Neighbors for a Better San Francisco
Neighbors for a Better San Francisco is a public charity based in San Rafael, California. Formed in 2021, it supports public policy development and public education concerning the quality of life and governance in San Francisco.
Neighbors for a Better San Francisco at a glance
In short: Neighbors for a Better San Francisco gave $385K across 10 grants in 2024 (avg $38K), mostly in California. Source: 2024 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2024)
- $384,500
- +304.7% vs 2023
- Grants made (2024)
- 10
- +150.0% vs 2023
- Average grant
- $38,450
- +61.9% vs 2023
- Median grant
- $45,000
- Total assets
- $21,238
- -98.8% vs 2023
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2024 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2024 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2024; updated September 2026.
How to apply to Neighbors for a Better San Francisco
- Contact
Mailing address: 2350 Kerner Blvd 250, San Rafael, CA 94901
Phone: (415) 389-6800
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Who Neighbors for a Better San Francisco funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
The largest 2024 recipient was Inspire SF ($60K). Together the top 10 received $385K.
Grant Size Distribution
20 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 11 grants of 20 (55%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
All reported 2024 grant dollars went to recipients in California.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2024 grant dollars across all 10 itemized grants.
States
Cities
How Neighbors for a Better San Francisco gives
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2024). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2021 to 2024, annual grant giving ranged from $95K (2023) to $385K (2024). In 2024 it made 10 grants totaling $385K.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Inspire SF San Francisco, CA | See Part IV | $60,000 |
| Asian Pacific American CC San Francisco, CA | See Part IV | $50,000 |
| Asian Inc San Francisco, CA | See Part IV | $50,000 |
| SF Parent Coalition Oakland, CA | See Part IV | $50,000 |
| Voice of San Francisco Inc San Francisco, CA | See Part IV | $50,000 |
| TogetherSF San Francisco, CA | See Part IV | $40,000 |
| CA Friends of Tenants Caucus San Francisco, CA | See Part IV | $29,500 |
| Moonstar Charitable Org South SF, CA | See Part IV | $20,000 |
| SF Assn of Realtors Found San Francisco, CA | See Part IV | $20,000 |
| Planned Parenthood of N CA Concord, CA | See Part IV | $15,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $21,238 | $3,480,341 | $5,166,372 | $384,500 | 10 | $26,728 |
| 2023 | $1,707,269 | $2,865,982 | $1,605,803 | $95,000 | 4 | $20,720 |
| 2022 | $447,090 | $1,822,159 | $2,049,096 | $250,000 | 5 | $-799 |
| 2021 | $674,027 | $1,368,557 | $694,530 | $100,000 | 1 | $-710 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization states that its charitable and educational purposes include developing and educating the public about policy issues intended to improve San Francisco’s quality of life and governance, including good government practices, civil and property rights, election integrity, and civic participation.
Among its 2024 grantees, Voice of San Francisco, Inc. describes its mission as providing journalism and investigative pieces about safety, housing, and prosperity in San Francisco and surrounding communities. ASIAN, Inc. describes its mission as empowering the Asian American community and expanding access to opportunities in business development, housing, and education.
Grantmaking
In 2024, the funder reported 10 grants totaling $384,500. Grant amounts ranged from $15,000 to $60,000, with a median grant of $45,000. Recipients agreed to provide ongoing written progress reports on established timelines, including updates on activities such as community outreach, public forums, and related projects.
The largest 2024 grants included $60,000 to Inspire SF; $50,000 each to Asian Pacific American CC, Asian Inc, SF Parent Coalition, and Voice of San Francisco Inc; and $40,000 to TogetherSF. Other grants included $29,500 to CA Friends of Tenants Caucus, $20,000 each to Moonstar Charitable Org and SF Assn of Realtors Found, and $15,000 to Planned Parenthood of N CA. The stated purpose for each grant is “See Part IV.”
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2024 filing lists William Oberndorf as President and Director; Arthur Patterson, Theo Ellington, Tom Chavez, and Kathy Chan as Directors; and Steven S Lucas as Secretary and CFO. The filing states that Steven S. Lucas is a partner at the law firm providing the organization’s legal and administrative services, which bills on a fixed retainer and an hourly basis.
Neighbors for a Better San Francisco is led by William Oberndorf, President & Director on every filing since 2021; none of the 6 officers listed in 2024 report compensation.
Officers on the 2024 filing
William Oberndorf
President & Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Arthur Patterson
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kathy Chan
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Theo Ellington
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tom Chavez
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steven S Lucas
Secretary & CFO
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2021–2024. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Neighbors for a Better San Francisco
How much does Neighbors for a Better San Francisco give each year?
Neighbors for a Better San Francisco gave $385K across 10 grants in 2024, according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. In 2023 it gave $95K across 4 grants.
What is Neighbors for a Better San Francisco's typical grant size?
Neighbors for a Better San Francisco's median grant in 2024 was $45,000, and its average grant was $38,450, across 10 grants on its 2024 IRS Form 990.
Where does Neighbors for a Better San Francisco give grants?
Neighbors for a Better San Francisco gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2024 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were San Francisco, CA (7 grants).
Does Neighbors for a Better San Francisco give general operating support?
Not in 2024: none of the 10 grants with a stated purpose on Neighbors for a Better San Francisco's 2024 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "See Part IV" (10 grants).
Who are Neighbors for a Better San Francisco's largest grantees?
Neighbors for a Better San Francisco's largest 2024 grantees include Inspire SF ($60,000), Asian Pacific American CC ($50,000) and Asian Inc ($50,000), according to its 2024 IRS Form 990. Together they received 42% of its itemized 2024 grant dollars.
How large is Neighbors for a Better San Francisco?
Neighbors for a Better San Francisco reported $21K in total assets on its 2024 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.5M.
What does Neighbors for a Better San Francisco fund?
The organization states that its charitable and educational purposes include developing and educating the public about policy issues intended to improve San Francisco’s quality of life and governance, including good government practices, civil and property rights, election integrity, and civic participation. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Neighbors for a Better San Francisco?
Neighbors for a Better San Francisco has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Neighbors for a Better San Francisco's EIN?
Neighbors for a Better San Francisco's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 86-2339545. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2021–2024.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(5)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 13, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 17, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 20, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS November 14, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2021–2024
Live grants for the work Neighbors for a Better San Francisco funds
Public, Societal Benefit Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Neighbors for a Better San Francisco's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Neighbors for a Better San Francisco funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/neighbors-for-a-better-san-francisco-morg_5dc2ea5a240b49218f428bd9b0eb9cef
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_862339545_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Neighbors for a Better San Francisco funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/neighbors-for-a-better-san-francisco-morg_5dc2ea5a240b49218f428bd9b0eb9cef},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Neighbors for a Better San Francisco's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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