The San Francisco Foundation

What The San Francisco Foundation does

The San Francisco Foundation (SFF) is a 501(c)(3) community foundation founded in 1948 and headquartered at One Embarcadero Center, San Francisco. It operates with $1.9 billion in total assets and serves a five-county Bay Area region (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo), channeling charitable capital from individual donors, professional advisors, and corporate and foundation partners into nonprofits working on racial equity and economic inclusion. Its core product is the Donor Advised Fund (DAF) with a $10,000 minimum opening contribution, supplemented by four investment pools (Long-Term, Short-Term, Mission-Aligned, and Endowment), programmatic grantmaking across four "pathways" (People, Place, Power, Policy & Innovation), and specialized vehicles such as the Bay Area Community Impact Fund (PRI loans), Bay Area Leads Fund, and the Rapid Response Fund for Movement Building.

SFF distributes grants through both DAF pass-through ($158M in FY25 to 2,763 organizations) and equity-centered programmatic awards ($49.5M in FY25 to 424 community organizations), with FY25 total contributions and bequests of $227M and total grants of $216M. Beyond direct grantmaking, SFF co-leads or stewards multi-stakeholder collaboratives including HOPE SF (with Enterprise Community Partners and the City of San Francisco), Partnership for the Bay's Future (with Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Ford Foundation, and Meta), ReWork the Bay, Great Communities Collaborative, and most recently the $37.5M Breaking the Cycle Fund with Mayor Daniel Lurie's office. Revenue is generated through charitable contributions, bequests, investment returns on the endowment (Top 20% 10-year returns among peer foundations), and asset-based administrative fees; there is no commercial product pricing. Leadership comprises CEO Fred Blackwell and a C-suite covering philanthropy, impact, marketing, operations, and finance, governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by David ibnAle.

Name

The San Francisco Foundation

Legal name

The San Francisco Foundation

Website

https://sff.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The San Francisco Foundation is a 501(c)(3) community foundation founded in 1948 that manages $1.9B in assets and channels charitable capital from individual, corporate, and foundation donors into Bay Area nonprofits advancing racial equity and economic inclusion through donor-advised funds, programmatic grants, impact investments, and multi-stakeholder collaboratives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Foundation / Philanthropic Grantmaking Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Community foundation
• Donor advised funds
• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Impact investing
• Charitable giving services

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donor Contributions and Bequests: The foundation receives charitable contributions, outright gifts, and bequests from individuals, families, corporations, and foundations. In FY25, total contributions and bequests were $227 million.
2. Donor-Advised Fund Grants: Donors contribute to donor-advised funds and recommend grants to charitable organizations. In FY25, $158 million in grants were distributed from SFF donor-advised funds to 2,763 organizations.
3. Programmatic Grants: SFF makes equity-centered programmatic grants to community organizations. In FY25, $49.5 million in programmatic grants were distributed to 424 community organizations.
4. Investment Returns: The foundation generates returns from its $1.9 billion in total assets across endowment, donor-advised funds, and other investment pools. The endowment pool targets approximately 5% annual distribution rate for perpetual grantmaking.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The San Francisco Foundation is a community foundation that mobilizes charitable resources to advance racial equity and economic inclusion in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its core offerings are donor-advised funds (minimum $10,000 opening balance), four investment pools (Long-Term, Short-Term, Mission-Aligned, Endowment), program-related investments through the Bay Area Community Impact Fund, and equity-centered programmatic grants across People, Place, Power, and Policy pathways, plus leadership programs, arts awards, and multi-sector collaborative initiatives.

