Connecting with Community

CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITY 2006 Annual Report TABLE OF CONTENTS Programs People Financials Funds + Trusts CONNECTING WITH COMMUNITY Communities are defi ned by connections. The Bay Area’s rich heritage of cultural and civic diversity has created a vibrant collection of advocates, leaders, and philanthropists. As a community foundation, we play an integral role in strengthening these cultural ties, and work diligently to bind our common humanity through philanthropy. DISCOVER HOW WE CONNECT WITH THE BAY AREA STRATEGIC, RESPONSIVE GRANTS – We fund more than 780 nonprofi ts across the Bay Area each year. Our grantmaking is strategic and responsive to the changing needs of the region. We focus on six core areas: Arts and Culture Social Justice Community Health Education Environment Community Development INITIATIVES – Our strong connection to the community drives these forward-thinking initiatives: Impact Funds – Working together with our donors to address critical needs in the Bay Area Foundation Initiatives – Delivering solutions to specifi c community needs through the expertise of our Program staff Koshland Civic Unity Program – Supporting neighborhood-focused work with grassroots leadership development PUBLIC POLICY – We believe it is essential to engage in systems change and policy issues that affect our communities through: Impacting public/private partnerships and legislation Convening diverse leaders in meaningful conversations Improving participation in the democratic process Supporting broad-based funding initiatives OUR DONORS – Our work is supported by the ongoing commitment of our donors. We offer a range of opportunities to connect with the Bay Area: Donor Advisors – Active Bay Area philanthropists establish funds to make an impact in communities and simplify their philanthropy Legacy Donors – Visionary individuals and families entrust us with their estates to ensure their legacy is carried out in perpetuity Public and Private Foundations – Local, regional, and national institutions partner with us to advance a common agenda PEOPLE – Our leadership and expertise mobilizes resources in our community: Board of Trustees – Dedicated community leaders set our strategic direction Committees – Community experts give their time and experience to enhance our work Awardees – Innovative pioneers exemplify leadership Staff – Diverse, expert professionals committed to the Bay Area Multicultural Fellows – Future leaders in the philanthropic, nonprofi t, and public sectors FINANCIAL RESOURCES – We offer our donors a range of opportunities to make a difference in the community and maximize the impact of their philanthropy. BUILDING CONNECTIONS + OUR ROLE AS A COMMUNITY FOUNDATION The Bay Area is a remarkable place to call home. As a community foundation, we are fortunate to work closely with the many inspirational people and effective nonprofi ts devoted to the region. Their voices deserve to be heard in our community. It is our job to connect these people, with their strong ideas and passions, to resources that will amplify their voices. The Foundation is a bridge between nonprofi ts and resources, neighborhoods and government, leadership and those in need. This report illustrates the many ways we connect with our community. Our partnership with Mayor Gavin Newsom and other elected offi cials, the business community, labor, and health providers on the issue of health access is one example. We worked closely with these community leaders and public servants to build a common agenda with a tangible plan to care for the 82,000 San Franciscans without healthcare. It was an incredible opportunity to set a large table with a grand vision, backed by sound data and research. Collaborations such as this demonstrate how the diverse communities of the Bay Area pioneer inno- vations that often seed here and spread across the nation. The Foundation’s hallmark is its ability to bring about concrete results by nurturing new ideas. With the guidance of our Board of Trustees, we use our programmatic expertise to partner with organizations dedicated to solving real, everyday problems. We achieve these solutions by connecting our donors with nonprofi ts to ensure that the voices of our region continue to be heard. Our donors are a part of our philanthropic family and often use their knowledge and insight in collaboration with our Program staff. We pride ourselves on being an agile and nimble community foundation – in concert with our partners we articulate a vision, convene leadership, and make sure everyone benefi ts. A central part of our mission is to be a catalyst for change – as you look back over the last year and forward to the next, there are many reasons to be hopeful. In the midst of transformations across the nation, we are reminded that the cultural diversity of the Bay Area has built a robust civic society. The future excites us, and we hold ourselves to a very high standard for enabling change that enhances community connections, builds consensus, and strengthens civic life across the region. 