Celebrating TGIJP’s Black Trans Power Building Work 1 Apr 11:07 AM (yesterday, 11:07 am)
In light of the growing transphobic oppression, state violence, and a political climate that jeopardizes the lives, rights, and movements of beloved trans individuals, it is crucial that we continue to uplift and honor the work, advocacy, and community solutions led by Trans Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and intersectional, racial justice advocates, particularly those focused on improving the lives of trans people most affected by carceral harm.
Miss Major Alexander L. Lee TGIJP Black Trans Cultural Center Justice Project (TGIJP) is a vital force in the fight for justice, working directly with Black trans people who are navigating the criminal justice system. We are honored to support the decades of work and powerful legacy of our beloved community leaders, Miss Major and Miss Janetta, who continue to move our beloved Trans community toward healing with dignity, accessibility, housing stability, and restorative economic power for generations to come.
Recently (TGIJP) hosted a powerful Open House Gathering and Award Ceremony that centered on the resilience, power, and leadership of Black trans communities, particularly those who have been impacted by incarceration. The event highlighted the ongoing efforts of TGIJP to advocate for formerly and currently incarcerated trans, gender-variant, and intersex individuals, with a focus on racial justice and transformative power building. TGIJP offers essential services to incarcerated individuals, providing resources, advocacy, and a community of support to help ensure their safety, dignity, and well-being within jails and prisons. TGIJP also works to dismantle the systems that disproportionately target and harm trans, gender-variant, and intersex individuals, especially those who are Black, by pushing for policy changes and offering transformative alternatives to incarceration.
In addition to supporting incarcerated individuals, TGIJP provides vital re-entry programs for formerly incarcerated trans folks, focusing on building pathways to safety, stability, and self-determination. Their work goes beyond direct services, focusing on power building and advocacy that empowers Black trans communities to create the change they wish to see in the world. Programs include advocacy for fair treatment in prisons, support for economic justice, and leadership development that strengthens the voices of Black trans individuals in their communities.
The Open House and Award Ceremony celebrated the leadership and contributions of Black trans individuals, with a particular emphasis on those who have navigated incarceration. The event offered a space for attendees to reflect on the barriers faced by Black trans people, especially in relation to the criminal justice system, and to celebrate the ongoing work of TGIJP to break these barriers down. TGIJP’s leadership development programs aim to cultivate strong, resilient leaders who will shape the future of trans and racial justice through collective action.
A key moment of the evening was the presentation of an award to the San Francisco Foundation, recognizing our commitment to advancing economic justice and opportunity for marginalized communities, including Black trans individuals impacted by incarceration. As a long-standing People Pathway grantee, SFF’s support of TGIJP’s mission has been instrumental in helping formerly incarcerated Black trans folks build economic security, access housing, and find employment opportunities—critical components of rebuilding their lives after incarceration.
This partnership is a testament to the power of collaboration in creating pathways to justice and economic independence for Black trans communities. By working together, TGIJP and People Pathway are helping to dismantle the cycles of poverty and disenfranchisement that often result from mass incarceration while uplifting the voices and leadership of Black trans individuals.
The Open House and Award Ceremony served as a powerful reminder of the collective strength of Black trans communities and the ongoing need for power building efforts. The event was not only a celebration of what’s been accomplished, but also a call to action for everyone to join in the work of dismantling oppressive systems. There’s still much work to be done to ensure that Black trans individuals, particularly those formerly or currently incarcerated, have the resources and opportunities they need to thrive.
TGIJP’s programming continues to serve as a beacon of hope and empowerment, offering support for those navigating the prison system, advocating for policy change, and building community-based solutions to the challenges faced by Black trans people. By centering Black trans leadership, TGIJP is building a future where justice, safety, and dignity are accessible to all.
