As community leaders in San Francisco, we are calling on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to preserve and unfreeze the city’s funding for the Dream Keeper Initiative, and we offer our support to work together to make sure this program is successful. Do not let this vital program become a victim of missteps by individuals.
The Dream Keeper Initiative is not simply a budget line item; it is an investment in the brilliance, resilience, and boundless potential of San Francisco’s Black residents. Our steadfast support is more vital now than ever and demonstrates, through action, a commitment to fostering a more just society and beginning to repair past harm that the city and state inflicted on its Black residents.
We acknowledge the challenges that have arisen. Let us be clear: any malfeasance by individuals is unacceptable and runs counter to the very essence of DKI. We fully support thorough investigations and accountability measures. However, we implore you not to let the actions of a few overshadow the transformative power of this initiative and the urgent needs it addresses.
For decades, Black-led nonprofits have been starved of resources, systematically marginalized by both the public and philanthropic sectors. They operate on shoestring budgets, their voices muted by a history of disinvestment and neglect. The Dream Keeper Initiative is a lifeline, a chance to finally break this cycle of inequity.
Recent research by Candid and ABFE found that Black-led nonprofits received 300% less revenue than their white-led counterparts. Additionally, more than 60% of Black-led nonprofits are classified as small organizations, with budgets under $100,000, compared with only 21% of white-led nonprofits.
Contracting with San Francisco is famously complicated and requires organizations to have specialized financial capacity. We are ready to partner with you, to work alongside city departments, to make sure DKI organizations have the financial infrastructure to be successful with public dollars.
Rather than walking away and exacerbating inequities, we encourage greater support for the Dream Keeper Initiative and Black-led nonprofits during this critical time. Their work — on the ground in our communities — is imperative for the overall health of our city and the broader region.
The Dream Keeper Initiative is not just about addressing immediate needs; it is about building a future where Black-led organizations are empowered, where their voices resonate with strength, and where their leadership guides us toward a truly equitable and inclusive San Francisco.
We call on you to support the Dream Keeper Initiative and to help San Francisco’s Black-led nonprofits to develop the capacity and skillsets they need to successfully partner with the city to improve the lives, livelihoods, and neighborhoods of our entire community.
We urge you to stand on the right side of history. Preserve and strengthen the Dream Keeper Initiative. Invest in the promise of our Black communities.
Signed,
Fred Blackwell, San Francisco Foundation
Jennifer Alejo, Trabajadores Unidos Workers United
Chris Ballard, Coleman Advocates for Children and Youth
Wilma R. Batiste, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, Faith Communities Committee, UCSF Abundant Life Health Ministries Network, UCSF Office of Community Engagement, Community Advisory Board (CAB), Neighborhood Baptist Church
Rev. Gerald P. Caprio, Interfaith Center at the Presidio
Lariza Dugan-Cuadra, CARECEN SF
Carlton Eichelberger, Boys and Girls Club
Cheryl Fabio, Sarah Webster Fabio Center for Social Justice
Luis Granados, Mission Economic Development Agency
Chris Iglesias, The Unity Council
Janetta Johnson, Transgender, Gender Variant, Intersex Justice Project
LaNiece Jones, Black Women Organizing for Political Action
Shaw San Liu, Chinese Progressive Association
Bishop JW Macklin, Church Of God In Christ, Inc.
Dr. James McCray, Jr., Tabernacle Community Development Corporation
Brandon Nicholson, Ph.D., The Hidden Genius Project
Lucia Obregón, San Francisco Latino Parity and Equity Coalition
Michael G. Pappas, San Francisco Interfaith Council
Ani Rivera, Galería De La Raza
Gloria Romero, Instituto Familiar de la Raza
Shakirah Simley, Booker T. Washington Community Service Center
Misha Steier, San Francisco Public Bank Coalition
Celi Tamayo-Lee, San Francisco Rising
Landon Taylor, MacFarlane Partners
Martin Waukazoo, Friendship House Association of American Indians
Joe Wilson, Central City Hospitality House
Richard Ybarra, Mission Neighborhood Centers, Inc.
Malcolm Yeung, Chinatown Community Development Center
