RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

RISING
TO THE

CHALLENGE

Spark* SF Public Schools | Annual Report | 2020-2021

RISING TO THE CH

HALLENGE

4

MISSION STATEMENT

Spark* SF Public Schools is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building private
financial support and partnerships to support the strategic priorities of the
San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) so that each and every child receives
the quality instruction and equitable support required to thrive in the 21st century.
Spark* leverages philanthropy to pilot new programs, propel promising ideas, and
scale high-leverage practices across the district, all in service of driving innovation
and achieving equity across San Francisco’s public school system.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 26 COVID RESPONSE FUND
07 VICTORIES FROM THE FRONTLINES
10 FACTS AT-A-GLANCE 28 DOOR-TO-DOOR MEAL DELIVERY
12 SPARK* INITIATIVES
16 GOAT 23 FELLOWSHIP 32 SF UNIFIED ACCESS
20 PATHWAY TO TEACHING PROGRAM
22 INITIATIVE IMPACT 38 DONOR FEATURE: SOMELAND FOUNDATION
24 OTHER SUPPORT AREAS
42 LOOKING AHEAD

44 FINANCIALS 5
46 SPARK* DONORS

6

VICTORIES FROM THE FRONTLINES

Dear Friends,

Throughout the pandemic our shared common experience has brought us together.
These times have called on our collective resilience like never before and your
support has —without a doubt— helped to create a circle of continuous care around
San Francisco’s public school students even in the midst of numerous challenges.

More than anything else, we want to say leaders, educators, families, and students who
thank you to our donors for being there when persevered through this challenging time, and
our City’s children needed you. The power it certainly would not be possible without you.
of philanthropy during this time cannot be
overstated, and at the heart of that is your own In this report, we celebrate victories from
generosity, selflessness, and steadfast belief in the frontlines of the pandemic, and share
the importance of public education. more about how your Spark* investments
have allowed the district to innovate and
In March 2020, in just a few weeks, SFUSD develop new ways of working to rise to this
shifted from a system that delivered services moment. From an innovative door-to-door
one way for over a century to a system meal delivery program to shrinking the digital
that was able to provide learning, meals divide, the reach and impact of Spark’s
and — even community — in a completely donors has been unmistakable.
different way. This amazing feat would not
have been possible without the dedicated

7

We also highlight Spark* initiative areas that have continued BOARD OF DIRECTORS
to thrive, despite the many shifts in learning conditions.
SFUSD’s GOAT 23 program has flourished in preparing 2021-2022
the next generation of entrepreneurs by providing a one-
of-a-kind opportunity for immigrant students and English Mark REISBAUM – Chair
language learners. Meanwhile, SFUSD’s Teacher Pathways
program is helping to address the severe teacher shortage Philanthropy Advisor, Reisbaum Consulting
with creative pipeline programs that are recruiting, training
and helping to retain diverse educators. Amy GRAFF - Vice Chair

The pandemic has illuminated the important role our public Senior News Producer, SFGate
schools play in society, not only in the lives of children, but
in the lives of adults. At Spark*, we look forward to keeping Sylvia YEE - Vice Chair
that lesson alive and striving to ensure our schools at
SFUSD continue to be what they need to be for students, Senior Advisor, Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund
families, and the community – a place of growth, safety,
and connection. Meghan WALLACE – Treasurer

Thank you for being with us during this challenging time, Chief Financial Officer, SFUSD
and thank you for your partnership as we continue to rise to
the challenge together. Jared JOINER – Secretary

Sincerely, Senior Manager, Applied Learning Science
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative

Gentle BLYTHE – President

Deputy Superintendent of Strategic Partnerships
and Communications, SFUSD

Diana CAMPOAMOR

Founder, Nuestra America Fund

Kalpana ETTENSON

Senior Director of CEO Communications, Cisco

Iris HU

Strategic Engagement Executive, Salesforce

Gentle Blythe Mark Reisbaum

Spark* President Spark* Board Chair

Cheryl KING

Senior Vice President, Business Development
LM Capital Group

Myong LEIGH

Deputy Superintendent of Policy
and Operations, SFUSD

Dr. Vincent MATTHEWS

Superintendent of Schools, SFUSD

Terezia NEMETH

Executive Vice President,
Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc.

9

FACTS AT-A-GLANCE

students schools graduation rate

50,566 130 88.3%

Total enrollment Oct. 2020

Demographics

African American 6% 33%
American Indian <1% 30%

Asian 3% 28%
Filipinx
Latinx <1%
Pacific Islander 14%
White
Multi-Racial 8%
Declined to State 5%
English Language Learners
Special Education 15%
Socioeconomically
Disadvantaged 51%

10

11

African American Achievement Career Pathways Educator Pipeline Programs
and Leadership Initiative
(AAALI) Opportunities for high A portfolio of preparation and
school students to explore retention programs with the
Targeted programs to increase and access high-wage, high- goal of recruiting, training,
African American achievement demand careers in more and supporting a diverse pool
of teachers and administrators
and postsecondary success. than a dozen industries who are prepared to excel in
while also preparing for
postsecondary education. SFUSD classrooms.

