CONTENTS
LETTER FROM THE ED
WHO WE ARE
OUR APPROACH TO IMPACT
OUR PROGRAMS
SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS
SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY
EXPENSES SUMMARY
OUR TEAM & VALUES
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
LETTER FROM THE ED
2022 was a year of transition: in my life, at SF New Deal, and for San Francisco.
When I joined SF New Deal in the summer of 2022, I thought of it as a citywide extension of my recent work leading the Tenderloin Community Benefit District, where we focused on lifting up the voices of neighborhood residents and its small businesses. Coming in, I connected with a team of people brimming with the kind of energy and excitement that is needed to make a difference in this city to address the seemingly intractable issues that are holding us back.
Just as I saw a moment of transition in my own life and an opportunity to be a part of something transformative, I saw SF New Deal in a moment of transition. What began as a rapid response to the immediate challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was evolving into a robust organization with a long-term vision, and a commitment to building a vibrant San Francisco full of diverse and thriving small businesses. SF New Deal can offer San Francisco a new way of delivering services: both effective and accountable to our communities.
Beyond our work at SF New Deal, in 2022 San Francisco progressed through the pandemic recovery in fits and starts. While the end of the COVID emergency was in sight, our neighborhood commercial corridors and the small businesses which are their heart and soul continued to struggle with recovery. The results of our survey of almost 400 neighborhood business owners were a stark reminder that although many businesses had survived the pandemic, most are carrying crippling amounts of debt and have not seen a healthy recovery in either revenue or foot traffic.
While jarring, the business owners we’ve surveyed and connected with have also laid forth a clear pathway for how
we can support small businesses that need our help today. In 2023, we are committed to acting on the unmet needs. I hope you will join us as we seek to reconceive:
how the outdoor dining and public parklets that flowered during the pandemic can contribute to the ongoing vibrancy of our commercial corridors,
how pop-ups in vacant storefronts can bring the energy of our neighborhoods to help create a window on the future of downtown,
how hospitality workers can get home safely and affordably during off peak times when transit options are limited,
how reusable containers can be successfully incorporated in small business operations to reduce waste,
how we can connect more under-resourced small business owners to the financial resources, whether it be direct grants, tax credits, bookkeeping services or training that they urgently need to sustain them.
The lingering effects of the economic disruption and social isolation created by the pandemic make our mission even more important to the survival and evolution of the San Francisco we know and love. In the year ahead, we’re launching multiple programs aimed at strengthening neighborhoods by making it easier for under-resourced small business owners to succeed.
I hope you’ll join us in this work.
With thanks,
Simon Bertrang, Executive Director
WHO WE ARE
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SF New Deal strengthens neighborhoods by making it easier for under resourced small business owners to succeed.
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We envision a vibrant San Francisco with diverse and thriving small businesses.
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SF NEW DEAL STRIVES TO BE:
Empathetic
We listen to and seek to understand the needs of our community, holding space to hear the challenges of those we serve. Responsive Through direct service, advocacy, and coalition building, we turn empathy into action and create collective frameworks that address San Francisco’s most persistent challenges for both immediate and lasting impact.
Collaborative
Our work is guided by trusted partnerships with individuals, advocates and organizations that have spent decades working to support San Francisco’s most vulnerable populations.
Accountable
We strive to be accessible and accountable to all community stakeholders. We offer transparency into how, where and why SF New Deal operates and where resources are being directed.
Centering the Community
We are committed to driving change which amplifies voices of those closest to harm. The wisdom of their lived experience informs our decision making, drives change and builds solutions for lasting impact.
