**PRESS RELEASE**

City Announces $2.2 Million in Grants to
Protect & Expand Domestic Violence Services, Childcare, Arts & Economic Opportunities for Nonprofits
Twelve neighborhood-serving organizations to obtain new space and long-term leases

San Francisco, CA—Mayor London N. Breed, the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD), the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, the San Francisco Arts Commission, and the Northern California Community Loan Fund have announced $2.2 million in transformative space acquisition and lease stabilization grants to twelve community-serving nonprofits.
“San Francisco is committed to ensuring that these vital organizations can continue to do their important work to help our community,” said Mayor Breed. “The Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative helps ensure that they can afford to continue operating here in San Francisco and remain focused on their missions without having to worry about being priced out.”

The awards provide vital seed funding to nonprofit projects that will create 20,060 square feet of permanent, nonprofit-owned space where child care and services for survivors of domestic violence will be offered. In addition, 51,877 square feet of leased space will be stabilized for an average lease term of 6.2 years for services supporting the health and wellness of socioeconomically disadvantaged youth, access to arts and culture, and economic opportunity for women and immigrant-owned food businesses.

Real estate assistance is a cornerstone of the Mayor’s Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative, which deploys grants, professional services, assessment tools and other resources to help stabilize nonprofits and overcome barriers to growth. Administered by OEWD, the Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative continues San Francisco's groundbreaking support of nonprofit space and sustainability, investments in resilience that have been adapted regionally and beyond to stabilize nonprofits and prevent displacement.

““Nonprofit partnerships help us address intractable equity challenges and are vital to the well-being of San Francisco’s citizens,” said Joaquín Torres, Director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development. “By supporting all businesses and nonprofits, large and small, we are realizing our goal of a diverse, inclusive and thriving economy.” 

About the Grantees

Acquisition Grants:

La Casa de las Madres responds to calls for help from domestic violence victims, of all ages, at all hours, 365 days a year. They give survivors tools to transform their lives, and seek to prevent future violence by educating the community and by redefining public perceptions about domestic violence. La Casa has moved three times over 20 years and outgrown its current space. Acquisition will provide a permanent home and space to expand services. Award: $1 million

Mission Kids provides bilingual, multicultural, community-based childcare and family services to low-and moderate-income families of San Francisco. Families gain access to developmental and health screenings, specialized support services, required parent education and parent advocacy training. Mission Kids acquired land at 969 Treat Avenue and plans to build a 2-story building that will increase the number of children served from 34 to 80.  Award: $675,000

Lease Stabilization Grants:

Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ) provides direct services, technical assistance and policy analysis that promotes a balanced and humane criminal justice system.  This grant will support the build out of 2,500 sq. ft. of new usable space at a building that CJCJ owns allowing the organization to move programming from a leased space with rising rent into a building they own. Award: $54,507

The mission of the Family Caregiver Alliance (FCA) is to improve the quality of life for caregivers and those they care for through information, services and advocacy. They were able to secure a lease close to transit providing easy accessibility for their clients ensuring they can continue to adequately support their clientele. This grant will fund an increase in their rent until they can adjust to the new rate. Award: $38,655

The mission of Instituto Familiar de la Raza is to promote and enhance the health and wellbeing of the Chicano/Latino/Indigena community in San Francisco.  This project will move their Roadmap to Peace program for high-risk youth from insufficient office space to the Mission Language Vocational School.  This will give them the space they need to hold larger meeting and youth activities; while collocating them with another nonprofit allowing for greater efficiencies for both organizations. Award: $26,895

La Cocina cultivates talented low-income food entrepreneurs as they formalize and grow their businesses.  This grant will support their Municipal Marketplace where seven entrepreneurs will be able to expand their businesses supporting 30 new jobs and providing access to affordable food to residents in the Tenderloin. Award: $75,000

Life Learning Academy supports the socio-emotional health of San Francisco’s disconnected youth and ensures their academic achievement, employability and capacity to live a healthy successful life.  This grant will support security improvements and improvements to their kitchen, which supports their culinary program and feeds their students.  Award: $56,250

The mission of the Museum of Performance + Design (MPD) is to keep the unfolding history of the performing arts in the San Francisco Bay Area alive.  MPD collects, preserves and makes accessible to the public materials documenting San Francisco’s rich and ethnically diverse performance history to support learning, appreciation and creativity. This grant will fund their moving costs after they were unable to renew their lease on Folsom Street. Award: $26,496 

Performing Arts Workshop will be bringing their organizations work to support young people in developing critical thinking, creative expression and essential learning skills in and through the arts to a new space at the renovated Geneva Powerhouse.  Bringing their expertise in activation, this new space will allow the organization to expand their work in District 11 providing residents with onsite programing opportunities. Award: $75,000

San Francisco Court Appointed Special Advocates (SFCASA) provides trained and caring volunteer advocates to address the needs of abused and neglected foster youth in the court and the community.  This award will support the organizations expansion providing new space to host much needed volunteer recruitment and training sessions improving their ability to serve foster youth. Award: $31,500

The South of Market Community Action Network (SOMCAN) provides culturally-competent services and support to low-income, immigrant youth and their families, with a particular emphasis on the South of Market and Tenderloin neighborhoods.  This grant will support their move into a Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC) space that is necessitated by an unachievable rent increase at their current location.  The savings achieved in this new space will provide them with the opportunity to begin setting aside funds towards the eventual purchase of a future location. Award: $60,000

Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) trains youth to be active members of their community and trains communities to be receptive to youth voices and input.  This grant will support their move from a co-working space into a standalone office accommodating their growth and program needs. Award: $56,250 

“Nonprofits continue to struggle to compete in San Francisco’s real estate market” said Joanne Lee, Director of Consulting Services and Program Development for the Northern California Community Loan Fund (NCCLF). “In addition to grants, the City funds NCCLF services that help nonprofits at risk of displacement or facing barriers to expansion. Through the Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative we’ve helped over 70 nonprofits, ensuring their services will remain—or-expand—within the communities where they are most needed.”

“La Casa is so grateful to the Mayor Breed's Office for helping us open a new chapter in our history,” said Kathy Black, Executive Director of La Casa de las Madres. “The new community drop-in center will expand La Casa's services in unprecedented ways. It is thrilling to be in a position to make this historic purchase.”

About the Mayor’s Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative
With increasing and diverse demands for government services, San Francisco has nearly 7,000 nonprofits that often work in partnership with the City to address complex challenges and the needs of its residents. Since 2016, the program has awarded $7.2 million and assisted more than 90 San Francisco-based nonprofits. Guidelines for the next round of financial assistance through the Nonprofit Space Investment Fund will be released in December 2018. Nonprofits interested in applying for future assistance can visit www.ncclf.org/sfsustainability for program details and eligibility guidelines. Information about NSI awardees and current resources may be found at oewd.org/nonprofits.

The Nonprofit Sustainability Initiative is led by the Office of Economic and Workforce Development in partnership with the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, the San Francisco Arts Commission, and the Northern California Community Loan Fund to deploy a variety of tools to help stabilize nonprofits.
 

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