12

SPARK* INITIATIVES

Since Spark* SF Public Schools was founded in 2015, the organization has raised $95 million
in support of learning, wellness, innovation, access, creativity, and talent. Spark* directs over
half of funds raised toward strategic priorities identified by the superintendent as helping to
shift system-wide outcomes aligned with SFUSD’s Vision 2025. These priorities include:

Initiate Wonder PITCH STEM: Computer Science

A middle grades redesign A multi-year initiative Ensuring all students
initiative that is providing in 20 elementary and in SFUSD, from PK-12,
middle schools aimed at have access to engaging,
students with access closing the achievement culturally relevant, and
to more elective and gap by cultivating the
acceleration courses, necessary conditions of high-quality STEM
project-based learning, a high-quality learning instruction.
technology integration,
and social-emotional environment. 13

learning.

14

TOTAL GRANTS BY INITIATIVE
Over 3 Years (FY18-FY21): $18,946,986

AAALI $611,091
Career Pathways $1,232,400
Educator Pipeline Programs $5,397,850
Initiate Wonder $3,135,905
Support for PITCH Schools $4,387,961
STEM: Computer Science $4,181,779

15

THE GOAT 23 FELLOWSHIP

In 2017, thanks to seed funding from the Battery Foundation, SFUSD’s College and Career
Readiness Department launched a groundbreaking Career Pathways program for students to
deeply explore entrepreneurship.

While more than 3,500 high school students were school students representing more than a dozen
already participating in robust career pathways countries and home languages.
programs and receiving real-world exposure to
high-demand careers, SFUSD’s programs were Through an intensive afterschool business
not always reaching some of its most vulnerable bootcamp, skill-building workshops, professional
students - those who are newcomers and English mentorship, and summer internships, students
Learners who sometimes do not have the leave the program with the skills to think and act
documentation to access paid internships. entrepreneurially. Students gather data, prototype
their ideas, test, iterate, develop business plans,
The GOAT 23 program (GOAT stands for and practice their pitches in front of an audience at
“Greatest of All Time”), created an opportunity Pitch Night.
for first-generation and immigrant students to
participate in a paid six-month fellowship that From temperature-controlled baby bottles to
would help them build a path toward future eco-friendly skateboards, a prescription
employment and career goals, while also receiving medicine delivery service, and so much
extra support to facilitate their English language more, students have impressed audiences
development. Fast forward four years and the with their start-up endeavors.
program has already reached nearly 100 high

16

At the 2021 Bay Area Network for
Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)
teen entrepreneurship competition,
one GOAT 23 student, Dina Wu, placed
second overall for her Weeding Bot idea
(a robot that does your landscaping),
which qualified her for the national
competition and a chance to win the
$15,000 grand prize.

“I challenged myself to take initiative
and ask questions whenever
I encountered problems when
bettering my product,” said Wu.

17

“That was out of my comfort zone but
it was all worth it because my final
business pitch reached beyond my
expectations.”

Throughout the program, students
are empowered to think of themselves
not only as entrepreneurs, but as
innovators, creators, leaders, and
decision-makers. That’s what makes the
GOAT 23 program so important.

Despite a thriving economy in San Francisco,
the reality is that many low-income residents,
newcomers, and residents of color continue
to face daunting education, earning and
wealth gaps.

Look no further than the GOAT fellows
themselves, who have experienced challenging
circumstances, including trauma from their
home country, living in transitional housing,
and living in poverty. This program is often a
life-changing experience by which students
achieve greater access to opportunities.

18

“I hope students are able to utilize the “If you want to materialize your dreams and
skills that the program provides in a challenge yourself, don’t hesitate to join us,”
way that makes them stand out as said Wu, inviting students to participate in
entrepreneurs,” said Cesy Martinez, the program.
GOAT 23 Program Coordinator. “And
regardless of whether they go into With support from Spark* donors, SFUSD
business, I know they’re walking away hopes to serve more students and incorporate a
with an entrepreneurial mindset that second year of the program where students will
really sets them apart as an asset to have the opportunity to take on a more advanced
our city.” curriculum, continue working on their business
proposal or start a new idea, pursue licensure or
Each year, as more students and educators certification that will help them advance their
learn about the program and spread the word businesses, and compete for a higher prize at the
to their peers, the program continues to grow. NFTE competition.
Even during the pandemic when the program
shifted to a virtual format, a record number of During the 2020-2021 school year:
students applied for one of the 29 fellowship
spots available. The program’s popularity has 96% of students said GOAT 23 helped them think
extended its reach beyond San Francisco as well.
During the 2020-2021 school year, SFUSD staff outside the box
led a workshop with Immigrants Rising that
had a nationwide audience of more than 200 96% of students said the skills learned in the
guests who wanted to learn more about SFUSD’s
best practices and program model, in hopes of program are useful for their future career goals
launching a version of the program in their
own locales. 85% said they now understand what it takes to start

a business

85% said what they learned in the program will

help them in college 19

“I always had teachers of PATHWAY
other cultures – it was rare
to encounter teachers who With the support of SFUSD’s Pathway to
looked like me.” Teaching program, Josefina Matus, a mom of
11, overcame multiple barriers to fulfilling her
- Josefina MATUS dream to become a teacher at SFUSD. For
Teacher at ER Taylor Elementary School many aspiring teachers, the rigid schedule of
& Pathway to Teaching Program Participant credentialing programs and the prohibitive cost
of tuition make it insurmountable. Josefina’s
resolve, SFUSD’s commitment to developing
multiple pathways to credentialing and Spark’s
funders, are addressing these barriers.