We are deeply honored to have received this award and recognition from TGIJP. This award symbolizes the strong, ongoing partnership between our organizations and the shared vision for Black trans people power! It is an honor to stand alongside TGIJP staff in the fight to support Black trans incarcerated individuals, advance re-entry programs for formerly incarcerated trans folks, and build pathways to safety, housing stability, and economic self-determination. Black trans communities have and will continue to lead us all toward a better future for all! Join us in celebrating the phenomenal work of our grant partner, TGIJP! The work we do together is more than just providing services; it’s about building a movement where Black trans individuals, especially those impacted by incarceration, can live with dignity, justice, and opportunity. We look forward to continuing our work with TGIJP to uplift Black trans communities and create lasting change.
Join us in solidarity with TGIJP to continue building a world where Black trans people, especially those most impacted by carceral punishment and policing, are able to live freely and thrive.
Community Parenting: How One Mom Turned Trauma into Action 26 Mar 5:44 PM (7 days ago)
Lissete Frausto is the 2024 winner of SFF’s Phyllis K. Friedman – Retha Smith Robinson Community Leadership Award. The award is named after the daughter of Daniel E. Koshland Sr. (SFF’s co-founder), and Retha Robinson, longtime SFF staff member and director of SFF’s Koshland Program. In 2025, this award recognized an emerging woman-of-color leader under 40 in Alameda County. Future awards will be given to women working in other Bay Area counties.
On a typical Wednesday afternoon, Lissete Frausto arrived at her son’s daycare in San Leandro to pick up her six-month-old baby, Juan Carlos. She entered the facility and spotted something unusual: her son lying on the floor, listless. The daycare owner told her that he had vomited multiple times and refused to drink his bottle.
Lissete knew something was very wrong. She took her baby to the hospital, where doctors determined that Juan Carlos had been shaken to the point where bleeding had formed in his head, behind his eye. Miraculously, he recovered with no lingering side effects.
Grateful for Juan Carlos’ recovery but in desperate need of alternative childcare, Lissete learned of Kidango, which offers low- to no-cost infant, toddler, and preschool programs to 5,000 children in its 56 centers throughout the Bay Area. She enrolled Juan Carlos, who began to thrive in the safe and nurturing environment. “I felt like Kidango was a space where I could trust someone else with my kids again,” she says.
In addition to its childcare and learning programs, Kidango also trains parents to be family advocates. Soon after she started going to Kidango’s parent meetings, Lissete partnered with the state’s social services and child care licensing departments to force the daycare where her son was injured to close.
Nine years later, Lissete herself is now a parent organizer at Kidango, where she trains parents to become advocates who push for policies that improve the lives of families in the Bay Area. Her training helps parents understand the legislative process and the bills that will affect their families. Every spring, she takes parents to lobby policymakers in the state Capitol. This year, the group will be discussing with lawmakers AB 753, a bill co-sponsored by Kidango that increases access to childcare and early learning programs.
Photo: Lissete Frausto (far right) with parent and teacher advocates at the Sacramento Capitol in 2024. Photo courtesy of Lissete Frausto.
At a recent Kidango training session in San Jose’s Mayfair neighborhood – the heart of the city’s historic Mexican-American district – a dozen moms attended Lissete’s presentation. Over zoom and in-person, she provided an overview of the structure of the California legislature, the ins and outs of AB 753, and how to share a compelling story with policymakers. Lissete even assigns the parents homework. “I want to make sure that families have a voice,” she says.
Now a mom to three children, Lissete is also a fierce yet humble member of her community. In addition to her role at Kidango, she also serves on multiple committees on the state, county, and school district levels, including California’s Early Childhood Policy Council’s Parent Committee, Alameda County Early Care & Education Planning Council Steering Committee, and her school district’s English Learner Advisory Committee.
“Lissete’s trainings have provided me with confidence that my voice needs to be heard,” says Mirriam Osae-Addo, a parent of three children enrolled in Kidango programs and a member of the Kidango board. “She supports parents to be the best advocates that we can be for our children. Her work, in and out of the Kidango community, is so very appreciated.”
Lissete says that this SFF award recognition helps to further empower other parent advocates. “After the storm that happened to me,” she says, “this is the rainbow.”
