The Saint Francis Foundation has awarded $1.32 million in community grants to local nonprofits. The independent community foundation stated that the new funding brings St. Francis’ community grants total to $8.8 million to date.
“Our community partners are on the front lines in removing barriers to care, assessing social determinants of health, and improving patient access and outcomes,” stated Kate Smith, president of the Saint Francis Foundation. “With the current political climate resulting in reductions to vital health care services, our community partners have sprung into action to identify gaps in maintaining their essential programming. Through the generosity and insights of our dedicated donors, the foundation is in a unique position to help offset the impact of these federal actions.”
Those actions by the Trump administration target gender-affirming care and an executive order stating there are only two genders, male and female. Additionally, the administration has scrapped diversity, equity, and inclusion policies at federal agencies, and made drastic cuts to medical research and health care funding.
Smith stated to the Bay Area Reporter that the grant checks will be issued in full in June. In a phone call, she noted the funds are “above and beyond” what the foundation previously gave to the organizations.
One of the recipients is the San Francisco Community Health Center, which will receive $325,000, the release stated. The federally qualified health center has already seen some federal cuts, CEO Lance Toma, a gay man, previously told the B.A.R. Additionally, the center joined with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and other nonprofits in suing the Trump administration over President Donald Trump’s executive orders targeting DEI initiatives.
According to the Saint Francis Foundation, the grant funds will be used for street medicine and trauma-informed care. The health center’s street medicine model improves quality and health outcomes for more than 200 unhoused Tenderloin residents by delivering low-barrier, trauma-informed care where they live.
“Our long-standing partnership with Saint Francis Foundation has fostered innovation and inspiration as we strive to address the health and wellness of the Tenderloin community,” stated Lance Toma, a gay man who is CEO of the San Francisco Community Health Center. “We worked on a collaboration with their emergency department and our street medicine program, which is demonstrating incredible outcomes for individuals who are struggling with substance use and homelessness.
“At this particular moment when federal funding is at significant risk, especially for marginalized communities, this award from Saint Francis Foundation will help us to defend against federal cuts to ensure we persist in our efforts to provide comprehensive care for the most vulnerable in the Tenderloin,” Toma added.
Another grant recipient is Larkin Street Youth Services, which will also receive $325,000. The funds will be used to help homeless youth and a comprehensive shelter program that operates more than 500 beds across 16-plus sites, according to the release. Additionally, the grant will aid the center’s workforce development and education programs.
In a statement, Larkin Street officials stated they were honored to receive the grant funds.
“Thank you to Saint Francis Foundation for standing with us and uplifting our work. We’re proud to be in partnership with an organization that leads with heart and action,” Larkin Street Youth Services stated.
Maitri Compassionate Care, which provides residential care for people in need of hospice or 24-hour care, will receive $225,000 from the Saint Francis Foundation. The funds will be used to provide services for low-income transgender patients, the release stated.
Michael Armentrout, a gay man who is CEO of Maitri, told the B.A.R. that the Saint Francis Foundation’s support is a cornerstone of its trans program.
“Support from the Saint Francis Foundation is instrumental for our Maitri Affirmation Center program,” Armentrout wrote in an email. “Because of their belief in our mission, we now offer a safe and affirming space for more than 20 people each year who come to San Francisco for gender-affirming surgeries, extending Maitri's legacy of compassionate care to this vulnerable population. This crucial partnership not only secures the essential care our TGI family deserves but also sends a powerful message of solidarity and support for LGBTQ+ healthcare amidst current political challenges.”
Lyon-Martin Community Health Services will receive $150,000 for an expansion of LGBTQ+ services, the foundation’s release stated, including Lyon-Martin moving into its new 17,000 square foot facility.
Lyon-Martin officials did not respond to a request for comment.
Other nonprofits receiving grants are Hyde Street Community Services, which will get $225,000 for intense case management. Curry Senior Center received an additional $150,000 and Sequoia Living received $25,000 for a pilot program with the Institute on Aging to study isolation and aging.
Inaugural Chinatown Pride procession
The GLBTQ+ Asian Pacific Alliance will lead the inaugural Chinatown Pride procession Saturday, May 24, at 6 p.m., starting at the Edge on the Square art hub at 800 Grant Street. The event helps close out Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month ahead of Pride Month starting June 1. The theme is “We Are Immortal.”
GAPA invites people to march with the contingent, which will feature GAPA royals and Rice Rockettes, according to an email announcement. The Pride procession will visit Chinatown’s queer landmarks, teaching dance moves at each stop before culminating in a runway performance at the Portsmouth Square Pedestrian Bridge.
The celebration continues until 10 p.m. with art activities, performances, and a silent disco at the Chinese Culture Center of San Francisco, 750 Kearny Street, third floor.
The procession is free to the public. Tickets to the silent disco, which is a fundraiser, are $20. For more information and tickets, go to cccsf.us/post/chinatown-pride-2025
QTAPI solidarity march
The aforementioned San Francisco Community Health Center, GAPA, and other organizations will hold a march Tuesday, May 27, to uplift queer trans Asian and Pacific Islanders during AAPI Heritage Month.
The three-part event starts at 5 p.m. with a rally on the steps of San Francisco City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlet Place. That will be followed by a unity march to the health center’s Trans Thrive space at 1460 Pine Street. Starting at 6:30 p.m., there will be a town hall with food and refreshments at Trans Thrive.
Other organizations sponsoring the free event include the San Francisco Office of Transgender Initiatives, the Trans March, and the Lotus Project. For a full list of events taking place in light of both AAPI Heritage Month and the fifth anniversary of Queer and Trans API (QTAPI) Week in San Francisco, running May 24 to June 1, click here.
SF Pride Band to bid farewell to artistic director
The San Francisco Pride Band will bid farewell to Pete Nowlen, its longest-tenured artistic director, with a concert Sunday, June 8, at 3 p.m. at Herbst Theatre, 401 Van Ness Avenue.
“On a High Note” will see Nowlen direct his last concert for the Official Band of San Francisco, a news release noted. As the theme suggests, Nowlen is leaving the band “on a high note” as he moves on to enjoy retirement, the release stated.
The concert will feature a captivating program of pieces that are familiar and brand new, including a world premiere of “American Epic,” which was commissioned from composer Carlos McMillan Fuentes under the band’s Black, Indigenous, people of color composition program. This piece vividly paints a picture of the band through the decades, from its inception in 1978 – as the first openly LGBTQ+ musical organization in the world – to the present day, the release stated.
The bookend featured work on this concert will be George Gershwin’s famous “Rhapsody in Blue,” featuring Fuentes, who is a pianist.
The remainder of the diverse pieces were hand-chosen by Nowlen to round out a complete farewell concert that will entertain audience members of all ages, including “Chamak” (Reena Esmail), “To a Liberator” (George Fredrick McKay), “Tundra” (Nubia Jaime-Donjuan, conducted by Mike Wong), and “Monkey Business” (David Lovrien).
Tickets are open seating and $20 for general admission, or $15 for students and seniors. For tickets and more information, click here.
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