Recognizing the need to develop a diverse and
high-quality teacher pipeline, Spark* SF Public
Schools and SFUSD have prioritized raising
private support for SFUSD’s Educator Pipeline
initiative.

With the support of Salesforce, the Pathway to
Teaching program offers aspiring teachers an
accessible way to enter the field, providing them
with tuition support and an accelerated timeline
to gaining a teacher credential.

TO TEACHING PROGRAM

Each year, approximately 60 Pathway to teachers of color, compared to 34% of
Teaching interns engage in an intensive educators statewide.
program of coursework, practice-based
summer training and then work as full-time As a full-time educator now at ER Taylor
teachers as they complete their credentialing Elementary School, Ms. Matus is responsible
requirements, helping our district address for a full class of students and she eagerly
the severe teacher shortage that is evident brings not only her training but also her culture
nationwide. and personal lived experience to the classroom.
Born in San Francisco and raised in Portola
Overall, Pathway teachers are staying longer Valley, Ms. Matus has an acute sensitivity to
—a longitudinal study conducted of school students of color and those from other cultures.
districts across the nation showed that 44% Additionally, her experience as a paraeducator
of new teachers usually leave within the first in the 1990’s gives her a greater understanding
five years of teaching. Ninety three percent for those with learning disabilities. She loves
(93%) of teachers trained through SFUSD’s her job, especially during those times when she
Pathway to Teaching program return for a can help them gain confidence in their
second year of teaching and 85% for a third, own abilities.
and these numbers have increased with every
cohort since the beginning of the program. As school districts across the country strive
to attract diverse educators, Ms. Matus and
With a focus on increasing the diversity of Pathway to Teaching represent part of the
SFUSD’s teaching force, 64% of graduates are solution and the future of education.

21

INITIATIVE IMPACT

AAALI

African American students increased the overall percentage of
A, B, and C grades in A-G courses by 6%, and increased their
grades in Science specific courses by 11% from Spring 2019 to
Spring 2021. Successfully passing A-G courses with a grade
of C or above is required for admission to the California State
University and University of California systems.

CAREER PATHWAYS

The number of high school students participating in a multi-
year career pathway program increased by nearly 7% during
the 2020-2021 school year, from 3,468 students to 3,702
students based on CTE Enrollment Snapshot data, despite a
drop in overall, district enrollment.

EDUCATOR PIPELINE PROGRAMS

With high teacher turnover nationwide, the Pathway to
Teaching program works to recruit and support teachers to
stay in SFUSD. With 93% of Pathway teachers returning for a
second year and 85% for a third, Pathway teacher retention is
greater than SFUSD’s average teacher retention (~70%).

22

INITIATE WONDER

During the 2020-2021 school year, Roosevelt Middle School (a
redesign pilot school) had 96% of African American students
enrolled in a computer science class compared to 26% at non-
pilot schools, and 95% of African American students enrolled
in a health class compared to 6% of African American students
at non-pilot schools.

PITCH

In 2018-2019, 10% of African American students at Carver
Elementary School were proficient on the Reading Inventory,
growing to 18% in 2019-2020 and then 25% during the 2020-
2021 school year. In 2018-2019, 6% of African American
students at Everett Middle School were proficient on the Math
Milestone Task, growing to 67% in 2020-2021.

STEM: COMPUTER SCIENCE

While enrollment in high school computer science courses has

remained stable during the past three years (~26%), African

American students in the Class of 2021 enrolled in computer

science courses at a higher rate than prior cohorts, 17% for the

Class of 2021 vs. 10% for the Class of 2019. 23

OTHER SUPPORT AREAS

In addition to the Superintendent’s priorities listed above, Spark* investments are directed towards other
high-leverage areas across the district to support programs aimed at increasing student achievement,
improving health and wellness, providing direct support for schools, and other special initiatives.

TOTAL GRANTS TO OTHER SUPPORT AREAS $385,000
$898,671
Over 3 Years (FY18-FY21): $16,922,569 $1,210,000
$250,000
Central Services $1,559,750
Digital Learning $1,399,174
Early Education $1,015,112
Graduations for All $970,000
Health & Wellness $1,809,211
Innovation Lab (iLab) $506,474
Student Nutrition $6,044,710
Postsecondary Success $105,000
Professional Learning & Development $144,466
Research & Evaluation $625,000
School Site Support
Special Education

24 Student Scholarships
Summer Programs

25

EMERGENCY INITIATIVES COVID-19 RESPONSE FUND

When COVID-19 forced school buildings to close in March 2020, SFUSD had to pivot
quickly and urgently, rethinking the delivery of instruction, meals, and other student
support without a roadmap to guide the way. Thanks to the generosity and immediacy
of Spark* donors, the district implemented responsive programs to help mitigate the
challenges caused by the pandemic.