Safety & Security Resources for Nonprofits 21 Mar 1:46 PM (12 days ago)
We have gathered resources to share with you focused on organizational safety and security threats. These resources include toolkits, resource guides, pro bono legal support, rapid response grants, and consultations. Unless noted otherwise, the resources are free, and all of them are available for nonprofit organizations to access.
Physical and Organizational Safety
Community Safety Rapid Response Support is a virtual rapid response support to social justice movements, organizations, and leaders dealing with urgent community safety incidents. Providing consultation support focused on: Personal/Home Safety, Organizational safety, Action and event safety, Digital security. Accepting requests Monday – Friday from 9:00am – 5:00pm PST.
Provided by: Vision Change Win
Get In Formation Training Series (G.I.F.T.S.) is a virtual training series for organizations to develop and deepen their safety and security infrastructure. Organizations learn concrete strategies for identifying and addressing potential risks and developing safety structures that are scaled to the organization’s unique capacity, adaptive to changing conditions, and trauma informed. (price information available online)
Provided by: Vision Change Win
Community Safety Political Education and Resources is a list of political education and resources focused on community safety. These materials are a combination of articles, books, websites, toolkits, workbooks, guides, and videos.
Provided by: Vision Change Win
Electoral Safety Toolkit shares best practices, templates, and questions to consider. Whether your group is door-knocking, protesting, or coordinating mutual aid, building safety infrastructure is critical to protect our communities.
Provided by: Vision Change Win
Get in Formation Toolkit is a collection of security and safety practices built by years of learning in the streets from Black, Indigenous, and People of Color movements within the U.S. Developed and edited by safety and security practitioners with a range of 10-40 years’ experience, this toolkit includes handouts, tips, and worksheets to support you in growing or building your community safety practices and/or teams.
Provided by: Vision Change Win
Online Safety
The Anti-Doxxing Guide for Activists supports activists around the world who may be targeted for resisting white supremacy, Islamophobia, casteism, antisemitism, anti-LGBTQ+ harassment, or any form of authoritarianism.
Provided by: Equality Labs
Security in a box primarily aims to help a global community of human rights defenders whose work puts them at risk. It has been recognized worldwide as a foundational resource for helping people at risk protect their digital security and privacy.
Provided by: Security in a Box
The Surveillance Self-Defense resource guide is focused on protecting you and your friends from online spying.
Provided by: Electronic Frontier Foundation
The Cybersecurity Handbook for Civil Society Organizations handbook is an open-source resource designed to help civil society organizations develop an understandable and implementable cybersecurity plan. It includes explanations of key security topics that organizations and their staff should be aware of, essential strategies and recommended tools to limit risk, and tips and links to additional resources that can help an organization implement such recommendations.
Provided by: NDI
Legal Resources
Protecting and Advancing DEI Pro Bono Initiative offers free legal support for organizations to better understand the legal landscape following the Supreme Court’s Students for Fair Admissions case.
Provided by: Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights
The Legal Education, Advocacy and Defense (LEAD) for Racial Justice program offers free legal support for organizations to better understand the legal landscape following the Supreme Court’s Students for Fair Admissions case, for California-based nonprofit organizations.
Provided by: California Black Freedom Fund
Funding Opportunities
SFF’s Rapid Response Fund for Movement Building offers small, one-time grants to frontline grassroots organizations’ new projects addressing unexpected, urgent event or external challenge while strengthening the voice and power of low-income residents and people of color. Past projects have included protest and actions in solidarity with targeted communities (e.g., immigrants, LGBTQIA+, and Black, Indigenous and people of color) and supporting community and organizer safety (e.g., trainings, wellness, and legal defense needs). Application process open to nonprofit organizations in San Francisco, Alameda, San Mateo, Marin, and Contra Costa counties.
