Bay Area

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Bay Area AFN is a regional chapter of grantmakers who invest in opportunities for low and middle income individuals and families to build economic well-being. Members include private, public, corporate, and community foundations, public-sector funders, and financial institutions who want to help residents of the Bay Area (San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose) secure economic stability, for now and for years to come. Bay Area AFN connects funders and their peers in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors. Together they share promising programs and smart strategies, gather knowledge to make their grantmaking more effective, and work to increase investments in asset building.

Bay Area funders joined national funders in 2006 to launch the national AFN. The Bay Area funders then evolved into a regional affinity group and became the first regional affiliate of national AFN in 2010. Membership is open to funders (including invited intermediaries) who invest in a range of initiatives that build assets for Bay Area residents, from early childhood education, college access, or workforce development to health, financial education, or micro-enterprise. Bay Area AFN members meet quarterly and host events to share ideas. Bay Area grantmakers should contact Mona Masri if interested in joining this chapter.

How We Work

Educate: Bay Area AFN members learn from each other and others as they seek solutions to local challenges. The chapter regularly hosts funder forums. Recent topics have included: California Asset Building Policy; Federal Tax Reform; How Fines & Fees Strip Assets from Low-Income Families; and Universal Basic Income.

Elevate: Bay Area AFN highlights promising practices, key issues, and innovations in the field. Recently, members combined funding to raise the bar for financial coaches by coordinating a training initiative for staff at workforce development organizations to integrate financial coaching into their overall programming.

Influence: Bay Area AFN engages key stakeholders in the benefits of expanding access to opportunities to build assets. The chapter’s convenings attract funders from all over the region, representing a variety of disciplines such as immigration, health, early childhood education and workforce development.

Grow: Bay Area AFN works to increase the number of grantmakers and resources focused on economic well-being. AFN staff spend time one-on-one with local grantmakers to learn, share, encourage participation, align strategies, and increase ROI.

Bay Area AFN Objectives:

1) Funder engagement—Bay Area AFN is expanding and connecting the community of funders supporting asset-building programs, services, and opportunities for low and middle income residents of communities across the region by:

Raising the visibility of asset-building work within the broader community of private and corporate foundations, public sector funders, and financial institutions;
Creating opportunities for funders to learn about issues and emerging opportunities facing the asset-building field; and
Providing a forum for funders to discuss strategies, promising practices, and public policy.

2) Field building—Bay Area AFN is working to build the regional asset-building field by:

Hosting opportunities for strategic visioning, shared learning, and networking between funders, practitioners, and other stakeholders;
Serving as a resource for stakeholders interested in asset-building work in the Bay Area.

Bay Area AFN is grateful for financial support from the following sponsoring and contributing member foundations:

Bank of America Foundation
Citi Community Development
East Bay Community Foundation
First 5 Alameda County
First Republic Bank
Friedman Family Foundation
JP Morgan Chase & Co.
Marin Community Foundation
San Francisco Foundation
Sand Hill Foundation
Silicon Valley Community Foundation
The California Wellness Foundation
The James Irvine Foundation
The San Francisco Foundation
United Way of the Bay Area
Walter and Elise Haas Fund
Women’s Foundation of California
Y&H Soda Foundation