Product overview

The San Francisco Foundation is a community foundation offering a portfolio of philanthropic products and services centered on donor-advised funds (DAFs) as the core offering, supplemented by investment management pools (Long-Term, Short-Term, Mission-Aligned, and Endowment), grantmaking programs across People, Place, Power, and Policy pathways, and collaborative initiatives (ReWork the Bay, Great Communities Collaborative, HOPE SF, Partnership for the Bay's Future). The foundation also administers leadership programs (Koshland, Multicultural Fellowship, Women of Color Women of Power), arts awards (Murphy Award, Cadogan Scholarships, Literary Award), and specialized funds like the Bay Area Community Impact Fund and Bay Area Leads Fund. All offerings align with the foundation's equity agenda to advance racial equity and economic inclusion in the Bay Area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Donor Advised Fund (DAF) A flexible charitable-giving vehicle allowing donors to focus on supporting causes they care about while enjoying immediate tax benefits. Minimum opening balance is $10,000; minimum grant amount is $250. Available to individual donors, families, and corporate/foundation donors.
• Long-Term Investment Pool Diversified investment portfolio for donor-advised funds intended for grants over time, featuring global equity, fixed income, private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds.
• Short-Term Investment Pool Short-duration portfolio for near-term grantmaking, including U.S. dollar-denominated short-term fixed-income securities and cash equivalents.
• Mission-Aligned Investments Pool Values-based investment portfolio for DAFs aligned with the foundation's commitment to racial equity and economic inclusion, using impact-investment and socially-responsible strategies and excluding private prisons, predatory lenders, tobacco, assault weapon retailers, and fossil fuels.
• Endowment Pool Diversified portfolio for permanent funds aiming to maintain grantmaking power in perpetuity, including global equity, fixed income, private equity, venture capital, and hedge funds.
• Bay Area Community Impact Fund (BACIF) Program-related investment fund that provides low-interest loans to nonprofits and social enterprises to advance racial equity and economic inclusion in the Bay Area, supporting affordable housing, sustainable communities, and small businesses.
• Bay Area Leads Fund Fund supporting civic-leadership activities and strategic initiatives to address pressing issues in the Bay Area region, accepting direct donations via the foundation's online giving platform.
• Rapid Response Fund for Movement Building Quick-turnaround grants for frontline social-justice organizations addressing urgent projects, supporting movement building and community organizing. Available to Bay Area nonprofits.
• People Pathway Grantmaking Grantmaking focus ensuring economic security and opportunity by supporting nonprofits that create just laws, build worker power, and build community wealth.
• Place Pathway Grantmaking Grantmaking focus anchoring neighborhoods so residents can live, work, and thrive through housing advocacy, organizing, and community power building.
• Power Pathway Grantmaking Grantmaking focus ensuring residents have strong political voice and can shape decisions affecting their lives and communities.
• Policy and Innovation Grantmaking Grantmaking identifying and advocating for policy solutions that create systemic change.
• FAITHS Program Foundation Alliance with Interfaith to Heal Society — a multi-faith network supporting congregations and faith-based organizations to organize and advocate for equitable policies.
• Daniel E. Koshland Civic Unity Awards Program Annual recognition of up to 12 Bay Area neighborhood leaders with five-year $300,000 investments to support neighborhood improvement efforts.
• Koshland Young Leader Awards One-year $10,000 awards recognizing outstanding San Francisco public high school juniors who demonstrate academic excellence and community leadership.
• Multicultural Fellowship Program Two-year philanthropic leadership development program equipping emerging leaders of color with experience and networks to increase racial equity in the Bay Area.
• Women of Color, Women of Power Program Year-long training and coaching program supporting women of color moving into decision-making positions and building community power.
• Community Leadership Awards Annual awards honoring individuals and nonprofit organizations doing extraordinary work to address Bay Area challenges, established in 1963.
• Murphy Award and Cadogan Scholarships Visual-arts awards established in 1986 to further development of Bay Area MFA students, with professionally curated exhibitions at SOMArts Cultural Center.
• SFF/Nomadic Press Literary Award Literary award offering 20 winning writers $5,000 each for outstanding work in poetry, fiction, and non-fiction.
• Partnership for the Bay's Future Multi-sector initiative creating and maintaining a vibrant, diverse Bay Area by addressing housing, transportation, and economic opportunity needs.
• HOPE SF Public-private partnership addressing multi-generational poverty in distressed public housing communities in San Francisco.
• ReWork the Bay Funder-field collaborative bringing together leaders across sectors to build solutions for quality, empowered employment in the Bay Area.
• Great Communities Collaborative Collaborative focused on healthy, thriving neighborhoods that are affordable to all with premier transit networks linking communities to opportunities.
• Breaking the Cycle Fund Public-private partnership addressing San Francisco's behavioral health and homelessness crisis, coordinated through the Mayor's Office and enabled by the Fentanyl State of Emergency Ordinance.
• Bay Area Creative Corps Program Regional pilot program in partnership with the California Arts Council's statewide California Creative Corps initiative to support artists in the Bay Area.

