(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.