PLATINUM2023

San Francisco Foundation

San Francisco, CA   |  http://www.sff.org
GuideStar Charity Check

San Francisco Foundation

EIN: 01-0679337


Mission

Founded in 1948, the San Francisco Foundation is one of the nation’s largest community foundations — a grantmaking public charity dedicated to improving life within a specific local region. The foundation's mission is to mobilize resources and act as a catalyst for change to build strong communities, foster civic leadership, and promote philanthropy in the San Francisco Bay Area. Together with community leaders, nonprofits, and donors, the foundation is committed to advancing racial equity and economic inclusion to ensure that everyone in the Bay Area has a chance to get a good job, live in a safe and affordable home, and have a strong political voice. Learn more at sff.org

Ruling year info

2002

CEO

Mr. Fred Blackwell

Main address

One Embarcadero Center Suite 1400

San Francisco, CA 94111 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

01-0679337

Subject area info

Leadership development

Community and economic development

Housing for the homeless

Housing development

Arts and culture

Show more subject areas

Population served info

Homeless people

Immigrants

Low-income people

Ethnic and racial groups

NTEE code info

Community Foundations (T31)

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Imagine a Bay Area where everyone thrives. This is a place where every resident can make a good living and leave a nest egg for the next generation. It's a place where everyone has an affordable place to call home, and where each person can use their voice to shape the decisions that affect their lives. It's a place where everyone feels that they can belong. We can walk down our street and see the businesses around us owned by members of our community, preserving our diverse culture. Our kids can go to a school that allows them to feel safe and grounded, and which prepares them for success. Our prospects for success have no relationship to our zip code or the color of our skin. This is our goal. We know that there is much work to do to achieve this vision, but we also believe that this brighter future is worth striving toward. This future we envision is better for everyone. This is what we at the San Francisco Foundation are working to achieve. We hope you'll join us in building it.

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Grantmaking to Advance Racial Equity & Economic Inclusion

We have intentionally prioritized race and socioeconomic status in our grantmaking because our policies and systems have created barriers for low-income people of color when it comes to housing, education, criminal justice, jobs, and civic participation. The future of the Bay Area depends on our ability to ensure that everyone can participate, prosper, and reach their full potential. These interconnected strategies — building power, creating financial well-being, and preserving communities — work together to make our region more equitable, healthier, happier, and more prosperous.

Population(s) Served

SFF's Bay Area Community Impact Fund provides nonprofit organizations and social enterprises with low-interest, long-term loans and loan guarantees. These investments are also known as Program-Related Investments (PRIs). The goal of this fund is to finance high-impact projects that align with our racial and economic equity agenda in underinvested communities. The Fund primarily lends to community development lenders and established nonprofits with demonstrated ability to use and repay loans. By providing nonprofits with access to affordable capital, our fund enables organizations to expand their activities and finance high-impact projects. As loans are repaid, the fund uses the money to invest in new projects, recycling capital to the continuing benefit of the region. PRIs are an important complement to the foundation’s grantmaking, supporting our mission and amplifying our programmatic impact in a sustainable way.

Population(s) Served

The foundation bestows artistic awards in literature, visual arts, and playwriting each year to artists who exemplify a commitment to the ever expanding notion of the essential role of art and artists in the world.

Population(s) Served

This award celebrate visionary leaders doing extraordinary work to strengthen Bay Area communities. The work may confront societal or civic issues, address health or environmental concerns, or promote arts and humanities.

Population(s) Served

This award recognizes the next generation of leadership in the community, providing awards to outstanding San Francisco public high school students who balance extraordinary family, economic and societal pressures with the discipline required for academic excellence, and the drive to succeed at community leadership

Population(s) Served
Adolescents

The foundation seeks to: 1) build the self-awareness and confidence needed for individuals to be creative and effective leaders in their neighborhoods; 2) stimulate personal and professional growth among neighborhood leaders; 3) increase understanding among different types of people within neighborhoods; and 4) promote the concept that nurturing these differences is a crucial element in solving neighborhood problems

Population(s) Served

Together with our partners, the San Francisco Foundation is tackling challenges to housing, employment, access to transit, and civic participation in the Bay Area. The collaborative efforts including ReWork the Bay, Great Communities Collaborative, HOPE SF, Keep Oakland Housed, Partnership for the Bay's Future, and Oakland Codes, allow funders, donors, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations to pool resources and expertise to create large-scale, long-term solutions to these challenges. Our foundation serves as a leader for these efforts, providing backbone functions that include convenings, research, community engagement, and administration.

Population(s) Served

The Rapid Response Fund for Movement Building provides quick-turnaround funds to frontline social justice organizations that are strengthening the voice and power of low-income residents and people of color. The fund offers grassroots organizations small, one-time grants within 30 days of receiving a funding request.