HIGHLIGHTS | March 16, 2020 to June 30, 2021

Spark* raised more Spark* helped the district Spark* assisted the district in
than $5.4 million to bridge the digital divide
support the COVID-19 and made deeper launching Grab and Go meal
Response Fund learning possible by distribution centers around
and an additional providing devices and the city and a Door-to-
$11.5 million for its wireless access to tens of Door meal program where
SF Unified Access thousands of students and freshly prepared meals were
campaign. teachers. 48,435 devices
(laptops and hotspots) delivered directly to students’
26 were distributed.
homes. In total, more than
7.3 million nutritious meals
were served.

VIEW THE FULL COVID-19
RESPONSE FUND IMPACT
REPORT HERE

Spark* helped to fund
an original television
program for preschool
and early elementary
children. Nearly 200
episodes of “SF Loves
Learning” were produced
and aired daily on TV,
drawing young audiences
from across the Bay Area.

27

EMERGENCY INITIATIVES

28

DOOR-TO-DOOR MEAL DELIVERY

Two days after school buildings closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Simone
Saldanha of the SFUSD Student Nutrition Services (SNS) department received a phone
call that became the launch point for a trailblazing meal delivery program.

“Hey Simone, I was wondering if you wanted to noodle out a problem,” said Executive
Director Jennifer LeBarre. “Let’s figure out if we can find a solution to deliver meals
to our families with disabled children. Essentially, it’s families who may not be able to
leave the house because of their child’s disability and we would like to get food to them.”
Saldanha and her team accepted the challenge.

At the time of the phone call, SFUSD’s SNS, Two weeks later, after a multi-departmental
the largest food service provider in the City of planning effort, family outreach led by SFUSD’s
San Francisco, had already pivoted from serving Special Education staff, and rapid mobilization
37,000 meals per day at school cafeterias to and flexibility on the part of SFUSD’s dining
launching a city-wide Grab and Go meal service staff, the innovative Door-to-Door meal delivery
within the course of just a few days. At the Grab service was launched.
and Go meal sites, students and their families
could safely pick up a week’s worth of free meals to Dining staff prepared boxes with five days worth
take home while schools were closed. of food - much of which was made fresh by the

29

EMERGENCY INITIATIVES district’s chef Joshua Davidson and his culinary during the pandemic, the need for school meals
team, and supplemented with shelf-stable items became more pronounced than ever. SFUSD
as well as fresh fruits and vegetables. SFUSD stepped up in this moment of crisis for many
employees volunteered to deliver the food boxes families, and the gratitude from the community
directly to students’ homes, following routes was palpable.
that were carefully mapped out by the district’s
Transportation team. “One of the biggest challenges for us was
to adjust to remote learning and working
By the end of July 2021, SNS had delivered at the same time,” said Sophie Chiang,
nearly 15,000 meal boxes containing parent of SFUSD elementary student, Maya.
more than 220,000 meals for high- “Preparing food that’s nutritious for our
need students, including students with kid can be challenging for our schedule,
disabilities and their siblings, students with especially because she has a lot of allergies.
severe food allergies, and geographically The meal deliveries were very helpful and
isolated students. exceeded my expectations by a lot.”

Even before the pandemic, the growing rate of While it was a huge lift for SFUSD to launch the
income inequality and the high cost of living made program, the program did not happen in isolation.
it harder than ever for families to make ends Years of public and private investment into SNS
meet. With widespread unemployment and food for facilities improvements, new equipment, and
insecurity more than tripling in San Francisco

30

multiple program innovations paved the way “I hope the legacy of the meal delivery
for the meal delivery and other rapid pandemic program is that families feel confident
response programs to flourish. The district’s in having their children eat school meals
state-of-the-art central kitchen, McAteer because they have trust in SFUSD’s
Culinary Center, where all the food in the Student Nutrition Services to provide a
meal boxes were cooked from scratch, had just good meal and dining experience,” said
opened five months prior to school shutdowns. Saldanha. “We see you, we hear you, and
we will continue to be here for you.”
The Door-to-Door meal delivery service
was originally intended to be a short-term, WATCH A BEHIND-
emergency program during the pandemic, THE-SCENES VIDEO OF
but the program has continued to evolve as McATEER CULINARY
circumstances and the environment have CENTER
changed around it. As volunteer staff returned
to their regular duties and school buildings
reopened to in-person learning, SNS shifted
to a partnership with Revolution Foods to fill
the boxes and Food Connect to deliver meals
to medically fragile students who enrolled in
SFUSD’s online learning program.

31

EMERGENCY INITIATIVES SF UNIFIED ACCESS

Over half of SFUSD students live at or below poverty. In March
2020 thousands were without access to either a laptop or WiFi,
putting them at a severe disadvantage when pandemic school
closures began.

In addition, the shift to distance learning exposed and exacerbated other
inequities: families and students needed tech support to be able to use
devices; teachers needed to be trained to provide online instruction; English
Learners needed remote language support and the district needed systems
and tools to track and distribute technologies to thousands
of people.

The Someland Foundation, Spark* SF Public Schools and SFUSD
recognized this challenge as an opportunity to narrow a tech access gap that
has existed for decades.

We launched the SF Unified Access initiative to raise $25 million in private
funding by 2023. We hope to not only meet the immediate need but to
provide a sustainable solution to eliminating the digital divide for SF
public school students.

