Community

The Junior League of San Francisco (JLSF) works to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact through volunteer action, collaboration, and training.  Volunteers focus on bridging the gap of essential needs in the San Francisco community.  The essential needs we focus on are:

Housing
Food
Personal Necessities

The JLSF is committed to providing community support in a variety of ways reflecting both short- and long-term involvement. Since its founding in 1911, the JLSF has raised and donated approximately $24 million to organizations throughout the Bay Area. In addition, JLSF members have contributed more than six million volunteer hours in the Bay Area, and hundreds of JLSF-trained volunteer leaders bring their skills and experience to the community during and after their League tenure as volunteers and board members.

 

Community Partners

Each year, the Junior League of San Francisco partners with multiple community organizations whose missions align with our community focus areas. Through these partnerships, the JLSF partners provides financial support and a group of volunteers dedicated to specific community programs.

For the 2023-2024 League year, the JLSF will be partnering with the following two San Francisco Bay Area organizations:

 

Community Partner Grants

The Junior League of San Francisco (JLSF) looks for partnerships with San Francisco Bay Area nonprofit organizations that align with our focus area of bridging the gap of essential needs in the San Francisco community. Through these partnerships, the JLSF provides a combination of funding and volunteer support for specific community programs which can include:

  1. Direct Funding – These funds directly benefit the nonprofit organization and are generally unrestricted, with the exception that the JLSF is unable to fund salaries. Past grants have ranged between $5,000 and $35,000.
  2. Indirect Funding – These funds directly support the JLSF volunteers in their development or execution of activities with nonprofit organizations. Examples of indirect funding include covering costs to purchase necessary supplies or food-related to the specific programs and activities managed by JLSF volunteers.
  3. Volunteer Support –  A dedicated committee of approximately 5-30 JLSF volunteers that provide approximately 3-5 hours per person per month of direct support to the nonprofit partner.

While JLSF Community Partner grants have an effective term of one year, the JLSF aims to develop long-term affiliations with community organizations.

Learn more about Community Partner Grant eligibility and apply here.

 

Enabling Funds Grants

The JLSF funds grants up to $5,000, provided on a one-time basis for urgent, short-term funding. These grants are awarded to existing Bay Area nonprofit organizations that align with the JLSF’s focus area of bridging the gap of essential needs to enable them to continue to provide needed services and programs in our community. Examples of such needs may include:

  • Sudden loss of funding
  • Unbudgeted expense
  • Bridge funding

Learn more and apply for an Enabling Funds Grant here.

 

Done in a Day (DIAD) Projects

Through Junior League of San Francisco’s Done in a Day (DIAD) program, nonprofit organizations within the San Francisco Bay Area community can request JLSF volunteers to support their activities. DIAD volunteers are ideally suited to single day events or short-term projects involving our current community partners and other organizations that operate in the JLSF focus area of bridging the gap of essential needs in the San Francisco Community

Learn more and request volunteers here.