Provided by: San Francisco Foundation
Building the Village: How Friendship House is Creating a Space for Wellness and Healing 14 Mar 9:42 AM (19 days ago)
The San Francisco Foundation joined Friendship House Association of American Indians (Friendship House) staff and community for a powerful donor salon in support of the Village SF Wellness Center capital campaign. Hosted in partnership with Dr. Sandra Hernández, CEO and President of the California Health Care Foundation, the donor salon brought together community leaders, funders, and advocates—including SFF CEO Fred Blackwell and several SFF Board members and donors.
Throughout the gathering, it was heartwarming to witness stories and powerful reflections of how Helen Waukazoo’s vision, commitment to American Indian power building, and leadership legacy is being realized through The Village SF Wellness Center. This center represents a transformative, nationally recognized Native-led model of holistic healing, featuring SUD treatment for women and their children, step-down transitional housing, comprehensive health services, cultural revitalization programs, belonging, Youth and Elder programs, and intertribal community support. The Village SF will serve over 7,000 community members each year.
Rooted in the strength and wisdom of Indigenous Healing traditions and values, Village SF Project Director Peter Bratt shared, “the Village is more than a place—it is a promise to care for one another, just as Indigenous communities have done for generations.”
Chief Judge of the Yurok Tribal Court Abby Abinanti captured the heart of this vision when she shared: “I want to remind you that for all of us—Native and non-Native alike—this is a Memory. Because we lived in Villages for tens of thousands of years. And in those Villages, we took care of each other always. We were family. No one went to bed hungry. No one went to bed cold. No one felt that they did not have anyone to be there for them. We knew how to take care of each other. The Village is in each one of us, and we will do it together. We are not quitters, we don’t give up, and we don’t give people up along the trail. This Village—this is who we always were and who we will always be… We will not leave anyone behind.”
As Friendship House fundraises for the Village Wellness Center’s capital campaign, we invite you join us in supporting this effort and deepen our shared commitment to this groundbreaking project. The Village SF is shovel-ready, with land acquisition, project approvals, entitlements, and construction documents complete. Construction of the Village SF can commence when the capital campaign is realized.
Friendship House models what being bold and rooted in community means. We are honored to partner with the staff and community partners to ensure that Native healing, cultural reclamation, and community power thrive! If you are interested in supporting Friendship House, feel free to contact our partners: Peter Bratt, Project Director, Peter@friendshiphousehealing.org and Bonnie Wolf, Capital Campaign Director, bonniew@friendshiphousehealing.org.
Donor Desk: Lan Shaw 10 Mar 2:06 PM (23 days ago)
About me
I’m the founder of a boutique Family Office dedicated to optimizing the wealth, lives, and legacies of high-net-worth families. A born optimizer, I guide clients through a deep discovery process to craft personalized strategies, collaborating with top professionals to go beyond traditional wealth management.
I believe in living your legacy—intentionally shaping the world you want to see and contributing to causes that matter. Philanthropic planning is central to my work, helping clients align their wealth with their values to create meaningful, lasting impact.
My passion stems from personal experience. Born in China, my family endured a re-education camp and survived a devastating earthquake that claimed 250,000 lives. These challenges strengthened my resilience and drive to optimize every situation, live an extraordinary life, and help others do the same.
For the past six years, I’ve served on the Professional Advisors Council at the San Francisco Foundation, where I’ve been deeply inspired by the generosity of donors and the transformative work SFF does in the community.
As Board President of Oakland Ballet and a champion for education, I lead by example—helping others build their own legacy of impact and create a better future for generations to come.
What is an organization you are passionate about?
Immigration is one of the most pressing issues of our time. Looking back just over a century ago, when immigrants were incarcerated and interrogated at Angel Island Immigration Station (AIIS), offers a stark reminder of how history continues to repeat itself. These stories are not just echoes of the past—they remain deeply relevant to the challenges we face today.
In times of struggle, art has the power to heal, remember, and inspire. The Oakland Ballet’s groundbreaking production, Angel Island Project, is a breathtaking 90-minute performance that transforms a painful chapter of American history into a moving tribute to resilience and hope. It brings to life the haunting poems carved into the walls of AIIS between 1910 and 1942—words of longing, perseverance, and unbreakable spirit. More than a history lesson, the Angel Island Project speaks to the universal human experience—the shared dreams of a better life and the hopes for a brighter future to which we all aspire.
