San Francisco Public Health Foundation

OVERVIEW: The San Francisco Public Health Foundation supports various aspects of health and services for children and youth in San Francisco, California.

FUNDING AREAS: Health, public health and access, children and youth

IP TAKE: SFPHF is not a traditional grantmaker, but it does offer fiscal sponsorship opportunities for health-focused organizations and also some funding opportunities through requests for proposals that it issues.

PROFILE: Established in 1988, the San Francisco Public Health Foundation (SFPHF) is a fiscal sponsorship foundation based in San Francisco, California. Dr. David Werdegar, DPH Director, and other community leaders created this foundation after realizing that San Francisco’s city budget had no discretionary funds for education, training, small programs and special projects. It was originally called the Friends of San Francisco Public Health and adopted its current name in 1993, while also shifting its purpose at that time. The foundation helps by "streamlining the process for individuals and corporations to provide funding directly to agencies.” It supports local efforts for direct patient services, communicable disease control, outreach and care for special populations, youth and children’s services and public health outreach, education and prevention.

The San Francisco Public Health Foundation offers support for capacity-building, resource development, human resource administration, bookkeeping, strategic planning and nonprofit tax ID solutions. It partners with nonprofit agencies so that they can focus on their missions and serve the city. Interests centered on children and youth services include disability prevention, infant health and dental care for kids. Public health interests involve the promotion of equity, ending domestic violence and improving neighborhoods. Special population groups of interest to SFPHF include grieving families, people with hepatitis C, various ethnic minority groups, people with HIV/AIDS and incarcerated inmates in local jails. Tuberculosis testing and treatment, as well as sexually transmitted diseases, are part of SFPHF’s communicable disease control project. Support for direct patient services includes travel clinics, emergency medical services, food security and seniors’ needs. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, SFPHF issued a request for proposals and awarded grants to benefit vulnerable populations.

Grants range between about $1,000 and $50,000. Learn more about this funder’s local giving by examining its recent tax records. Grantmaking focuses on the city of San Francisco, California. SFPHF provides grants for community meetings and focus groups at the San Francisco Department of Public Health and occasional grants to community organizations that serve needy individuals too.

This foundation accepts unsolicited grant applications from nonprofits for certain grant opportunities and links to downloadable grant applications on its website for available opportunities. Otherwise, organizations can apply to become a SFPHF-sponsored project and receive many services with a 10 percent management fee. Direct general questions to the staff at info@sfphf.org or 415-504-6738.

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