2 Sandra R. Hernández, M.D. Tatwina Lee Chief Executive Ofﬁ cer Chair, Board of Trustees 3 ARTS & CULTURE + DIVERSE ARTISTIC PRACTICES The Bay Area is fertile ground for both culturally and artistically diverse art. The Fund for Artists highlights the needs of individual local artists and supports opportunities for their growth. In partnership with our donors, we expand the creative infl uence of art across communities. TRANSCENDING BOUNDARIES Artadia goes beyond simply awarding grants. Black spacemen play comical games of basket- Through its network it helps artists to fi nd dealers ball around a barren tree, while nearby, a pyramid and sponsors training in professional develop- of basketballs is stacked below prison guard ment and copyright law. Artists are challenged towers on the edgy canvases of David Huffman, to transcend local boundaries; Artadia facilitates a Bay Area artist and teacher. David’s politically this by providing access to decision-makers and conscious paintings are gaining recognition both curators both nationally and worldwide. locally and around the world. He is an emerging artist supported by the Fund for Artists’ grants to To date, the Fund for Artists has awarded more organizations like Artadia. than $1 million in grants to 148 Bay Area artists like David. These artists enrich our community Founded in 1997 by Chris Vroom, Artadia has cre- and challenge us to forge new, creative impres- ated a national network of local artistic programs sions of the world. that provide artists with critical fi nancial support and wider recognition. At the core of this network are artists identifi ed on artistic merit. “Our artists are awarded based on a rigorous process. We maintain high quality standards and engage the entire artistic ecosystem – artists, curators, dealers, collectors, museum folk, and the general public,” said Chris. 4 Donors like Elaine McKeon (left) help artists like David Huffman (above) achieve the support and recognition they need to create their art. MoAD – THE STORY OF HUMANITY A LIFE IN ART Seen up close, all 2,700 sepia-toned photographs Elaine McKeon is an irresistible force in the San are unique portraits of leaders, heroes, and art- Francisco art world. President of SFMOMA for ists, including both famous and regular folk. fi ve years and its chair for nine years, she works Together they comprise a two-story-high collage tirelessly to strengthen its reputation as a world- of faces from the African diaspora that peer out renowned institution of modern art. Elaine ap- at San Francisco from behind the Museum of the preciates the opportunities SFMOMA presents for African Diaspora’s (MoAD) plate glass façade. established artists but also feels it is essential to support the work of emerging artists in the region. Only after exiting the building and walking across “That’s why I support the Fund for Artists,” said Mission Street does the startling composition of Elaine. “Individual artists struggle fi nancially. They the collage become evident. From that vantage, need support and recognition. John Killacky, the all the faces meld into one: a young African girl program offi cer for Arts and Culture at the Foun- with plaintive eyes. dation, recognized a problem and went out and The Arts and Culture program is proud to fund the did something about it – I respect him for that.” Museum’s exploration of the art, culture, and his- Elaine also gives to the Museum of the African tory of the African Diaspora. Since the Museum’s Diaspora. “MoAD is a great museum, a wonder- opening in the spring of 2006, more than 35,000 ful addition to the South of Market neighborhood. visitors have experienced the videos, artwork, My donor advised fund at the Foundation makes historical artifacts, educational tools, and perfor- it easy for me to support these vibrant artistic mances celebrating this universal story of human- experiences in San Francisco.” ity. 5 Arts and Culture ARTS AND CULTURE Savage Jazz Dance Company, Oakland, $10,000 SFJAZZ, San Francisco, $15,000 176 grants totaling $1,586,507. Donors directed an addi- Theatre Flamenco of San Francisco, San Francisco, $10,000 Third World Majority, Oakland, $10,000 tional $4,615,459 to these grantees. ZACCHO Dance Theatre, San Francisco, $20,000 > Zyzzyva, San Francisco, $7,500 GOAL: Nurture creativity, support arts education, and broaden cultural participation in order to enrich, develop, and celebrate communities. OBJECTIVE: Support arts programs that foster creativity,

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