Latest news with #CrankstartFoundation
San Francisco Chronicle
08-05-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F. Mayor Lurie unveils first big haul of private funds to address homelessness
Mayor Daniel Lurie has raised $37.5 million from wealthy donors to address San Francisco's homelessness and behavioral health crises, making good on one of his early pledges to supplement taxpayer funds by tapping private dollars to clean up streets and get more people into treatment and housing. Money generated by the public-private partnership, which is named the Breaking the Cycle Fund, will be used to acquire, build and open new interim shelter and treatment beds and to enhance supportive services to help people address addiction and mental health challenges, Lurie said Thursday. While the funds are not insignificant, they aren't transformative. The city is facing a two-year $818 million deficit, which Lurie's administration is working to close through its proposed budget, which will be unveiled in about a month. Lurie has initial commitments of $11 million from Tipping Point Community, $10 million from the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, $10 million from the Crankstart Foundation, $6 million from Keith and Priscilla Geeslin and $500,000 from the Horace W. Goldsmith Foundation. He called those donations 'a great start' but said that they were 'not the end.' The $11 million commitment from Tipping Point was already announced. Those funds will pay for a pilot program aimed at preventing homelessness among families, which skyrocketed over the past few years amid a surge in migrants. 'In order for San Francisco to recover, we must tackle the homelessness and behavioral health crisis we face alongside the historic budget deficit we inherited,' Lurie said at a press conference Thursday morning. 'We must learn to do more with less, and that's going to require an unprecedented all-hands-on-deck approach — an effort designed to reach across sectors and silos and one that brings to bear all the talents, innovation and expertise of this incredible city.' Katie Schwab Paige, board chair and president of the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, said the foundation was 'proud to support this vital effort.' 'As longtime supporters of the fight against homelessness in San Francisco, we believe the Breaking the Cycle Fund presents a unique opportunity to address our city's homelessness and behavioral health crises,' she said in a statement. The San Francisco Foundation will oversee the fund, which will be spent in coordination with the mayor's office. Under state and city laws, officials will be required to report all donations through the fund to the California Fair Political Practices Commission. Legislation crafted by Lurie and approved by the Board of Supervisors earlier this year allowed the creation of the fund, making it easier to cut red tape and fundraise for initiatives related to homelessness, addiction treatment and mental health services. Mark Mazza, who helps lead the city's new neighborhood-based street teams, said expanding beds and improving the behavioral health system were critically needed. Most days, he said his teams run out of beds to offer people on the streets by lunchtime. 'The announcement today is exciting,' he said, 'and a step in the right direction.'
Axios
03-04-2025
- Business
- Axios
SF downtown street party gets new philanthropic boost from billionaire elite
San Francisco's biggest free, monthly outdoor block party will continue to be a fixture in downtown through the end of the year thanks to a $1.75 million surge of new funding from the city's billionaire elite. State of play: Downtown First Thursdays was scheduled to end in April. But organizers on Thursday announced its extension along with a new speaker series beginning this summer and a western theme dubbed "Downtown Hoedown" from May through October. Follow the money: Crypto billionaire Chris Larsen, the Crankstart Foundation — funded by billionaire venture capitalist Michael Moritz — and former Gap chairman Bob Fisher and his wife Randi, who have supported the event with a $1 million annual endowment, are among the biggest donors. Levi Strauss & Co., Salesforce and JPMorgan Chase are also helping fund the expansion. What they're saying:"Downtown First Thursdays has already brought joy to thousands and delivered a major boost to our local economy. I'm thrilled to see it expand so we can keep building momentum," Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a statement. Catch up quick: The monthly event, which features live music, vendors, food trucks and art, was launched last May in an effort to break the post-pandemic "doom loop" by boosting downtown's economy, increasing foot traffic and reviving the city's nightlife scene. Since then, it has helped rake in nearly $12 million in revenue and drawn more than 160,000 attendees to lively parties that have included street performers, local DJs, drag shows and art installations, according to the event organizers. Between the lines: The new speaker series, called the "Symposium at DFT" will run from June to October at Salesforce Park Amphitheater from 5-9pm. KQED will be among the partners to present programming on the lineup of speakers, which will include various entrepreneurs, artists, authors and more. Space will be limited to first-come, first-served, with free tickets provided via RSVP required for entry. The new western-themed street party will have live country and bluegrass performances, line dancing and mechanical bull rides. What's next: The art coalition behind the event, which includes the event production company Into The Streets and the nonprofit Civic Joy Fund, hope to continue securing ongoing investments to make Downtown First Thursdays "a tradition for years to come."
