This is an excerpt from Race and Equity in Philanthropy Group (REPG) “Incorporating Racial Equity and Inclusion into Communication Strategy” Paper Series published in September 2021 and profiles eight foundations including the San Francisco Foundation.
The San Francisco Foundation (SFF) began its racial equity journey over six years ago when Fred Blackwell joined as CEO. The foundation’s North Star is to advance racial equity and economic inclusion in the San Francisco Bay Area. This North Star is lofty, and the foundation aims to weave it into every facet of the organization including its grantmaking, partnership with donors, policy work, impact investing, and internal operations.
Since the Foundation began its racial equity journey, many changes have occurred and continue to evolve inside the organization. Initially, these changes were not shared externally. However, over the years SFF has realized the importance of sharing its journey and being transparent about both progress and setbacks. They aspire to encourage others to join in advancing racial equity and economic inclusion. As a result, Foundation leadership has been called on to share their equity journey with others in the field and to be a leader in this space, which has enabled them to build bridges with other philanthropic and sector partners.