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Addressing inequity at its core requires acknowledging the systematic and deliberate lack of resources which have been provided to Asian and Pacific Islander, Black, disabled, female identifying, immigrant, Indigenous, Latinx, LGBTQ+, and low income communities in San Francisco and across the United States. Systems of oppression are varied and intersectional in their existence, and we recognize the extent to which individuals and communities have been impacted in nuanced and compounding ways. Not all residents, small businesses and communities in San Francisco experience the same challenges. Overwhelmingly, the variations that exist are the direct result of systemic and structural oppression, injustice and disempowerment, which have created disparities with disproportionate impacts. At SF New Deal, we aspire to be equitable in our focus and distribution of support. For us, that means explicitly, and proportionately, providing financial opportunity to workers and businesses from impacted communities, and resources for residents who have historically and systemically been under-resourced. At its core, we believe that acting in pursuit of equity means centering individuals who are closest to harm. We operate several programs, each with its own context, and with a unique set of stakeholders, considerations, limitations and opportunities. Across our programs, we are guided by a vision of San Francisco which provides an abundance of support, dignity, respect, gratitude and appreciation for small businesses and neighbors in need that results from dismantling systems that cause disproportionate harm . We’re committed to engaging in ongoing practices of accountability and recognize the responsibility we have to our stakeholders and within the community at large about how, where and why we’re spending dollars, operating programs, and providing support.
OUR APPROACH TO IMPACT
additional businesses in our social content. This year was pivotal for our organization as we continued to partner with the City’s Human Services Agency and SF Department of the Environment while also launching a new partnership with the City of San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development. Across our programs and services, we seek to efficiently and equitably disburse resources and in keeping with our value of being accountable, transparently share our financial resourcing activity on our website.
Supporting small businesses with their acute and persistent challenges, strengthens our neighborhoods citywide. We are focused on improving conditions for small businesses both in the short and long-term and our primary activities include financial resourcing, technical assistance, and advocacy. We are community-centered first and we approach our program pilot design and implementation from a place of learning and rapid iteration based on feedback. In 2022, SF New Deal supported 122 small businesses across all 11 Districts through our diverse programs and services and spotlighted more than 391
3.1 million meals distributed to food insecure San Franciscans
664 small businesses supported across diverse programs with revenue or technical assistance
$35.6 million disbursed to small businesses
1.5 tons of waste removed from the waste stream
OUR PROGRAMS
Small businesses are at the center of everything we do at SF New Deal and our community-centered solutions address key challenges identified by our local small business community and resource partners. This year, SF New Deal continued to operate Community Feeding programs in partnership with the City of San Francisco’s Human Services Agency as well as the Zero Waste Program with support from SF Department of the Environment. In 2022, we also launched a new program in partnership with San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development and became a fiscal sponsor for Advance SF.
COMMUNITY FEEDING PROGRAMS
CBO Program:
CBO is SF New Deal’s first and longest running program that was initially supported with private funds and in 2022 was funded by the City of San Francisco’s Human Services Agency. In partnership with small businesses, long-serving Community-Based Organizations and the City, thousands of food insecure neighbors received weekly delivered meals. 20 restaurants in San Francisco participated in this program in 2022 and received $462,484 in supplemental revenue while also being connected to new customers.
OUR WORK
Small businesses are at the center of everything we do at SF New Deal and our community-centered solutions address key challenges identified by our local small business community and resource partners. This year, SF New Deal continued to operate Community Feeding programs in partnership with the City of San Francisco’s Human Services Agency as well as the Zero Waste Program with support from SF Department of the Environment. In 2022, we also launched a new program in partnership with San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development and became a fiscal sponsor for Advance SF.
COMMUNITY FEEDING PROGRAMS
Takeout Today:
In partnership with the City of San Francisco’s Human Services Agency, Takeout Today supplemented the City’s food security network by providing free and immediate, same-day food support for San Franciscans via an SMS-based meal request platform. 18 diverse small businesses received $195,789 in supplemental revenue.
Community Eating:
In partnership with the City of San Francisco’s Human Services Agency and local restaurants, eligible SRO residents received two meal vouchers per week that were redeemable at a participating restaurant nearby. 21 small businesses participated receiving $146,073 in supplemental revenue.
Family Meals:
In partnership with the City of San Francisco’s Human Services Agency and local restaurants, participating families with children under 5 can order meals via an SMS-based ordering system. 31 local restaurants participate in the program, supplying healthy and nutritious meals in a variety of cuisines. We have disbursed over $442,359 to X participating businesses.
CBO Program:
CBO is SF New Deal’s first and longest running program that was initially supported with private funds and in 2022 was funded by the City of San Francisco’s Human Services Agency. In partnership with small businesses, long-serving Community-Based Organizations and the City, thousands of food insecure neighbors received weekly delivered meals. 20 restaurants in San Francisco participated in this program in 2022 and received $462,484 in supplemental revenue while also being connected to new customers.