Population(s) Served

The foundation invests in change through arts and culture because artistic expression is a human right. The arts constitute an integral component of a healthy community, building bridges across generations, gender, and ethnicity

Population(s) Served

The Foundation’s two-year philanthropic leadership development program. The fellowship equips emerging leaders of color with the experience, knowledge, and network within the power structure of philanthropy to increase racial equity and economic inclusion in the Bay Area. For more than 30 years, the Multicultural Fellowship has been a career accelerator for leaders who are motivated, creative agents of change. The fellows’ experiences and perspectives shape, influence, and challenge the foundation’s work as well. Fellows have developed new initiatives, strengthened the approach of the work of the foundation, and brought experiences in that too often are unheard in philanthropy.

Population(s) Served

Supporting policy and systems change efforts is one of the most important tools we can use to advance racial equity and economic inclusion in the Bay Area. Our Policy & Innovation Team focuses on identifying and advocating for policy solutions that are backed up by research, informed by the lived experiences of residents in the Bay Area, and led by our partner community-based organizations.

We focus our systems change efforts on policies that advance racial and economic equity, ensure that all Bay Area residents have a safe and affordable place to call home, and build long-term power among people living on low incomes and communities of color. Our current priority policy efforts include affordable housing, worker rights (including immigrant worker rights), and fines and fees related to the criminal legal system. These priorities continue to evolve based on community need and opportunity.

Population(s) Served

Where we work

Accreditations

Council on Foundations Accredited

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

Number of convenings hosted by the organization

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Total dollar amount of grants awarded

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Type of Metric

Other - describing something else

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Working with donors, grantees, civic leaders, and policymakers, we are focused on ensuring that everyone in the Bay Area has a chance to become financially stable, to live in a safe and affordable home, and to exercise their political voice.

1- SFF consistently utilizes its grantmaking, relationships, and leadership to achieve impact and advance the Equity Agenda​.
2- SFF raises funds and influences donors and institutional funders to move resources to the Equity Agenda.
3- SFF utilizes operational effectiveness and financial sustainability to advance the Equity Agenda.
4- SFF has a communications strategy that pulls people in, influences public discourse, and moves people to action to advance the Equity Agenda.
5- SFF has an internal culture and decision-making approach that are commensurate with and aligned to the Foundation’s Equity Agenda.

Financials

San Francisco Foundation
Fiscal year: Jul 01 - Jun 30
Financial documents
2022 SFF Audited Financial Statement 2022
done  Yes, financials were audited by an independent accountant. info

Revenue vs. expenses:  breakdown

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info
NET GAIN/LOSS:    in 
Note: When component data are not available, the graph displays the total Revenue and/or Expense values.

Liquidity in 2023 info

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

10.74

Average of 10.00 over 10 years

Months of cash in 2023 info

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

0

Average of 0.2 over 10 years

Fringe rate in 2023 info

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

26%

Average of 25% over 10 years

Funding sources info

Source: IRS Form 990

Assets & liabilities info

Source: IRS Form 990

Financial data

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

San Francisco Foundation

Revenue & expenses

Fiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

Fiscal year ending: cloud_download Download Data

San Francisco Foundation

Balance sheet

Fiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

The balance sheet gives a snapshot of the financial health of an organization at a particular point in time. An organization's total assets should generally exceed its total liabilities, or it cannot survive long, but the types of assets and liabilities must also be considered. For instance, an organization's current assets (cash, receivables, securities, etc.) should be sufficient to cover its current liabilities (payables, deferred revenue, current year loan, and note payments). Otherwise, the organization may face solvency problems. On the other hand, an organization whose cash and equivalents greatly exceed its current liabilities might not be putting its money to best use.

Fiscal year ending: cloud_download Download Data

San Francisco Foundation

Financial trends analysis Glossary & formula definitions

Fiscal Year: Jul 01 - Jun 30

SOURCE: IRS Form 990 info

This snapshot of San Francisco Foundation’s financial trends applies Nonprofit Finance Fund® analysis to data hosted by GuideStar. While it highlights the data that matter most, remember that context is key – numbers only tell part of any story.

