For forty years, The Daniel E. Koshland Civic Unity Community Fellowship Program, has supported over 500 neighborhood (Community) leaders and resourced over 35 communities throughout the Bay area. The Daniel E. Koshland Civic Unity Community Fellowship program was established in 1982 to center the residents of communities and resource them with the tools and funding to advocate and build in their own communities. Working with the community advisory committee to…
Each year, the Koshland fellowship program recognizes 12 Bay Area neighborhood leaders of a particular community and makes a five-year $300,000 investment in that neighborhood. As a result of the fellowship, many of the projects created by Koshland Fellows, have become institutions or programs that still support communities to this day:
- The Canal Welcome Center – for immigrants and other newcomers in San Rafael’s Canal neighborhood
- Power Institute of Mission
- The Excelsior Works, Workers Rights Center – a multilingual and multicultural workforce development center
- Jackson Hayward’s Scholarship Program – for college students in Hayward’s Jackson Triangle/Harder Tennyson neighborhoods
- San Pablo mini-grants program – a neighborhood wide grant re grant program in San Pablo
- North Fair Oaks Afterschool Mentorship and Tutoring Program – a mentorship program located in an unincorporated area of Redwood City
Nominations for the Phyllis Koshland Friedman — Retha Smith Robinson Community Leadership Award 2024 are Open! The Phyllis Koshland Friedman – Retha Smith Robinson Community Leadership Award annually supports an inspiring, young woman of color working in the Bay Area to advance community-driven solutions to the most pressing issues. The Phyllis Koshland Friedman – Retha Smith Robinson Community Leadership Award honors the 30-year philanthropic and personal partnership between the late Phyllis Koshland Friedman and Retha Smith Robinson. Phyllis, the youngest daughter of Daniel E. Koshland Sr., co-founder of the San Francisco Foundation, shared her father’s belief in the larger San Francisco community and the talents and aspirations of all people, especially those too often disregarded and disrespected. She met Retha Smith Robinson when Retha was the Koshland Program’s assistant, saw her spark, and worked with her to recognize and unleash her talents and those of other leaders across the Bay Area. Since then, Retha has ascended in her own leadership and today she’s working as the director of the Koshland Program for the last 23 years and counting. Phyllis and Retha shared a love of community and all people, an infectious humor that leavened as it unleashed the full promise of humanity, and a zealous desire to promote the well-being and empowerment of others — in both individual and systemic ways. Their partnership was defined by their generosity, empathy, passion for living, and commitment to social justice. May the spirit of their unique philanthropic partnership light the way for women leaders of color for decades in the future. 2023 Phyllis Koshland Friedman – Retha Smith Robinson Community Leadership Award A Koshland fellow is a proven bridge builder and an unsung hero in their community. To be a Koshland fellow, you must live or work in the selected neighborhood and must commit to a five-year fellowship that includes: The funding can be used to make mini-grants to neighborhood nonprofits with which the cohort engages in its work. Questions? Please contact Koshland team at programs[at]sff.org. 2022-2027 Koshland Fellows: North Central, San Mateo The Koshland Committee is an advisory committee of the foundation’s board of trustees. Comprised of established community leaders, former foundation fellows and Koshland family members, the committee’s role is to ensure that the Koshland Program remains true to its core values, mission and program delivery.Phyllis Koshland Friedman – Retha Smith Robinson Community Leadership Award
Our 2023 winner, Shakirah Simley, Executive Director, Booker T. Washington Center in San Francisco! Read our story about Shakirah.Koshland Neighborhood Fellows
Koshland Committee