Experiencing the evocative movement and storytelling of the Angel Island Project has been profoundly moving. This powerful production will be previewed at Angel Island Immigration Station on March 22 and 29, followed by its world premiere on May 4 at the Paramount Theatre in Oakland. Beyond these performances, Oakland Ballet is spearheading an ambitious effort to bring this production to schools and communities across the country, ensuring that these voices are not forgotten and that their stories continue to inspire action and change.
Closing thoughts
To bring this vision to life and extend its reach, Oakland Ballet has launched an unprecedented $500,000 fundraising campaign for the Angel Island Project. This funding will not only support the production itself but also expand its impact far beyond Oakland and the San Francisco Bay Area, ensuring that this vital story is shared across the country.
I invite you to join us in bringing these untold stories to life. Attend a rehearsal (by advance reservation) and witness firsthand how art—through music, movement, and poetry—has the power to provoke thought, stir emotions, and inspire change.
Beyond Fear: How the Fight for Immigrant Justice Shaped Me 27 Feb 10:29 AM (last month)
Fear is a weapon, but across California, immigrant leaders and worker organizations are refusing to let it win. In the Bay Area, SFF’s grantee partners are bolstering rapid response networks, holding know-your-rights trainings, forming alliances, and strengthening sanctuary protections.
Immigrants have laid the railroads, constructed our cities, cared for our children, kept our homes clean, staffed our hospitals, and fueled our economy. They embody the resilience, innovation, and family values that America claims to uphold. And our state, California, is home to 2.7 million undocumented residents and 146,000 undocumented children. One in five children in our state has at least one undocumented parent. Immigrants make up one-third of our workforce, own nearly 40 percent of small businesses, and contribute to every industry, from agriculture to technology.
But the new administration has introduced new laws and policies designed to restrict immigration and punish those without documentation. These actions are tearing families apart and creating a climate of anxiety. Schools, once considered safe havens, are now vulnerable to raids. The right to seek asylum – a fundamental human right – is being eroded. Immigrants who have built lives and contributed to our society are living in constant fear of detention and deportation.
For me, this isn’t just a political issue; it’s a deeply personal one. Nearly two decades ago, I remember sitting in my high school algebra classroom. It was May 1, 2006 – this country’s very first Day Without Immigrants. A bill that criminalized undocumented people, HR 4437, had just passed, and I was having a hard time concentrating on my studies. I was a young, undocumented immigrant, and I couldn’t ignore the xenophobic whispers of my classmates. The hateful policy framed me and my family as people who did not belong in this country.
But even in those dark times, there were glimmers of hope. The 2006 Day Without Immigrants protests – in response to HR 4437 – showed the power of collective action and solidarity. And organizations across the country, including the San Francisco Foundation, stood by our values, defending the rights of immigrants and providing support to those in need.
That is why it’s so critical that the Bay Area serves as a beacon of light during these dark times. Earlier this month, Governor Newsom approved $25 million dollars to protect immigrant residents from deportation. San Francisco is leading a coalition of cities in filing a lawsuit arguing that the Trump administration’s crackdown on sanctuary jurisdictions violates constitutional protections and local authority. And the California CEO Funder Table, a statewide coalition of philanthropic leaders, is using the collective strength of philanthropy to support immigrant rights, change narratives, advance policy and advocacy, and build statewide infrastructure.
I am proud to work at SFF, where we are standing by our values and the Bay Area’s immigrant communities. Here are some of the ways that you can support our work to protect Bay Area immigrants today:
- Support our Rapid Response Fund, which provides emergency funds to frontline social justice organizations in the Bay Area.
- Check out our Immigration Give Guide and support one of our recommended nonprofits.
May 1, 2006, was the day that ignited a fire in me. It pushed me to overcome my fear and become an advocate for justice and equity. Today, as we face renewed attacks on immigrant communities, I call on us to rise in solidarity. Together, we can build a future where everyone feels safe, welcomed, and valued, regardless of their immigration status.
