How Community Funds Can Thrive

In 2014, Fred Blackwell became CEO of the San Francisco Foundation. That year, James Head became CEO of the East Bay Community Foundation, based in Oakland. Both foundations have grown since then in terms of assets and influence. In interviews with the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Blackwell and Head said that to make a difference — and to compete with other sponsors of donor-advised funds — community foundations have to be more than enablers of philanthropy. Some takeaways:

Stand for something. Unlike most community foundations, which are vague about their mission, the San Francisco and East Bay foundations are explicitly about driving social change. “Most community foundations view themselves in a transactional way. They focus on donor intent and what donors are trying to achieve,” says Head. “We decided to be an institution that was trying to address some of the structural issues that cause inequality and cause poverty.” Blackwell says: “The North Star is around racial equity and economic inclusion.”

Play to your strengths. The San Francisco Foundation has long supported nonprofit developers of affordable housing, and Blackwell previously directed the redevelopment agency in San Francisco. So when a coalition of foundations and businesses, led by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, formed the Partnership for the Bay’s Future to protect and produce affordable housing in the Bay Area, they turned to the San Francisco Foundation to lead and staff its work on housing policy. “The idea of faith leaders, public-sector leaders, corporate leaders, and philanthropy all working together, shoulder to shoulder, to address a common problem is something I haven’t seen before, and it makes me very excited,” Blackwell said.

Communicate who you are. Charity is noble but not enough, Head told donors to the East Bay foundation as he unveiled a new mission focused on social justice last year. “Funding social movements led by communities that are directly impacted will ultimately be the most effective driver of change to disrupt entrenched inequities, loosen access to public resources, and create opportunities to benefit communities most in need,” he wrote. This might displease traditional donors, but the hope is that it will attract new ones. “We are marketing the fact that we are a community foundation that is about transformation,” he said.