32

“I live in a household where a lot
of people are going to school at
the same time, and that meant
that sometimes WiFi would just
not be on our side. But being
able to get the hotspot and my
little siblings being able to get
the laptop has definitely helped
out my family because before
the pandemic we only had one
computer for all of us.”

– Kathya CORREA ALMANZA
June Jordan School for Equity

Class of 2021

EMERGENCY INITIATIVES “People from all parts of the city came to donate from individuals to
large philanthropists. It showed, in a city like San Francisco, how
important community is and how we can come together in a crisis to
support our public school system.” – Iris HU, Spark* Board Member

HIGHLIGHTS | March 16, 2020 to June 30, 2021

Spark* raised $11.5 100% of those Remote learning With an in-kind
million for the SF students who reached 93.5% of donation from
Unified Access requested a laptop students in the Zendesk, SFUSD
initiative and has received one. average instructional launched the
enabled the district day during the Student and Family
to distribute 48,435 20-21 school year, Resource Link,
devices (laptops and an increase of 20 a helpline to meet
hotspots) to students. percentage points all families’ needs
compared to the throughout distance
previous year. learning, from food
services to tech access
34 and support.

SFUSD implemented 35
a Personalized
Learning
Environments
program to train
more than 500
teachers in using
technology to
transform learning
for our historically
marginalized
students.

2021 Spark* Scholarship

WINNERS

36

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE CLASS OF 2021

SUPERINTENDENT’S 21ST CENTURY AWARDS ALEXANDRIA REAL ESTATE STEM SCHOLARS

Made possible by Google and Niantic Labs Ahlaya MARTIN
Gateway High School
Jackson DENG
Thurgood Marshall High School Dejohn THOMPSON
Gateway High School
Romaissa KHALDI
Galileo Academy of Science Gabriella QUACH
Lowell High School
Lana NGUYEN
George Washington High School “I have had a number of people
pushing me towards greatness...
Caleb PARKER I have a road map to college that I
Mission High School follow in order to be successful.”

Irina TAMAYO - Caleb PARKER
John O’Connell High School Mission High School

Kayvan ZAHIRI Class of 2021
Balboa High School

DONOR SPOTLIGHT:

SOMELAND
FOUNDATION

“Equitable access to education
is essential to eliminating the
achievement gap for our students.
The Someland Foundation is
helping to put this within
our reach.”
– Dr. Vincent MATTHEWS

SFUSD Superintendent

38

Since 2015, the Someland Foundation and its founders, Sara and Evan Williams, have
invested millions in SFUSD to help transform and make a lasting and systemic impact on
San Francisco’s public education system.

Equity and innovation are always at the center of the Foundation’s giving to better support
21st century learning for each and every student.

With over 50% of students at SFUSD equitable, and financially stable school food
accessing free and reduced lunch and eco-system that provides dignified meal
understanding that healthy nutrition is experiences and engages all students in
critical to support learning, the Foundation eating fresh, healthy food.”
first partnered with SFUSD’s Student
Nutrition Services (SNS) through the The partnership has transformed SFUSD’s
school meal program over the last 7 years,
Future Dining Experience initiative to developing the business models and systems
necessary to transform the food operations
rethink and redesign the school food system. of the district from a one that relies heavily
on processed, government goods, to a “from
As Jennifer LeBarre, Executive Director scratch” cooking model that will excite and
of SFUSD’s Student Nutrition Services engage students.
noted, “the reimbursements we receive from
the State & Federal governments are not Today, the district has some of the highest
sufficient to create and maintain the type nutrition standards in the country and has
of meal program that our students deserve. taken many steps to ensure every student
We need the additional private funding we has access to a high quality, delicious meal.
receive from partners like the Someland
Foundation to allow us to close the gap 39
to fulfill our vision of a student centered,

At the same time, dining areas have been advance the district’s broader commitment
redesigned to be more enticing and accessible to develop SFUSD into an innovative PK-12
for students. With the Foundation’s support, education system. The Fellowship enables
62 school cafeterias have been redesigned, cohorts of schools to facilitate a student-
increasing access points for school meals, and centered design process with students and
updating outdated service lines. As a result, teachers to re-imagine and create the classroom
34,761 students (65.7%), now have updated physical environment to support 21st century
student-centered dining spaces, including instruction so that each and every student,
73.2% of African American students and 72% of in particular those historically least reached,
students eligible for free and reduced lunch develop the skills of SFUSD’s Graduate Profile.
in SFUSD.
AT MISSION HIGH for example, the design
By integrating student engagement in the challenge was how to redesign a large
redesign process through the establishment of classroom to facilitate intellectual and
the School Food Advisory, Student Nutrition community difference, specifically across
Services is increasing satisfaction and overall African American and Latinx students. Four
participation in the school meal program. distinct learning zones emerged through
Technologies and systems are being deployed the process:
and upgraded to improve students’ dining
experience and menu items are more in line with 11. MAKER SPACE where students can sit on
student preferences due to continuous outreach metal stools and work on butcher block
and dialogue. tables with all of the necessary creative
supplies in a large cabinet near them.
The Foundation has also become more This zone is where students work on
expansively engaged in the district’s mission posters, hand-made books, and other
over the years through its support in 2018 for the student projects.
Superintendent’s Innovation Fellowship Awards
at SFUSD’s iLab. The awards are designed to