Quantifiable outcome

• $49.5M in equity-centered programmatic grants to 424 organizations in FY25
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• City and County of San Francisco (Mayor's Office)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2025SFF is stewarding the Breaking the Cycle Fund, a public-private partnership with Mayor Daniel Lurie's office to address San Francisco's behavioral health and homelessness crisis. Initial private funding of $37.5 million was secured from multiple foundations. The fund is coordinated through the Mayor's Office and enabled by the Fentanyl State of Emergency Ordinance.
• Housing Accelerator FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 May 2025Trusted partner in the Breaking the Cycle Fund initiative, providing expertise in housing and systemic reform.
• Enterprise Community PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeads HOPE SF public-private partnership with SFF and City and County of San Francisco to address multigenerational poverty in distressed public housing communities.
• Project EvidentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnering with SFF to steward Google's $2M investment supporting nonprofits in adopting AI tools for enhanced efficiency and impact.
• Kaiser PermanentecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in HOPE SF and other collaborative initiatives addressing community health and housing in the Bay Area.
• California Arts CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFF is one of 14 regional partners with California Arts Council for the California Creative Corps pilot initiative, part of a $60 million state investment.
• Crewcial PartnerscoreTechnology or IntegrationInvestment consultant providing oversight of investment performance, adherence to strategy, and manager evaluation across SFF's portfolios.
• PICO CaliforniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in community organizing and power-building initiatives across the Bay Area.
• Working Partnership USAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in workforce development, policy advocacy, and community power-building through ReWork the Bay collaborative.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Silicon Valley Community Foundation: One of the largest U.S. community foundations, also serving the Bay Area with a similarly large asset base, donor-advised funds, and equity-focused grantmaking — SFF's closest geographic and functional peer.
• The California Endowment: California-focused health and racial-equity foundation that operates grantmaking and impact investments in many of the same Bay Area communities and policy arenas as SFF.
• Tipping Point Community: Bay Area anti-poverty funder co-steering the Breaking the Cycle Fund with SFF; operates a similar grant-plus-loan model targeting low-income communities in the region.
• The New York Community Trust: One of the oldest and largest U.S. community foundations, structurally identical to SFF: regional DAF sponsor, multi-pathway grantmaking, and discretionary funds for local nonprofits.
• The Boston Foundation: Major U.S. urban community foundation offering DAFs, pooled funds, and equity-focused grantmaking — directly comparable in mission, vehicle mix, and regional focus.
• Chicago Community Foundation: Large U.S. metropolitan community foundation offering DAFs and equity-driven grantmaking; comparable scale and operating model to SFF but anchored in Chicago.
• Greater Houston Community Foundation: Top-decile U.S. community foundation by assets, offering similar DAF, investment pool, and grantmaking services; a useful structural and scale comparable for SFF.

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: Global philanthropic giant that co-leads SFF's Partnership for the Bay's Future; operates a much broader grantmaking footprint but shares the racial-equity framing and impact-investing orientation.
• Chan Zuckerberg Initiative: Bay Area-based philanthropic LLC co-leading Partnership for the Bay's Future with SFF; comparable values orientation but much larger asset base and broader mission scope.
• Fidelity Charitable: Largest commercial donor-advised fund sponsor in the U.S.; represents the primary competitive threat to SFF's DAF growth and pass-through grantmaking flow.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/tsffvideo
• Facebookfacebook.com/thesanfranciscofoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-san-francisco-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/sanfranciscofoundation
• TikToktiktok.com/@sanfranciscofoundation
• Xx.com/tsff

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The San Francisco Foundation