Give2SF Funds Older Adults, Undocumented San Franciscans, and Small Businesses

San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed today announced that the first round of funding from the Give2SF COVID-19 Response and Recovery Fund has been allocated to support vulnerable San Franciscans and small businesses during the pandemic. $5.35 million in funding has been allocated to City departments to date, and the Fund will distribute additional funding as donations are received. Funding from Give2SF will provide food security and access to housing for San Franciscans, with a focus on assisting undocumented people who otherwise may not have access to social safety net programs, seniors and people with disabilities, and small businesses.

Last month, Mayor Breed announced three priority areas for the Fund: food security, access to housing, and support for workers and small businesses. The Give2SF priority areas were selected based on analysis of the most pressing needs and the swiftest available methods to deliver impactful support, with an equity lens to address disparities faced by certain communities.

“There are so many San Franciscans who are struggling to make rent, put food on the table, and keep their small business open,” said Mayor Breed. “That’s why we created the Give2SF Fund, which is collecting support for our small businesses and individuals who are dealing with the challenges of COVID-19. We are grateful for the generous contributions of private donors and philanthropic organizations who are supporting our efforts to take care of our residents during this incredibly difficult time. This is just the first round of funding, and we’ll keep working to get additional support into the hands of those who need it most.”

“The Give2SF fund was established as a response to the COVID-19 emergency as another recovery-focused avenue of resources that the City could allocate to those struggling during these challenging times,” said City Administrator Naomi Kelly. “I am thankful for the continued support of our residents and businesses who have donated to the Fund. These donations will help fuel our recovery efforts and will literally save lives during this crisis.”

The City Administrator’s Office, the Controller’s Office, the Department of Emergency Management and the Office of the Mayor have worked collaboratively to determine the allocation of the Give2SF Fund, and an initial $5.35 million from the Fund has been allocated to the relevant City agencies to support these priority areas.

“The number of San Franciscans who are stepping up for each other during this time is heartwarming,” said Supervisor Hillary Ronen. “Most donors are average people who aren’t rich by any means, but are giving what they can to help fellow neighbors in need. I want to emphasize that every dollar that is donated to Give2SF goes directly to families, small businesses, and workers in need. The current donations are disproportionately from everyday working San Franciscans. Now I challenge the 75 billionaires and other wealthy residents in who live in our great city to step up and donate, proportional to their wealth, to the Give2SF Fund. There is an enormous need in our city right now, and high-net-worth individuals can very concretely help us meet those needs.”

“This pandemic is unprecedented in modern history, and to stop the spread and start our recovery we must all step up and do our part,” said Supervisor Catherine Stefani. “I have been so impressed with our neighbors’ compassion, bravery, and resolve during this difficult time and I extend special thanks to the generous Give2SF donors who have helped us provide much-needed resources to vulnerable San Franciscans and small businesses. The dedication to public health and safety that our community has shown has been astounding, and I am more confident than ever that we will get through this together.”

The Human Services Agency, Office of Economic and Workforce Development, and the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development are working with their community partners and grantees to distribute these essential resources to San Franciscans.

Food Security

An initial $2.5 million from the Give2SF Fund has been allocated to ensure that San Franciscans will not experience heightened food insecurity during the coronavirus crisis. This funding is being administered by the Human Services Agency (HSA).

Of the $2.5 million, an initial $500,000 is dedicated to providing grocery gift cards for undocumented individuals and families. This program will support people who are less able to access mainstream public safety net programs due to their immigration status and will offer some immediate relief for undocumented individuals and families in San Francisco who have little to no income. The program will distribute $200 Safeway gift cards to roughly 2,500 low-income, undocumented San Franciscans for online or in-person purchase of food items. HSA is partnering with the San Francisco Health Network’s Healthy San Francisco program, a trusted provider of health care services to undocumented San Franciscans, to distribute the gift cards. This program is designed to support people who are less able to access mainstream public safety net programs due to their immigration status.

An additional $1 million will go toward supporting DAS-funded community-based food and nutrition providers to ensure that older adults and people with disabilities continue to have access to food during the pandemic. Funding will support existing providers including Bayview: Hunters Point Multipurpose Senior Center, Centro Latino de San Francisco, Meals on Wheels, On Lok Day Services, Project Open Hand, San Francisco Marin Food Bank, and Self-Help for the Elderly.