5 people making Black history in San Francisco 27 Feb 9:21 AM (last month)
February 27, 2025
Axios San Francisco: 5 people making Black history in San Francisco
Black History Month often makes us think about influential figures from the past that have helped shape American and San Francisco history. […] February isn’t just a time to reflect on the past. Some of San Francisco’s most notable African Americans are still with us.
Fred Blackwell, SFF CEO, is listed among five San Franciscans shaping Black history in the Bay Area today.
SF’s Black Social Equity Program, Mired in Scandal, Is Being Revived and Rebranded 18 Feb 10:36 AM (last month)
February 18, 2025
KQED: SF’s Black Social Equity Program, Mired in Scandal, Is Being Revived and Rebranded
[…] Months after former Mayor London Breed froze the [Dream Keeper Initiative] funding amid that upheaval, incumbent Daniel Lurie announced last week at the city’s Black History Month celebration that the program would resume under a different name and with vastly more oversight.
“Contrary to the narrative that is being put out right now, one community’s gain does not mean another community’s setback,” [Fred] Blackwell said. “The way that we get to the kind of society and community that I think we aspire to sometimes means that we have to invest in the communities that have been left behind — and then sometimes kept behind — because we don’t win until we all win.”
Our Love Letter to the Bay 12 Feb 1:43 PM (last month)
Our power lies in the roots of the oak tree, the fog of the Golden Gate Bridge, and in the streets from Richmond and Marin right down to San Jo. We have always used our power to step up when times get rough, to meet the moment with our eyes wide open.
The Bay Area is magic. And our love for this place runs deep. That’s why for Valentine’s Day, SFF partnered with Youth Speaks to create our “Love Letter to the Bay.”
Youth Speaks was founded in 1996 — with a seed grant from SFF. Since then, they’ve worked with hundreds of thousands of youth in dozens of cities across the country.
Watch Video
We Are California Aims to Shore Up a Blue Fortress Against Trump 12 Feb 12:00 PM (last month)
February 13, 2025
Inside Philanthropy: We Are California Aims to Shore Up a Blue Fortress Against Trump
[…] One new philanthropy-backed effort is looking to ensure the state’s progress isn’t undone. Launched shortly after the end of the election in November, We Are California is an initiative to unite communities and movements from across the state to build on past victories, defend communities and organize together to create a California where everyone can belong and thrive.
‘We risk it all’: Bay Area nonprofits reel from Trump funding cuts and chaos 10 Feb 1:35 PM (last month)
February 10, 2025
San Francisco Standard: ‘We risk it all’: Bay Area nonprofits reel from Trump funding cuts and chaos
On Jan. 27, thousands of U.S. nonprofit leaders […] were horrified to learn that the federal Office of Management and Budget had ordered a halt on payments for virtually every grant.
Judith Bell, Chief Impact Officer for the San Francisco Foundation, said her organization has fielded an increase in requests for cash from its rapid-response fund and plans to start disbursing money soon. But she warned that if another nationwide federal spending pause goes into effect, foundations like hers won’t come close to filling the gaps.
“Philanthropy cannot substitute for government. It’s a fool’s errand to think that we could,” Bell said. Compared to the trillions of dollars the federal government spends, philanthropy, she said, is “like a tiny drop in the ocean.”
Justice Unlocked: Amplifying Voices for Lasting Reform 5 Feb 9:18 AM (last month)
As the desire for a more just world continues to grow, community-based organizations play an important role in reshaping systems that have long overlooked the very people they are meant to serve. SFF grantee Legal Services for Prisoners with Children (LSPC) brings together communities affected by incarceration to create lasting change. They focus on helping people get released from prison and restoring their human and civil rights. Their work goes beyond helping those who have been incarcerated; they also aim to reunite families and strengthen communities that have been hurt by the criminal justice system.
Learn how LSPC brings attention to these important issues through its advocacy work addressing unfair labor practices.
Watch Video