ZERO WASTE PROGRAM
In partnership with the SF Department of the Environment and Dispatch Goods, SF New Deal supported businesses with funding and technical assistance to transition away from disposable food ware to reusable containers. Over 20 businesses participated in this program and collectively removed nearly 2 tons of disposable takeout packaging from the waste stream.
SHARED SPACES PROGRAM
Shared Spaces represents an intradepartmental partnership effort with the City of San Francisco across OEWD, Planning, and SFMTA. SF New Deal is providing technical assistance and microgrants to hundreds of businesses to help bring their outdoor parklets into compliance and make them permanent spaces. Shared Spaces increase revenue and increases community connection and neighborhood vibrancy.
SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHTS
In addition to supporting small businesses directly with revenue and technical assistance through our services and programs, we also seek to elevate the stories of the incredible small businesses that contribute vibrancy and unique culture to our neighborhoods. From conversations with our community of small businesses, we know that marketing is a core challenge. We utilize SF New Deal’s
social media to help San Franciscans discover, support, and celebrate our diverse and inspiring small businesses. In 2022, our posts on Instagram (@sfnewdeal) featured 391+ local businesses and received over 1.1 million views. Our curated ‘Best of’ lists and ‘Explore the Neighborhood’ videos featuring local small businesses were saved over 8,000 times and shared more than 6,000 times in 2022.
391+ businesses featured on our social media
6,064 shares on Instagram
1,159,697 accounts reached on Instagram
1.5 tons of waste removed from the waste stream
LAHORE DI KHUSHBOO
Lahore Di Khushboo was started in 2022 by artist and chef Shumaila Ali to celebrate and share her rich Pakistani culture. Before opening her food truck, Shumaila had a catering business and did pop-ups at restaurants. The growing demand and love for her food inspired Shumaila to open Lahore Di Khushboo and share her recipes with San Francisco. She is grateful for all of the people who came together to bring her vision to life.
CAFE SEVENTY8
Katie Higgins and Anett Röber are owners of Cafe Seventy8, a neighborhood cafe established in 2008. Anett’s lifelong dream was to own her own coffee shop so she started the business with her friends in 2008. Over time, Anett took on the role of sole owner until 2020, when she brought her wife, Katie, into the business.
They make their spreads, preserves and other offerings in-house and have built a loyal customer base in their neighborhood. Anett and Katie are longtime San Francisco residents and they love the community they have built around their business. They credit their loyal customers for supporting them through the pandemic.
SMALL BUSINESS SURVEY
In 2022, we released a Small Business Survey Report that represents the findings of 6 months of surveying and conversations with the recipients of our Debt Relief Microgrant program. Our surveying and analysis sought to provide greater insight into the primary challenges small businesses are facing and where we may be best positioned to provide support. Key findings shed light on the perilous financial position
small businesses are in with owners paying themselves well below minimum wage, accumulating significant debt, and many lacking familiarity with foundational financial management. Their top challenges include profitability and debt, hiring and staffing, and an increasing need for better transportation. These responses are informing new programs being launched in 2023.
77% of respondents carry debt. For 30% the debt is $150,000 or higher, and 33% have more than one creditor.
39% of the small business owners surveyed identified finance and accounting services as their greatest need and what they believe would be most helpful to their future success. 50% of all surveyed businesses reported not being comfortable reading and understanding cash flow statements and budgets.
Asked to rank challenges they have confronted since the start of the pandemic, 32% of grantees reported accumulating debt as their single biggest challenge. 41% of the small business owners surveyed chose hiring and staffing as their primary concern and transportation emerged as an area for growing challenge.
FINANCIALS
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DONOR HIGHLIGHT
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OUR BOARD
Lenore Estrada President
Simileoluwa Adebajo Secretary
Paul Burns Director
Ken Shear Treasurer
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
JEFFERSON AWARD
SF New Deal’s co-founders received the Jefferson Award for Community Service in recognition of our efforts to support small businesses in San Francisco through the pandemic and beyond.
COMMUNITY CHAMPION AWARD
SF New Deal received the Community Champion Award from the SF Korean Center at the 4th Annual Chuseok Festival. The award recognizes local organizations that address the principal needs of the community.