Committee forwards 6-month pilot allowing mayor’s office and OEWD to solicit donations for downtown revitalization

The Government Audit and Oversight Committee on June 5 voted to forward to the full Board a resolution authorizing the mayor, members of the mayor’s office and the director of the Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD) to solicit donations from nonprofits, private organizations, foundations and other entities to support downtown San Francisco revitalization for six months, notwithstanding the behested payments ordinance.

Sarah Dennis Phillip, executive director of OEWD, presented the item and described it as a six-month pilot to allow the city to work with private philanthropic and corporate partners to support short‑term downtown needs such as public safety ambassadors, street cleaning, trash receptacles, small-business grants, cultural activations and sponsorships or stewardship of public spaces. Dennis Phillip said prior public funding had supported downtown activations — including a one‑time $15 million mayoral enhancement in the previous year — but the recently constrained city budget makes it difficult to continue that level of work from public funds alone.

Dennis Phillip said OEWD intends to use an existing nonprofit, the San Francisco Downtown Development Corporation, as a potential repository for solicited funds in some cases, although the office may also route dollars directly to project partners. She said most entities likely to be solicited would not be reportable under the behested payments law but that reporting under the new ordinance would be required to provide transparency to the Board.

Committee members asked about accountability and metrics. Dennis Phillip said OEWD would seek reporting and metrics similar to those the office uses for public grants where feasible, and that the Downtown Development Corporation and partner nonprofits would likely provide impact data voluntarily even if not legally compelled. Vice Chair Danny Sauter voiced support for the waivers as a way to continue activations such as Union Square programming while the city pursues longer-term downtown strategies.

The committee recorded a unanimous committee vote to forward the resolution to the full Board with a positive recommendation. The committee clerk noted items acted on at this meeting were expected to appear on the Board agenda June 17, 2025 unless otherwise stated.

The committee action does not itself create an ongoing city fundraising program; it authorizes solicitation authority for six months and requires reporting back to the Board. OEWD said ambassador programs that rely on public dollars will run out of funding by December 2025 and that a pilot is intended to maintain short-term services while exploring partnerships and performance reporting.

The committee vote to forward the item was recorded as three ayes (Vice Chair Danny Sauter; Member Sherrill; Chair Jackie Fielder).