$700,000 in food security programming will be directed to low-income residents who are disconnected from existing social and economic support programs. These vulnerable San Franciscans will be identified by community-based organizations serving these populations and by analyzing the City’s robust data on food insecure populations already receiving social safety net services. Funding will be prioritized through the City’s Emergency Operations Center Feeding Task Force and may include distribution of additional grocery gift cards.

$300,000 in funding will be directed to the Office of Economic and Workforce Development’s Immigrant Workers and Family Fund.

Support for Small Businesses and Workers

A total of $2.1 million from Give2SF has been allocated to provide financial assistance to small businesses and workers. San Franciscans, particularly at risk of experiencing financial insecurity during the current crisis, include older adults and people with underlying health conditions, low-income families with children, undocumented and mixed-status households, and independent contractors.

$1.35 million has been allocated to the Office of Economic and Workforce Development’s Small Business Resiliency Fund and to the San Francisco Hardship Emergency Loan Program (SF HELP). $1 million will provide grants of up to $10,000 to San Francisco small businesses and $350,000 will be deployed for 0% interest loans of up to $50,000.

Give2SF Funds will support financial relief for vulnerable workers and their families at risk of heightened financial insecurity due to COVID-19, particularly because of their immigration status. City relief will supplement existing resources for housing and food security in the event state or federal resources are not available and will ensure that vulnerable populations can have their basic financial needs met.

Housing Stabilization

$750,000 from the Give2SF Fund has been allocated to provide flexible short-term financial relief to individuals and families who are experiencing a housing crisis or are at imminent risk of a housing crisis related to COVID-19. As with the other Give2SF priority areas, additional funds will be allocated to support access to housing as donations are received.

Using funding from Give2SF, the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) will leverage a network of community-based providers to provide individuals and families at imminent risk of eviction or loss of housing with direct financial assistance, including, but not limited to: rent, including deposit and arrears; mortgage payments; and utilities, including deposit and arrears.

Specifically, the City will focus funding support on low‑income households and households that are directly impacted by COVID-19 as a result of job loss, a reduction of hours, closure of a place of employment, or other similarly caused loss of income or financial need that resulted from the pandemic.

Give2SF Funding

In total, Give2SF has received approximately $10.5 million in donations and pledges. This includes $9.2 million in donations received by the City and the San Francisco Foundation.

To date, the City has received approximately $5.6 million in donations from nearly 1,600 individuals to the Give2SF Fund, and the median donation amount is $100. This includes donations made through the online portal (Give2SF.org), check, and wire transfer. In addition, the San Francisco Foundation has received approximately $3.6 million for the City’s Give2SF fund. As more donations are made and pledges are fulfilled, funds will be disbursed to support the Give2SF priorities.

Anyone interested in making a monetary contribution to the City and County of San Francisco can do so at www.give2sf.org. Money can be donated via check or wire to the Office of the Controller or through the Give2SF website via credit card. It is preferable that large donations be made by check or wire so no credit card merchant fees are incurred.

Major Contributions and Pledges to the Give2SF Fund

Salesforce - $1,500,000

Ann and Gordon Getty - $1,000,000

Aneel Bhusri - $1,000,000

Gerson Bakar Foundation - $1,000,000

Hellman Foundation - $1,000,000

Crankstart Foundation - $500,000

Erica and Jeff Lawson - $500,000

Google - $500,000

Stupski Foundation - $500,000

Tom and Theresa Preston-Werner - $250,000

Bank of America - $200,000

Wells Fargo - $150,000

Diane B. Wilsey - $111,000

Cruise co-founders, Kyle Vogt and Dan Kan - $100,000

Dara Khosrowshahi - $100,000

John Pritzker Family Fund - $100,000

Ray and Dagmar Dolby Fund of the Marin Community Foundation - $100,000

LinkedIn - $100,000

Lisa Stone Pritzker - $100,000

Mark Pincus - $100,000

Nion McEvoy - $100,000

Slack - $100,000

Grammarly - $75,000

Comcast - $50,000

Hercules Capital - $50,000

Ron Conway - $50,000

Reality SF Church - $50,000

Waymo - $50,000

The Controller’s Office will prepare a final report of all donors and uses related to the Fund.

In addition to monetary donations, the City is requesting sealed personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline health workers, cleaning supplies, and technology equipment for essential employees to telecommute. For information on donations of in-kind goods and services, please email: give2sf@sfgov.org.

 

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