40

2 LOUNGE with a variety of different Foundation stepped in and became one of the
comfortable seating with assorted lamps first donors to Spark’s COVID-19 Response
and faux plants that make it an inviting and Fund, which helped provide and distribute over 4
inspiring place to work individually and million free meals to students and their families.
together.
When all instruction went online when school
32. BOOTHS that encourage small group huddles buildings closed due to the pandemic, it laid bare
and collaborative work in a cafe-feeling area. the tremendous inequity in access to technology,
especially for students furthest from opportunity.
43. CENTRAL INSTRUCTIONAL SPACE that To combat this and lay the foundation for a
consists of comfortable chairs that move sustainable solution to tech inequity, in June
slightly with a student’s body as well as 2020, the Williams’ and Someland Foundation
tables that flip up and can easily be moved invested $10 million to establish a two-year
into different configurations. The primary initiative, SF Unified Access, to eliminate the
configuration in this zone is tables and chairs digital divide at SFUSD. Since then, the district
in a “U” shape that promotes a professional, has distributed over 48,000 laptops and WiFi
college-like socratic seminar discussion hotspots as well as the professional development
format. and tech support for teachers to be able to make
the most of technology for deeper learning.

To date, 41 classrooms have been or are in the Together, with the Someland Foundation, we
process of being redesigned to support all students are imagining and creating a future for our
in achieving the skills of SFUSD’s Graduate public school students. Their investments have
Profile. resulted in innovative practices that reduce
barriers and increase access to learning for
In true partnership, when the COVID-19 SFUSD’s students to thrive in the 21st century.
pandemic struck in 2020, the Someland

41

LOOKING AHEAD

Expanded Mental Health Services for Middle School Students

With the support of an anonymous donor, “This investment will enable more access to
Spark* SF Public Schools and the Department of timely mental health and wellness support
Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) facilitated for thousands of young people. It is truly
an investment of over $15 million to expand one of the best gifts anyone could give our
mental health services for SFUSD middle school students during this time of unprecedented
students over the next four years. challenges,” said SFUSD Superintendent
Dr. Vincent Matthews.
The DCYF-SFUSD Middle School Beacon
Centers Mental Health Initiative will provide The initiative is designed to support the
culturally-relevant mental health and wellness implementation of SFUSD’s Comprehensive
services for thousands of middle school students Community Schools Framework utilizing the
through comprehensive health education and Beacon Model. Each Beacon Center is operated
direct clinical services. More than half of all on-campus by a nonprofit agency that works
mental health challenges manifest before the age closely with their school’s leadership to provide
of 14 and reaching vulnerable children and their targeted and time-sensitive services that address
families through school-linked supports provides the unique needs of the school community.
a viable and scalable way to address mental health
challenges early.

42

Starting with three schools in the fall of 2021
and gradually expanding, the Initiative will
eventually serve students in 13 middle schools
and three K-8 schools with existing Beacon
Centers.

SFUSD has long been a leader in implementing
systems to support the emotional and physical
well-being of students, including implementing
restorative and trauma-informed practices.
The new middle school mental health initiative
is one of the first school-based programs for
adolescent health and wellness of its kind, and
will also expand on San Francisco’s Wellness
Initiative, a program that is currently integrated
at 19 high school campuses.

Wellness Centers provide safe, confidential
settings where youth can access health experts
and gain the skills they need to cope with
complex issues such as stress, trauma, suicidal
ideations, bullying, depression, self-esteem, drug
and alcohol use, sexual health, and relationships.
Students learn positive, lifelong habits that
contribute to their well-being and success, and
ultimately, to the health of the communities in
which they live.

FINANCIALS July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021

0.1%
1% 2%

Revenue & Support

Grants $26,883,805 96.9%
Donations $286,627 96.6%
Interest $29,129
In-kind Contributions $557,090

Total Revenue $27,756,651

1.6% 1.8%

Expenses

Grants Distributions $17,542,299
Management & General $282,857
Fundraising $333,605

Total Expenses $18,158,761

Change in Net Assets Net Assets, Beginning of the Year Net Assets, End of the Year
$9,597,890 $2,084,323 $11,682,213

44

“We cannot imagine what this last
year would have been like without you.
We were at a distance and you helped
to shrink that distance. Your role of
assisting us and supporting us during
this pandemic cannot be overstated.
And the biggest thing I can say is
THANK YOU.”

– Dr. Vincent MATTHEWS, SFUSD Superintendent

45

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS DONORS July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021

