News

Building Inclusive Communities: A regional symposium on current immigration issues on June 5th
The FAITHS, Social Justice, and Koshland Programs of The San Francisco Foundation are building on their shared vision for social justice in the Bay Area to co-host a symposium on current immigration issues on Thursday, June 5, 2008. Visit our Calendar to find out complete information.

Social Justice Program's Vision
In conjunction with the larger vision of the Foundation, the Social Justice Program looks to support opportunities to advocate, educate, and empower underserved and underrepresented communities. In doing so, Social Justice strives to harness the potential power of these communities to develop leaders, policy awareness, tools for organizing, and in turn build a more enriched and equitable civic society.

Through strategic grantmaking, special projects, and cross-field collaborations, Social Justice aims to educate Bay Area residents and citizens on the power of the ballot.

Along with the $1.5m philanthropic granted to support civic engagement, access to legal services, and leadership development, Social Justice focused on two special projects to further its mission: Building a New California: The Post 9/11 Civic Engagement Fund’s Request for Proposals, and Get Out the Vote Mini-Grants Program.

Get Out the Vote Mini-grant Applications Now Accepted from Invited Organizations
The Social Justice Program makes small, quick-turnaround Get Out the Vote (GOTV) grants of between $500 and $7,500 to nonprofit organizations conducting nonpartisan voter registration drives, voter education, and voter mobilization drives prior to each election. The purpose of these grants is to increase eligible and informed voter participation in elections to strengthen our democracy. Grants are made to organizations that target those populations less likely to vote, namely low-income people of color, youth, and new citizens. Grantees are expected to engage in activities that have been shown through research to improve voter turnout, principally door-to-door canvassing or other face-to-face appeals, and phone banking; and to collect baseline and outcome data for reporting to the Foundation.

We are currently accepting applications from invited organizations. Deadline for submission is Friday, March 7, 2008, at 5:30 pm. All applications must be submitted through our new Grantee Center, and more application information is available there. The start date for the grant will be March 15, 2008.

FAITHS Community Partners Mini-Grant Announced
Since 1998 The San Francisco Foundation's FAITHS Program has hosted a small grant and technical assistance program to assist congregations and faith-based organizations to promote dialogue and action that strengthen the economic, racial, and civic fabric of local neighborhoods. An advisory group of clergy and lay congregational leaders annually participate in the process by advising the FAITHS team on issues that are important to the faith-based community. Through the program, Community Partners, the FAITHS Program supports efforts that increase the participation of all residents in the civic life of our communities. If our democracy is to remain strong and truly representative, FAITHS believes that it is in our best interest to strengthen projects that inform and engage our communities.

Congregations and faith-based organizations in the five Bay Area counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo) are eligible to apply for mini-grants of up to $5,000 to support the work of congregations and faith-based organizations increasing the civic participation of traditionally underrepresented constituencies. Approximately $90,000 in funds is available. To apply for a grant please visit our FAITHS Program page. All applications must be delivered or postmarked by Friday, March 7, 2008. For more information please contact Tessa Rouverol Callejo at 415.733.8541 or trc@sff.org

Building a New California: The Post 9/11 Civic Engagement Fund’s Request for Proposals
U.S. Census 2000 data reveal that the Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian communities are among the fastest growing ethnic groups in the United States, California, and the Bay Area. These communities have been facing, and continue to face, significant challenges following September 11, 2001. They have been targets of hate crimes, media stereotyping, and laws that focus primarily on Muslim communities.

During 2004, The San Francisco Foundation, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP), Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR), and The California Endowment conducted a Bay Area community scan (download a PDF copy on our Publications page) to educate the larger philanthropic community about the critical issues facing these communities. The Post 9/11 Civic Engagement Fund has emerged from this initial project designed as a vehicle to support nonprofit organizations from the Arab, Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian communities. This Fund will be administered by AAPIP in partnership with the FAITHS Program in The San Francisco Foundation’s Social Justice Program.