San Francisco Transit Riders

What San Francisco Transit Riders does

San Francisco Transit Riders (SFTR), founded in 2010, is a 501(c)(3) member-led, grassroots advocacy organization dedicated to improving public transit in San Francisco. The organization represents the city's transit-riding public — approximately 250,000 daily Muni riders and historically underserved communities such as Bayview-Hunters Point — and pursues its mission through rider advocacy campaigns, policy expertise, coalition building, electoral engagement, and community organizing rather than commercial products or technology platforms.

SFTR's core 'products' are advocacy deliverables: ballot measure endorsements (notably Props L, K, D, E for 2024), candidate questionnaires (Ride the Vote), the annual Transit Month event series, the Transit Justice Coalition policy platform, and thought-leadership content via its website and Medium. It does not sell commercial software or services and has no proprietary technology stack beyond standard web and social channels (website, Medium, Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Mastodon, Threads).

The business model is nonprofit fundraising: SFTR is funded by a combination of over 600 dues-paying members (contributing more than 25% of the budget), private foundation grants, corporate sponsorships for events such as Transit Month, and individual donations. The organization operates with 1-10 staff and a volunteer board led by Chair Mark Sawchuk and Co-Vice Chairs Thea Selby and Steve Pepple. Revenue is not disclosed.

Name

San Francisco Transit Riders

Legal name

San Francisco Transit Riders

Website

https://sftransitriders.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

San Francisco Transit Riders is a 501(c)(3) member-led advocacy organization that campaigns for faster, more reliable, and more affordable public transit for the 250,000 daily Muni riders and equity-priority communities in San Francisco.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Dues-paying members provide over 25% of organizational budget, providing immediate usable funds for campaigns and advocacy work. SFTR has over 600 dues-paying members.
2. Private Grants: Grant funding from foundations and organizations supporting transit advocacy and environmental justice work.
3. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships as part of funding mix for events like Transit Month and advocacy campaigns.
4. Individual Donations: End-of-year campaigns and ongoing donation appeals to members and supporters.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels14 records

Core offering

San Francisco Transit Riders (SFTR) is a nonprofit, member-led advocacy organization that campaigns for faster, more reliable, and more affordable public transit in San Francisco. The organization engages in policy advocacy, coalition building, voter engagement, community organizing, and electoral work to influence transit funding, fares, and infrastructure decisions. SFTR also runs an annual Transit Month event series and the Ride the Vote voter engagement initiative, and convenes the Transit Justice Coalition.

Product overview

San Francisco Transit Riders (SFTR) is a nonprofit transit advocacy organization without a commercial product or software offering. The organization operates as a member-led, grassroots advocacy group focused on improving public transit in San Francisco through campaigns, community organizing, policy advocacy, and civic engagement initiatives. SFTR's activities include transit funding campaigns, rider advocacy, working groups, transit month programming, and the Ride the Vote voter engagement initiative. No named products, modules, or software services are offered by the organization.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SFTR Membership Program Recurring membership program for individuals who support SFTR's transit advocacy mission. Over 600 dues-paying members provide more than 25% of the organization's budget and confer political clout for advocacy campaigns. Members join through the website and receive the organization's political voice in campaigns to defend and expand San Francisco public transit.

Quantifiable outcome

• Transformed $2 billion in proposed transit cuts into $5 billion state investment through advocacy
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Transit Justice CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFTR serves as lead convenor of the Transit Justice Coalition, a group of diverse stakeholders including labor, seniors, people with disabilities, low-income and immigrant communities, and historically marginalized groups. Together they created a comprehensive policy platform illustrating their vision for public transportation in San Francisco.
• Voices for Public TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSFTR co-founded Voices for Public Transportation, a coalition that has grown to approximately 50 organizations strong and is committed to securing a regional transit funding measure based on progressive revenue sources.
• Transbay CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the 2024 'Sustainable Transportation Questionnaire' sent to candidates across 9 Bay Area counties for the November 2024 General Election. Over 160 candidates responded to questions about transit, traffic violence, and bike infrastructure.
• Seamless Bay AreacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional transit advocacy partner co-sponsoring the Sustainable Transportation Questionnaire program.
• SPURcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUrban planning organization co-sponsoring regional candidate questionnaire program on transportation issues.
• TransformcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransportation advocacy organization co-sponsoring regional candidate questionnaire program.
• 350 Bay AreaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate organization co-sponsoring the Sustainable Transportation Questionnaire.
• Friends of CaltrainminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCaltrain advocacy organization co-sponsoring regional transportation questionnaire.
• Santa Clara County For TransitminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty-level transit advocacy organization co-sponsoring regional questionnaire.
• East Bay Transit Riders UnionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEast Bay transit advocacy organization co-sponsoring regional questionnaire.
• Sustainable MarinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarin County sustainability organization co-sponsoring regional questionnaire.
• Bike East BayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEast Bay bicycle advocacy organization co-sponsoring regional questionnaire.
• Silicon Valley Bicycle CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth Bay bicycle advocacy organization co-sponsoring regional questionnaire.
• Center for Independent Living HaywardminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisability services organization co-sponsoring regional questionnaire.
• Climate Resilient CommunitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate justice organization co-sponsoring regional questionnaire.
• El Cerrito/Richmond Annex Walk & RollminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal pedestrian advocacy organization co-sponsoring regional questionnaire.
• Mountain View Coalition for Sustainable PlanningminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMountain View planning advocacy organization co-sponsoring regional questionnaire.
• San Antonio Station AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransit station advocacy organization co-sponsoring regional questionnaire.
• Traffic Violence Rapid ResponseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSafety advocacy organization co-sponsoring regional questionnaire.
• Sonoma County Transportation and Land Use CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSonoma County advocacy organization co-sponsoring regional questionnaire.
• Walkable Walnut CreekminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWalnut Creek pedestrian advocacy organization co-sponsoring regional questionnaire.
• San Francisco Bicycle CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer partnership referenced - noted that SFTR and Bike Coalition 'certainly haven't gotten the memo' regarding any anti-car conspiracy, indicating ongoing collaboration.
• Literacy for Environmental JusticecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBayview-Hunters Point community organization partnered with SFTR for engagement in equity priority neighborhoods. Conducted 200+ surveys with community residents about transit needs.
• Tenderloin Neighborhood Development CorporationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEquity priority community organization engaged around creation of rider-led vision of public transportation.
• Urban HabitatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted joint event 'Moving for a Greener Future: The Climate Case for Public Transit' at 518 Valencia. Executive Director Ellen Wu moderated panel discussion.
• SFMTA (San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary government agency SFTR advocates with and against. Collaborative relationship on transit improvements (Geary Boulevard lanes, 29-Sunset improvements) while pushing back on budget cuts and fare increases.
• San Francisco Unified School DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Safe Routes to School program, an inaugural initiative directing resources toward mode shift from cars to public transit.
• San Francisco Controller's OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvened the Muni Funding Working Group which includes SFTR, Mayor's Office, Board of Supervisors, SFMTA leadership, advocates, labor, transit professionals, and public members to address Muni's $322 million fiscal cliff.
• Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional planning agency providing emergency transit operations funding ($99.5M in FY25, $209M in FY26) and co-sponsoring regional transit funding measures.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sftru
• Facebookfacebook.com/SFTRU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/san-francisco-transit-riders
• Instagraminstagram.com/sftru

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about San Francisco Transit Riders