JLSF Women’s Leadership Gala
Join us for the Junior League of San Francisco’s Women’s Leadership Gala, an annual fundraiser to support and celebrate JLSF’s 112 years of involvement in the Bay Area and recognize women who have devoted their time, energy, and resources to bettering our community. This year’s honorees include Jane Inch and Florence Fang.
The 2023 event will be held on Saturday, October 21st at The Conservatory at One Sansome. The black tie event will begin at 6:00 PM with a VIP reception and cocktail hour. A 3-course dinner will be served alongside the event program and awards presentation.
To ensure a speedy check-in process, we encourage all guests to register prior to the event.
GALA TICKET SALES ENDED
AFTER-PARTY TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE
All event proceeds, including funds raised from ticket sales, sponsorships, silent auction, and paddle raise will be unrestricted funding for The Junior League of San Francisco, Inc.
2023 Honorees
Each year, the JLSF selects two honorees to recognize: one who is currently an Active or Sustaining Member of the League, and one from the San Francisco Bay Area community. The honorees are visionaries with strong leadership skills who have given generously of their time, energy, and resources to further philanthropic causes and improve our Bay Area community.
Our honorees for this 2023 Women’s Leadership Gala are Jane Inch and Florence Fang.
Our MC for the event is Jan Yanehiro, a Japanese-American broadcast journalist who is one of the first Asian American TV hosts in the Bay Area.
Jane Inch, League Honoree for the 2023 JLSF Women’s Leadership Gala
2023 League Honoree: Jane Inch
Jane Inch has been a leader in community building and nonprofit leadership for over 30 years. A native of Northern California and graduate of UC Berkeley, Jane joined the Junior League of San Francisco in 1993 beginning her foray into fundraising. As an Active Member, she held numerous leadership positions and served as Chair of the 75th Annual JLSF Fashion Show in 2001. The Junior League became the launching pad for philanthropic work that has spanned 3 decades and benefited the San Francisco Opera Guild, American Heart Association, the Cancer League, the Bay Area Arthritis Foundation, the Bay Area Lyme Foundation, and Piedmont Schools, among many others. She currently serves on the board of Jane Seymour’s Open Hearts Foundation, as well as the Napa Valley “Broadway and Vine” series.
Professionally, Jane has served as a Personal Development Coach, inspiring women to pursue their higher callings and fulfill their true potential. The intersection of her passion for mentorship and her dedication to community building has brought her back, full circle to re-engage with her roots at the Junior League, helping to guide the new generation of leaders as they work to make a difference.
Florence Fang, Community Honoree for the 2023 JLSF Women’s Leadership Gala
2023 Community Honoree: Florence Fang
Florence Fang is the chairwoman of the Florence Fang Family Foundation & owner of the famous Bay Area landmark, the Flintstone House. Ms. Fang was the publisher of the San Francisco Examiner, the first mainstream U.S. newspaper company owned by an Asian immigrant family, as well as the chairwoman of the Independent Newspaper Group of 11 different independent newspapers publications throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. She was also at the helm of Asian Week and served as president of the Chinese version of The Young China Daily.
Mrs. Fang has been involved in various philanthropic and cultural endeavors throughout her life, aiming to promote the mutual understanding between American and Chinese communities around the world. Her work has been impactful in San Francisco, where she founded the first overseas China World War II Pacific War Memorial Hall in Chinatown, launched the Fang Family Launchpad at the Asian Art Museum, and helped the Bay Area Council to renovate and brought back San Francisco’s historic Klamath Ferry boat to be parked at Pier 9, as a piece of San Francisco landmark. Her ongoing work now is to revitalize San Francisco Chinatown community and businesses, by advancing the Chinese Railroad Workers History Center she recently established on May 10, 2023, and donated the building for, to commemorate the forgotten Chinese Transcontinental Railroad Workers.
She has twice been honored as “Woman of the Year” by the California State Legislature, was the first to receive the “Global Leadership Award” by the Bay Area Council in San Francisco and was inducted into the Bay Area Business Hall of Fame in 2022. She is a co-founder of the George H. W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations and currently serves on its Board of Directors, an Honorary Trustee of Peking University and Honorary Chairwoman of the Flying Tiger Historical Organization.
Established in 2014, the Florence Fang Community Farm, a valued Community Partner of the Junior League of San Francisco, serves as a USDA model for Asian & African American collaboration to improve food security and sustainability in the communities of color.
Tickets and Sponsorship Packages
Platinum Sponsorship | $15,000 ⭐️
For a payment method of wire transfer or check, please contact gala@jlsf.org.
- Reserved premier dinner seating for table of 10
- Access to private VIP reception
- Prominent name or logo placement on published event promotional materials
- Recognition in program
- Estimated fair market value: $5,766
Gold Sponsorship | $10,000 ⭐️
For a payment method of wire transfer or check, please contact gala@jlsf.org.
- Reserved preferred dinner seating for table of 10
- Access to private VIP reception
- Name or logo placement on published event promotional materials
- Recognition in program
- Estimated fair market value: $5,266
Gold Sponsorship (Individual) | $1,000 ⭐️
Purchase online or for a payment method of wire transfer or check, please contact gala@jlsf.org.
