Our Programs
SF New Deal strengthens neighborhoods by addressing the urgent needs and operational barriers that make it difficult for under-resourced small businesses to succeed in San Francisco.
We design and implement diverse programs utilizing both public and private funding and work in close, collaborative partnership with small businesses, community-based organizations, corporate and private philanthropy, and City departments. Our programmatic work advances our two strategic initiatives: Increasing Neighborhood Vibrancy and Supporting Small Business Success.
Each of our programs orients into two distinct areas
Increasing Neighborhood Vibrancy
We invest in arts, culture, and nightlife activations citywide to enliven commercial corridors and create the conditions small businesses depend on: foot traffic, activity, community engagement and connection.
grants | technical assistance
Building Blocks
Our Building Blocks pilot is the evolution of Shared Spaces (parklets) in San Francisco. This innovative model demonstrates how public and commercial curb space can be designed, constructed, and maintained to lower the burden on small business operators and increase street level vibrancy.
DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION
Vacant
to Vibrant
Vacant to Vibrant is a program by SF New Deal and the City of San Francisco that helps small businesses, artists and cultural organizations collaborate with local property owners to create engaging pop-up experiences and community spaces in downtown San Francisco. Vacant to Vibrant draws the public downtown, bringing people together from all over San Francisco and beyond to be part of building a window into the future of downtown.
DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION
BRICKS at the Embarcadero Plaza
Bricks exists to activate and celebrate the cultural and civic history of a landmark plaza by infusing it with fresh programming that realizes the space’s full potential. Located on the Embarcadero Plaza (filled with red, ahem, bricks), Bricks jam packs food, music, dancing, mixers, games (and much more) onto the waterfront for a new(ish) outdoor destination where everyone can participate.
DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION
Downtown ENRG
Pronounced ‘energy’- this program is breathing new life into downtown San Francisco by supporting arts, culture, and entertainment activities. Programming represents a range of activities, from concert pop-ups and theater performances to drag showcases and street parties in newly created Entertainment Zones.
Supporting
Small Business
Success
We provide under-resourced small business owners with financial resources, technical assistance across a host of areas including permitting and compliance challenges, as well as capacity building services so their operational foundations are strong.
Family Meals
OBJECTIVE: Provide recurring revenue, high-quality meals to families, foster community connection and engagement
The Family Meal Pack program provides recurring supplemental revenue to small restaurants citywide and meal support to low-income families with at least one child age five or younger. Families use our SMS-based ordering system or physical redemption cards to order and pickup meals from neighborhood restaurants.
Small Business
Grants
OBJECTIVE: Ensure resources reach businesses with greatest need and reduce time to administer payment to days, provide technical assistance for businesses to be able to receive digital payments.
We operate several grantmaking programs in partnership with The City of San Francisco’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development (OEWD). We are focused on ensuring that resources are disbursed rapidly and equitably to bolster the vibrancy of small businesses and the neighborhood corridors they reside in. Small businesses are awarded grants between $2,500 and up to $50,000 to fund construction projects, equipment purchases, building signage, hiring and staffing, training and other operational and capacity-building
Across our operations to date, we have disbursed over $48 million to 1,600+ local businesses citywide in all 11 districts of San Francisco.
Learn more about how funds have been disbursed here.