Board approves $15 million for Summer Together after weeklong review of nonprofit role

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on April 6 to appropriate $15,000,000 in property tax revenue to the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF) to expand “Summer Together,” a citywide summer learning and recreation program for San Francisco Unified School District students.

The vote followed a weeklong delay requested by Supervisor Catherine Ronan to investigate concerns about a volunteer group called TogetherSF and its relationship to private funders and other nonprofits. Director Maria Hsu of DCYF told the board the department had reviewed the organization and its role and that the city would retain control of student and family data and the registration platform.

Why it matters: Supervisors said the program will add substantially to the city’s summer capacity this year at a time when students have fallen behind academically and suffered pandemic related harm. At the same time several supervisors pressed city staff for transparency about how private funds and volunteer groups are being used so that public dollars are neither diverted for political purposes nor substitute for long‑term public funding.

DCYF and private funders DCYF Director Maria Hsu told supervisors that DCYF will own and operate the registration platform and will not share individual student or family data with outside organizations. Hsu said TogetherSF was brought in to provide administrative help and corporate partnerships, not to recruit “hard‑to‑reach” families — that work remains with long‑standing community‑based organizations.

Hsu and several supervisors described a separate philanthropic commitment: Crankstart (the family foundation led by Michael Moritz) has pledged $25 million to expand summer opportunities; that private funding is distinct from the city appropriation. In committee and on the dais, Supervisors Ronan, Connie Chan and Supervisor Melgar said they had met with Griffin Gaffey, a TogetherSF co‑founder, and were satisfied that TogetherSF is seeking to convert from a 501(c)(4) to a 501(c)(3) and would not have access to DCYF’s protected data.

"We will not be sharing that data with any outside entity," Director Hsu told the board after several supervisors asked for a clear assurance on the record.

Capacity and next steps Supervisors and staff said DCYF and partners have already secured about 21,000 program slots for this summer, with additional expansion possible as staff and partners finalize site and staffing plans. Ronan, Melgar and Chan described an interagency “all‑hands” effort involving Recreation & Parks, the school district and nonprofit providers; DCYF said it will continue to increase slots as capacity allows.

Supervisor responses and safeguards Board members praised the program but uniformly said the city must guard against private donors seeking influence or access to student information. Supervisor Mark Peskin urged department testimony on the record; Hsu and the city attorney’s office confirmed the city’s anti‑lobbying rules and stated city funds cannot lawfully be used for political advocacy.

Outcome and process After the discussion and the department’s assurances, the board approved the $15,000,000 appropriation on first reading by an 11‑0 roll call. Supervisors said they expect follow‑up at the newly created Youth, Young Adults and Families Committee and will monitor implementation, reporting, and any future partnerships involving private funders.

"We can and should accept help, but we must do it in a manner that preserves public oversight and data protections," Supervisor Ronan said on the record.

Provenance: Remarks about the $15,000,000 appropriation, TogetherSF, Crankstart funding, and DCYF assurances appear throughout the discussion of Item 10, beginning when Supervisor Ronan reopened the item and asked for the delay and continuing through Director Hsu’s testimony and the roll call vote that approved the appropriation.