$5M+ $10K+ Stocker Foundation
Morris Stulsaft Foundation
Salesforce Alexandria Real Estate Equities, TMASF Connects
Someland Foundation Inc.
Sara and Evan Williams $1K+
Jo Anne Ambrosino
$1M+ Susan Boeing Charitable Fund Anonymous (2)
Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler Lucy Almers and Sean Rhea
Anonymous CalRTA Bradley Andrews
Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund Crescent Porter Hale Foundation Allison Arieff
Michiko Okazaki Trust eBay Foundation Diane B. Wilsey
Fisher Family BDE Architecture
$100K+ Catherine Foo David Becker
Fremont Bank Stern Benoit Family Foundation
Anonymous Golden State Warriors Community Susan Biancani
The Battery Foundation Sylvia Brownrigg
Walter and Elise Haas Fund Foundation Ipek and Christopher Burnett
Hellman Foundation Lisa and Douglas Goldman Fund Pamela Buttery
Chris Larsen Fund Mick and Sabrina Hellman Sarah M. Calvillo
No Kid Hungry Intrepid Philanthropy Foundation Diana Campoamor
Nicholas and Susan Pritzker Jewish Community Federation & Canary Marketing
San Francisco Foundation Capital Group Companies Global
Silver Giving Foundation Endowment Fund Pete Caputo
Stupski Foundation Marin Community Foundation Carollo
This Is Kari & Philip’s Foundation OnePurpose School CBRE, Inc.
Katherine Orr Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
The David and Lucile Packard Evan Cheshire
Cisco
Foundation Jonathan Claybaugh
Pinterest
John Pritzker Family Fund
Lisa Stone Pritzker Family Fund
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors
Christopher John Rupright and

Pamela G.H. Rupright
Laura and Greg Spivy

46

Gary Coakley Network for Good $100+ Ruth Bernstein
Leah Culver Niantic Labs Jennifer Bhalla
Ruben Diaz Douglas Nicolson Anonymous (2) Cathay Bi
Dolby Laboratories Charity Fund Anna Nordberg Teresita Abuyen Melissa Bilash
Cornelia Enders Orbis Investments Camie Adema Jennifer Bing
Ernst & Young LLP Justin Palpant Stefan Adler Jennifer Bishop
Richard Fair PayPal Giving Fund Todd Ahern Karin Blair-Fox
Kacie Friedrichs Thomas Perfumo Ahmad-Sedlander Family Trust Gentle Blythe
Christine Gardner Karn Roorda Michelle Akerman Kevin Bohnert
Robert Geshlider Katherine Savitz Grace Alano Jonathan Bongco
Goggio Family Foundation Rupal Shah Jim Alexander Blaine Bookey
Elyce Haut Richard B. Shane Nicholas Alvarado Deborah Borne
Jennie Herriot-Hatfield Tim Sheiner America’s Charities Virginia Boster
Justin Ho Eric Stinson Maria Anaya Sherry Bourzac
Lara Kehoe Hoffman The Hartford Mike Anderson Dorothy Bowie
Larissa Hoffman Truebeck Construction Shioko Anderson Calvin Brahm
Iris Hu Udemy Frances Aimee Arcilla Andrew Brannegan
Park James Shobin Uralil Anjali Asrani Lindsay Braunig
Matthew Jee Matt Van Winkle Karen AuYeung Bright Funds Foundation
Steve Jenson Townsend Walker Tiffany Avila Deidre Brill
David Johnson Lucia Wallace Soraya Azari Tracey Briones
Gerald Kanapathy Abra and Jeremy Williams Fund Stephen Azzi Cindy Burg
Cheryl and Gary King Jennifer Wilson Mina Bajraktarevic Charlotte Burgess-Auburn
Stacey Layton Sylvia Yee and Brian McCaffrey Kristin Balabanian Katherine Burton
Anabel Lee M.B. & Edna Zale Foundation Anoop Baliga Sarah Cahuas
Patricia S. Mar Miranda Dietz Zeyliger Robert Barth Ann Caimi
McGuire and Hester Andrea Barton-Elson Michelle Callarman
Mighty Cause Jessa M. Barzelay Mary Cancelmo
Virginia Molinari Komal Bawa Kellan Carter
Morgan Stanley Gift Fund Jeremy Becker Sarah Castelblanco
Benjamin Beneski
Tamara Odisho Benjamin 47

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS Verna Antonette Castro Diane Durst Jill Hoogendyk Feralee Levin
Lisa Caswell eBay Bernadette Humphrey Julie Levin
David Chang Gretchen Evans Lucinda Hung Rachel Levin
Andrew Charnas Jennifer Faye Jodi Inkenbrandt Ekaterina Levy
Angela Chau Ethan Fingerman Marilee Irwin Corrine Lewy
Vanna Chau Kari Lou Frank Kristen Ivanetich Lily Liang
Christy Chen Ruth Franklin Ovid Jacob Austin Lin
Shuting Chen Gary Freund Annie Jason LinkedIn
Vivien Lou Chen Ann Friedman Emily Jastrzembski Erin Loback
Kimberly L. Cheung Danica Fujimori Jessica Jenkins Michelle Loomis
David Chia David Gainer Mathew Jung Beth Lovett
Esther Chien Stacey P. Galipeau Lauren Kaplowitz Kevin Lowry
Komal Chokshi Theresa Gee Sabrina Kartzman Matt Lublinsky
May Chong Johanna Gendelman Deanne Katz and Jeffrey Cohen Siobhan Lucas
Shannon Chu Tia Ghose Rosanne Smith Kaya Felker Luke
Nicole Chuhak KC Gleason Rebecca Kee Lisa Lund
Abigail Chung Andrei Gog Tara Killebrew Ross MacKinnon
Josh Clemm Andrei Gog Barbara Kimport John Mai
Jeffrey Cohen Denise Goldstein Barbara Kimport Laverne Maliga
Genevieve Conaty Pavan Gollapalli Katrina Kimport Nina Manzo
Katrina Connolly Karen Gordon Shelley Klop Andrea Marmor
Kathleen Consalus Amy Graff Sharon Kong Jane Marmor
Anthony Consilio Ellen Grantz Justin Kubal Hilarie Mazur
Kristen Cordle Sarah Grossman-Swenson Helen Kwar Jordan Mazur
Gregory Corvi Sharon Grossman Barbara Lally Helen (Chou) McCabe
Andrea Cristofani Karla Leon Guerrero Albert Lang Scott McCabe
Jonathan Crosby Zsofia Gutvill Mele Lau-Smith Amanda McDougall
Paul Cunningham Jacob Hadary Edward Lawless Alexandra Moser
Alex Cyriac Jessica Hageman Molly Layshock Sarah Mundal
Gregory Dannis Belinda Hahn Elizabeth Leader Jim Murphy
Taylor Dearinger Jennifer Halbleib Michelle Leao Elizabeth Nartker
Susie Decker Courtney Helland Gil Lee Tam Ng
Ramila Desai Marilyn Hersh Ka Yee Lee NJKJK Charitable Fund
Meredith Dodson Benjamin Hirsch Melissa Lee Eric Norman
Stephen Dodson Mary Hirsh Peter Lee Kristin Novotny
Sophey Dong Stephanie Honeyman Carol Lei Anne O’Leary
Leah Dorazio Enru Hong Diana Leiden Michael Olague
Lisa Duba Cathy Hongola-Baptista Myong Leigh Meredith Osborn