- Reserved dinner seating for 1
- Access to private VIP reception
- Inclusion on published event promotional materials
- Recognition in program
- Estimated fair market value: $526
Silver Sponsorship | $5,000 ⭐️
Purchase online or for a payment method of wire transfer or check, please contact gala@jlsf.org.
- Reserved dinner seating for table of 10
- Access to private VIP reception
- Recognition in program
- Estimated fair market value: $4,091
General Admission (Individual) | $425
- Admission to event including dinner seating and after party for 1
- Estimated fair market value: $391
To learn more about sponsorship opportunities, please contact gala@jlsf.org.
View the WLG Event Sponsorships Guide ?
Purchase Tickets + Sponsorships
Event Donors
Thank you to Abbey Party Rents and the Fulcum Group for donating rental items and decor.
411 Allan St, Daly City, CA
abbeyrentssf.com
Thank you to Sparky’s Balloons for donating balloons and decor items.
115 Clement St, San Francisco, CA
sparkysballoons.com
After Party
All gala attendees are welcome to join us for our dazzling after party at Bar Sprezzatura where we will continue celebrating our community of female leaders. If you are not able to attend our gala but would like to join in on the evening celebration, you may purchase an after party ticket for $25. Come early and a complimentary glass of bubbles will be served to the first 100 attendees. We are also delighted to share that a percentage of specialty cocktails will be donated to the Junior League of San Francisco to help us continue enriching our community.
Silent Auction
Our silent auction is now LIVE! Check it out and bid on an array of unique and exciting items, experiences, and services generously donated by local businesses and individuals. The auction will be held entirely online, so those who are not able to attend the Gala are also encouraged to participate.
The auction will close at 11:00 AM on Sunday, October 22, 2023. See items and bid here.
FAQs
Where is the venue located? Where is check-in?
The Conservatory at One Sansome is located at 1 Sansome Street in San Francisco. The entrance is on Sutter Street between Montgomery and Sansome. Guests must be 21 or older to attend; please bring a valid government ID.
Is there parking available?
While we encourage you to use rideshare apps, parking is available in nearby garages (see parking map). We recommend the valet parking at the Four Seasons Embarcadero (1.5 blocks walking from the venue). The second closest garage that is open 24 hours is the White House Garage on Sutter/Grant.
Will I receive a ticket in the mail?
No, all tickets will be delivered electronically.
What should I wear?
The event is formal, black-tie recommended.
Will there be dinner options to choose from for people with dietary restrictions?
Guests may indicate their entree selection of chicken or vegetarian/vegan. Both options are gluten-free and does not contain nuts. Please list any other allergies or dietary restrictions in the comments.
Are drinks included?
Drinks are included in the ticket price.
How do I participate in the auction or paddle raise?
The silent auction will open one week before the event in October and close at 11:00 AM on Sunday, October 22nd. To participate in live bidding during the event, guests must register with a valid form of payment. More details will be posted as available at jlsf.org/gala.
How do I complete guest registration?
To ensure a speedy check-in process, please follow the instructions below to complete registration prior to the event:
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Go to https://auctria.events/
jlsfgala2023 and navigate to the Register tab. If you have previously registered for an account on Auctria, you may click the Sign In tab instead. -
Fill in your personal information and submit by clicking Continue to Account. It is highly encouraged you register credit card details for participation in the auction or paddle raise.
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Confirm your email address to complete the initial registration.
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You may update your meal choice by clicking on the My Account tab and Update under Bidder Details. The entree selection will be either chicken or vegetarian/vegan. Both options are gluten-free and do not contain nuts.
If you have not indicated your meal choice, you will receive the chicken entrée. We will try to accommodate any dietary needs on site; please confirm with your table captain upon seating.
2023 EVENT CHAIR
Adair Tigert
DIRECTOR OF FUND DEVELOPMENT
Lizzy Shay-Kaler
Contact us at gala@jlsf.org.
History of the JLSF Women’s Leadership Gala
Originally launched in 2004 by the JLSF Sustainer Council, the Women at the Center Honors (WATCH) Gala recognizes outstanding Bay Area women at the center of philanthropy, community, and civic services. The event was renamed in 2023 to highlight our mission to advance women’s leadership for meaningful community impact.
All of our past honorees are visionaries with strong leadership skills, who have given generously of their time, energy, and resources in an effort to further philanthropic causes and improve our Bay Area community.
2021-2022: Sallie Huntting & London N. Breed
2017-2018: Sally Coates & Elizabeth J. Folger
2016-2017: Judy Jorgensen & Jennifer Siebel Newsom
2015-2016: Anette Harris & Dagmar Dolby
2014-2015: Patricia Tatum Otstott & Roselyne Chroman Swig
2013-2014: Athena Blackburn & Merla Zellerbach
2011-2012: Joanne Horning & Charlotte Shultz
2010-2011: Belva Davis & Patricia Sughrue Sprincin
2009-2010: Gretchen de Baubigny & Susan Cook Hoganson
2008-2009: Barbara Callander & Louise Renne
2007-2008: Nancy Bechtle & Kimberly Wright-Violich
2006-2007: Chris Hellman & Leslie Luttgens
2005-2006: Delia Ehrlich & Charlene Harvey
2004-2005: Katie Cardinal & Dede Wilsey