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Business model indicators

Profitability info 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) before depreciation -$27,708,576 $28,220,830 $147,749,893 -$90,190,180 $38,290,977
As % of expenses -14.1% 11.1% 73.9% -33.4% 18.0%
Unrestricted surplus (deficit) after depreciation -$27,922,763 $27,963,918 $147,440,792 -$90,468,305 $38,044,488
As % of expenses -14.2% 11.0% 73.6% -33.5% 17.9%
Revenue composition info
Total revenue (unrestricted & restricted) $190,328,961 $341,484,551 $318,173,727 $297,436,709 $159,316,562
Total revenue, % change over prior year 8.9% 79.4% -6.8% -6.5% -46.4%
Program services revenue 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Membership dues 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Investment income 6.3% 3.1% 3.2% 3.6% 11.0%
Government grants 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 3.0%
All other grants and contributions 63.6% 66.0% 58.2% 61.4% 85.7%
Other revenue 30.2% 30.9% 38.5% 34.9% 0.3%
Expense composition info
Total expenses before depreciation $196,404,552 $254,050,111 $200,017,625 $269,826,702 $212,229,099
Total expenses, % change over prior year 9.1% 29.4% -21.3% 34.9% -21.3%
Personnel 5.9% 5.2% 7.5% 5.8% 8.0%
Professional fees 5.0% 3.1% 5.3% 2.6% 3.3%
Occupancy 0.6% 0.5% 0.6% 0.5% 0.6%
Interest 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Pass-through 87.0% 89.8% 84.9% 89.5% 85.5%
All other expenses 1.6% 1.4% 1.7% 1.6% 2.6%
Full cost components (estimated) info 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Total expenses (after depreciation) $196,618,739 $254,307,023 $200,326,726 $270,104,827 $212,475,588
One month of savings $16,367,046 $21,170,843 $16,668,135 $22,485,559 $17,685,758
Debt principal payment $0 $0 $0 $0 $0
Fixed asset additions $0 $338,014 $0 $0 $0
Total full costs (estimated) $212,985,785 $275,815,880 $216,994,861 $292,590,386 $230,161,346

Capital structure indicators

Liquidity info 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Months of cash 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.0
Months of cash and investments 90.5 70.4 111.5 71.0 94.0
Months of estimated liquid unrestricted net assets 32.8 26.7 42.8 27.7 37.4
Balance sheet composition info 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Cash $1,355,183 $3,692,879 $5,453,144 $1,267,549 $81,492
Investments $1,479,693,180 $1,487,666,638 $1,852,701,911 $1,596,224,783 $1,661,927,081
Receivables $7,933,198 $11,366,629 $22,698,385 $6,478,470 $12,517,745
Gross land, buildings, equipment (LBE) $4,926,958 $5,264,972 $5,267,980 $5,330,772 $5,371,331
Accumulated depreciation (as a % of LBE) 84.1% 83.6% 89.4% 93.6% 97.5%
Liabilities (as a % of assets) 4.1% 5.4% 5.0% 5.6% 6.4%
Unrestricted net assets $538,200,788 $566,164,706 $713,607,375 $623,139,070 $661,183,558
Temporarily restricted net assets $804,262,828 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Permanently restricted net assets $113,333,234 N/A N/A N/A N/A
Total restricted net assets $917,596,062 $881,035,894 $1,102,390,962 $920,037,751 $947,757,688
Total net assets $1,455,796,850 $1,447,200,600 $1,815,998,337 $1,543,176,821 $1,608,941,246

Key data checks

Key data checks info 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Material data errors No No No No No

Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

Documents
Form 1023/1024 is not available for this organization

CEO

Mr. Fred Blackwell

Fred Blackwell is the CEO of the San Francisco Foundation, one of the largest community foundations in the country. Since joining the foundation in 2014, Blackwell has led it in a renewed commitment to social justice through an equity agenda focused on racial equity and economic inclusion. An Oakland native, Blackwell is a nationally recognized community leader. Prior to joining the foundation, he served as interim city administrator for the city of Oakland, the executive director of the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, and director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Development in San Francisco.

Number of employees

Source: IRS Form 990

San Francisco Foundation

Officers, directors, trustees, and key employees

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Compensation
Other
Related
Show data for fiscal year
Compensation data
Download up to 5 most recent years of officer and director compensation data for this organization

San Francisco Foundation

Highest paid employees

SOURCE: IRS Form 990

Compensation
Other
Related
Show data for fiscal year
Compensation data
Download up to 5 most recent years of highest paid employee data for this organization

San Francisco Foundation

Board of directors
as of 07/27/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board of directors data
Download the most recent year of board of directors data for this organization
Board co-chair

Ophelia Basgal

UC Berkeley Terner Center for Housing Innovation


Board co-chair

Robert (Bob) Friedman

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Fred Blackwell

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Robert (Bob) Friedman

Prosperity Now

Kimberly Wicoff

San Francisco Education Fund

David ibnAle

Advance Venture Partners

Yvette Radford

Kaiser Permanente

Abdi Soltani

ACLU Northern California

Molly Q. Ford

Global Equality Programs, Salesforce

Justina Lai

Wetherby Asset Management

Justin Steele

Google.org

Bob Uyeki

Lateefah Simon

MeadowFund

Holly Kernan

KQED

Miguel Bustos

Grace Cathedral

Ophelia B. Basgal

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 8/1/2022

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Black/African American
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

Contractors

Fiscal year ending
There are no fundraisers recorded for this organization.