Mayor’s Hepatitis C Task Force issued its final report, Recommendations for Strategically Addressing Hepatitis C in San Francisco (PDF).

The San Francisco Foundation is proud to have provided funding to support the development of this report and will help fund the implementation of these recommendations.

The Task Force’s recommendations focus on four broad areas, and includes seven strategic directions, each delineating practical vision statements to describe the desired outcomes, recommendations, and specific action steps for implementation:

Research and Surveillance

• To improve surveillance capacity and data use

Prevention, Education, Awareness and Testing

• To educate the public and providers about hepatitis C virus
• To increase hepatitis C testing
• To provide accurate risk information and effective hepatitis C prevention interventions

Care and Treatment

• To improve health outcomes of people living with hepatitis C virus in San Francisco

Public Policy

• To improve San Francisco’s response to the hepatitis C epidemic through funding, legislative, and policy strategies and initiatives
• To leverage San Francisco’s influence at the state and federal levels to secure legislation and funding to address the hepatitis C epidemic in California and the United States

Download a PDF of the full report, or visit the San Francisco Hepatitis C Task Force website for more information.

June 2010

Demystifying Federal Health Reform Convening Sheds Light on New Law

Image from The San Francisco Foundation FAITHS, Koshland, Community Health programs’ Demystifying Federal Health Reform convening on June 30, 2010.

The San Francisco Foundation FAITHS, Koshland, and Community Health programs brought together more than 100 diverse community members to learn about and discuss the recently passed national healthcare law. Key leaders from three Bay Area health advocacy groups briefed faith-based organizations, neighborhood residents, and grassroots leaders, as well as community health practitioners and administrators, on the benefits of the new law while urging them to press lawmakers to act with underserved communities in mind during these difficult economic times.  Read more about the panel's discussion in our What’s New section.

June 2010

Report Reveals Bay Area Funders’ Response in Economic Downturn

The Safety Net Funders Network, launched in partnership with The San Francisco Foundation, released its report Strengthening the Safety Net: Bay Area Philanthropy’s Response and Early Lessons on June 7th. The report 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. Collaboration, public-private partnerships, and systems changed were identified by the report as keys to successfully strengthening the safety net nonprofits, and the public agencies that support them. Visit our What's New section to read highlights of the report and download the PDF.

March 2010

The East Bay Foundation on Aging 2010 Grants Awarded

As one of the fastest growing states in the nation, California is experiencing profound demographic shifts. Among these is a growing elderly population. In the Bay Area, people aged 60 years and older make up an increasing portion of the total population. Even today, Bay Area residents are already older on average than people in other parts of the country. This trend, combined with increases in chronic illness, the need for long-term care, and a financially constrained health care system, underscore the critical need to address the impact of these changes on Bay Area communities and on nonprofits serving senior populations.

The San Francisco Foundation’s newest supporting organization, the East Bay Foundation on Aging (EBFA), is a grantmaking partner committed to service to East Bay seniors through grants to nonprofit organizations in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Founded with the proceeds from the sale of the historic Matilda Brown Home for Elderly Women in Oakland, the East Bay Foundation on Aging recently awarded nine grants totaling $260,000 to organizations serving seniors in the East Bay with programs that promote aging in place, improve access to healthcare for older adults, and support caregivers, including nurses, family members and home health workers. 2010 Grantees include:

• Adult Day Services Network of Alameda County   
• Alameda County Meals on Wheels   
• Bay Area Community Services   
• Crisis Support Services of Alameda Co.   
• Guardian Adult Health Centers of Calif.
• Lavender Seniors of the East Bay   
• LIFE ElderCare, Inc.   
• LifeLong Medical Care   
• St. Mary’s Center   

May 2009

Report Back on Safety Net Services 

To better understand of needs of Bay Area community residents and the nonprofits who serve them, the Community Health and Community Development Programs conducted in-depth telephone interviews with 44 safety net providers that have been funded by either one of these programs, during February 2009. Respondents included the leadership and staff of food banks, pantries, shelters, family resource centers, crisis support services, and domestic violence shelters in San Francisco, Alameda, and Contra Costa Counties. Click here to download a PDF of a report that includes the five dominant themes that emerged from our interviews.

Bay Area Health Funders Workgroup

Since 2005, The San Francisco Foundation, in partnership with The California Endowment and McKesson Foundation, has convened the Bay Area Health Funders Work Group (BAHFWG), a group of Bay Area health funders dedicated to improving access to health services and strengthening prevention in the greater Bay Area. The BAHFWG believes that it is crucial for philanthropy to work together to establish common goals, share strategies, prioritize activities, and engage in and support public policy reform. Current members include The California Wellness Foundation, The California Endowment, Marin Community Foundation, Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit Program, Blue Shield of California Foundation, California HealthCare Foundation, and Northern California Grantmakers.