REDF | Who We Support

For every dollar donated in the San Francisco Bay Area last year, three cents went to homelessness. Of that, less than one cent was spent on sustainable, lasting solutions. One penny.

We have the power to end homelessness in the next 10 years. Doing so requires strategic investment, a long-term commitment, sharing knowledge and capacity building for effective organizations. These are the hallmarks of REDF’s approach. We invest in early-stage nonprofit enterprises. We partner with our portfolio organizations, providing technical assistance and financial support.

REDF launched a new portfolio in 2007. The organizations from our first portfolio are now part of the REDF Alumni. Our current partnerships include the following REDF Portfolio organizations.

Community Housing Partnership (CHP) is a San Francisco nonprofit community development corporation that has provided housing, social services and economic opportunities to formerly homeless persons since 1990. The organization operates 7 properties with 429 units of housing for over 630 people.

CHP also runs job training and employment programs that serve over 200 formerly homeless adults each year. The Desk Clerk Training Program is an intensive twelve-week program that utilizes classroom and on-the-job training to prepare participants for entry-level jobs in property management and reception. The Maintenance Work Crew Training Program teaches participants maintenance skills including unit turnaround (preparing a vacated apartment for occupancy) and building repair over the course of twelve weeks. Following completion of each program, many graduates find employment in the fields of maintenance or janitorial work.

CHP believes that formerly homeless people are uniquely qualified to serve in the organization. Tenants and other formerly homeless individuals are involved in all aspects of CHP, from daily operations to policy making on the governing Board. Over half of their current 100 staff members were once homeless and many are graduates of the job training programs.

Jeff Kositsky, ED of Community Housing Partnership (CHP), was featured in a 5-minute podcast where he discusses a property-management based social enterprise venture that CHP is currently setting up.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda County (SVdP) has a strong track record of providing emergency assistance to homeless and low income people — it has been at the forefront of assisting the needy in Alameda County since 1938. The agency assisted 100,000 county residents in 2005, and is now exploring expansion of its services to help clients become more self-sufficient.

One example of this expansion is their Found Art project, in which donated materials are reused and turned into useful items rather than entering the waste stream. Found Art employs five people, each of whom has been a recipient of the SVdP’s services in the past.

In 2005, the national network of St. Vincent de Paul organizations helped over 17 million people across the country. The organization's district councils, or branches, provide programs and services such as food pantries, free dining rooms, clothing distribution, housing referrals and spiritual support in virtually every corner of the U.S.

San Francisco Clean City Coalition (Clean City) is a community-based organization that focuses on cleaning, greening, and beautifying the city. Clean City works to keep San Francisco clean and green by building bridges between resources and the neighborhood groups, merchant associations and residents that need them. They offer transitional employment in sidewalk sweeping, graffiti removal and special event recycling.

Most of Clean City’s participants are formerly homeless
All of Clean City’s participants are unemployed when they join the program
54% of participants have a history of alcohol or substance use issues
54% also have been convicted of a crime
46% live in unstable housing

Clean City’s training program (Clean City Partnership) and social enterprise (Clean City Services) provide employment opportunities and support services, such as the employment counselors who lead computer-based job search sessions each day. Over 90% of Clean City training graduates find jobs during the four months of the program. Other Clean City programs include Clean City Recyclers and the San Francisco Tool Lending Center.

REDF and Clean City plan on working together to increase the effectiveness of their businesses and determine viable growth strategies. REDF’s core support includes unrestricted funding and business assistance to help strengthen and grow Clean City�s business. In addition, REDF will offer opportunities for Clean City to interact with the three other groups in our portfolio.

San Francisco Conservation Corps (SFCC) enables at-risk young adults to become economically self-sufficient by providing them with education, work experience and career development assistance. According to former REDF Board member Stuart Moldaw, who helped select SFCC for the REDF Portfolio, “My visit to the San Francisco Conservation Corps showed me what wonderful work they do, and how good a fit they will be as a member of REDF’s portfolio. I was especially impressed with the presentations made by the young people from the work crews.”

Started 23 years ago, SFCC employs young adults to perform community service activities in recycling and in restoring and building trails in San Francisco’s parks. Seventy percent of the young adults served by SFCC have not completed high school. When they aren’t working, the young adults focus on academics tailored by SFCC to their individual ability levels.

At any given time, 60 young adults between the ages of 18 and 26 receive assistance from SFCC. They typically join for 18 months, during which many finish their high school education, enroll in college, and secure gainful employment.

Two years after hire, people employed in our portfolio organizations have increased their hourly wage by 32%, and homelessness drops to 1%. Our portfolio is making a difference — read how.