With crisis, there is an opportunity for something more beautiful, functional and transparent than what we had before.
Hello Community Partners,
I feel huge gratitude to all the Community Partners, funders, Supervisors, the Mayor's office, fiscal sponsors and supporters who have been involved so far in getting our organizations back on our feet after what we’ve all been through with the failure of the Parks Alliance! I hope everyone is feeling more stable, finding your footing again and is resuming work in our beloved City.
I imagine a San Francisco where every neighborhood thrives through community-led care of parks and public spaces. We can have that! Join us to build the SF Public Space Collective to empower community groups to activate public space projects in their neighborhoods according to their vision.
Over the past six weeks, The San Francisco Public Space Collective has grown from an idea shared and tossed around with a few trusted people, to a group of Community Partners working together. We have an interim steering committee, Paul Hagen, Friends of Balboa Park, Rob Laub, Friends of the Oak Woodlands, Stacy Owens, SE Owens & Company, Marc Snyder, 22nd St Jungle Steps, Jim Sutton, the Tennis Coalition and Rutan and Tucker, and Matthew Blain, SF Urban Riders and Crosstown Trail.
We've created a draft governance structure and mission and vision statements. We are working with some of you who still need fiscal sponsorship on a route with Community Initiatives, as we build our own 501c3, and are in conversations with funders!
The Collective will offer community guidance on tools, funding, and partnerships to restore beauty, build connection, and inspire shared stewardship citywide. Our work is premised on: community-based decision making, knowledge sharing, accountable governance and transparent accounting.
This vision is in motion. Over the next several months we will:
Build a home for those still needing fiscal sponsorship
File paperwork to start up our own 501c3
Start fundraising for initial staffing to support our needs today
Work with consultants to convene all stakeholders, including Community Partners, land holding agencies, funders and elected officials, to define the long term structure of our new organization
We're not there yet, and we want you to join us! We’ll be in touch again very soon and please feel free to reach out directly with any questions or thoughts! [email protected].
Ildiko Polony
Steering Committee Chair and Executive Director of Sutro Stewards