48

“The way that Spark* responded during
the pandemic and was able to cultivate
relationships with existing and new
donors to provide rapid response
support to families and students in
need demonstrates that the district
can make a difference and can excel
in times of crisis.”

– Raquiba LaBRIE, Program Director,
Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund

49

THANK YOU TO OUR DONORS Leslie Owen Dara Strolovitch Sandy Woo Viorica Ciobanu
Jaya Palaniyandi Pattie Strong Carla Wood Reilly Clewes
Jennifer Palbusa Dan Sulfaro Sara B. Worthing Jianna Competente
Jacob Palmer Nicholas Sutton Kimberly Wright Jessica Costanzo
Nancy Palmer Synopsys Foundation Vanessia Wu Lora Croley
Leon Parker and Gloria Wu Jeffrey Tabas Cathy Ye Nicholas Dedina
Nicholas T. Pera Sweetie Tagata The Zinkgraf Family Suzanne Eick
Luis Perdices Annie Tahtinen Jennifer Zubiate Laticia Erving
Ceshea Peters Si Tang Gabrielle Escalada
Jessica Pfisterer Lawrence Taplin $1+ Laura Fichtenberg
Augie Phillips Kristie Tappan Allison Fox
Tonya Pierre Josh Tetrick Anonymous Julian Gelvezon
Jeremy P. Pollack Oscia Timschelllinvill Karen Alvarez Genentech
Jennifer Polyocan Debra Tjoa Josephine Amponin Alexandria George
Karen Prince Russell W. Tokar Tami Barradas Marisa Giglio
Anantha Puttaswamy TPG Martha Barton Rachel Giustina
Ronald Quan David Tsai Sara Barton Aumijo Sheftel Gomes
Ram Raghunathan Kevin Tsurutome Carol Bauss Nicole Gomes
Supryia Ray Peter Turnbaugh Lara Bautista Janis Greenspan
Kathy Reiner Catherine Umagat Teressa Bellazain Elissa Guest
Dennis Richardson Uncork Capital Mona Beltran Colin Hanlon
Karen Schneemann Stacy Uyeda Angela Bennett Wendy Hartogensis
Becky Schweighardt D. Valentine Matthew Bice Jena Hayashi
Janet Selinger Meri Veavea Lisa Bockelmann Victoria Heilweil
Sylvia Selinger Yanni Velasquez Deirdre Bonitz Erin Hess
Philip Shen Vivek Venugopal Stephen Botte Jilanne Hoffmann
Diane Shinta Laszlo Vincze Abby Bourdreau Jennifer Holowich
Gaynorann Siataga Susan Walker-Christensen Amanda Boushey Karen Honer
Michael Silverman Nino Walker, Delphine Walker and Lucas Lochner Bravo Jack Horner
Matthew Silvey Lauren Broder Sarah Rosales Hunt
Lin Sin Karen Kaushansky Martha Brooder Marco Innocenti
Asha Camper Singh Meghan Wallace Alison P. Brown Dahlia Kaki
Jane Smith Brian Walz David Brown Swati Kanduri
The Sobranto Family Foundation Kalie Ward Robin Bryan Melissa Kantesaria
Paula Sokolich Nathan Weiner April Bues Julie Kantner
Peter Sokoloff Samuel Weitzman Helen Burke Rachel H. Kay
Craig Solomon Wellington Management Amanda Carson Kouslaa Kessler-Mata
Rani Spudich Amelie Wen Roderick Castro Adam Kohn
David Steenson Niki Wenger Janet Cecchi-Acosta Evlyn Landaverry
Elysa Stein Linsday West Monroe Charlap Eileen Lassner
Andrew Strickman Mark Whiley Bradley Levy
Brian Wong