San Francisco Pauses $19 Million in Arts, Community Service Funding

A beleaguered San Francisco grant program intended to deliver $19 million to 44 arts and community service organizations has once again halted its rollout because of fairness concerns, KALW first reported. Known as Request for Proposals (RFP) 100, the Human Rights Commission grant was created to support organizations that serve historically marginalized communities, working in areas such as health, education, culture and safety.

The city intended RFP 100 as a rebrand of the Dream Keeper Initiative, which Mayor London Breed created in 2021 to address systemic racism and disparities in San Francisco’s Black communities. The initiative funded projects such as job training, backpacks for kids and downpayment assistance for families, but Breed froze the funds in 2024 after the Human Rights Commission’s former head resigned amid corruption allegations, leaving community organizations reeling.

In June, the HRC announced it would issue awards to organizations such as the Booker T. Washington Community Service Center, San Francisco LGBT Center, Chinese Culture Center, Youth Art Exchange and Bayview Opera House. But the HRC rescinded the award announcement in late July after a racial equity coalition called MegaBlackSF sent a letter raising concerns about the grant process.

The open letter, which doesn’t have specific signatories listed on MegaBlackSF’s website, alleges potential bias due to use of artificial intelligence to review the applications, among other concerns. The letter claims that the process favors large, established nonprofits, and points out that a large portion of the funding didn’t go to Black-led or Black-centered organizations, which was the initial purpose of the Dream Keeper Initiative.

In several statements, the HRC said it is reviewing the RFP 100 evaluation process and will share a revised timeline for the grant on Aug. 8. Human Rights Commission Director Mawuli Tugbenyoh, MegaBlackSF and several of the would-be grantees did not return KQED’s request for comment as of publication time.