Corruption. Favoritism. Misspent funds.
The city last year paused a $120 million program aimed at funding Black community groups in the wake of these scandalous allegations. Nonprofits that provide food, backpacks for children, and mental health support feared closure.
Nearly half a year later, Dream Keeper, an initiative of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission, will be restarted, Mayor Daniel Lurie said Friday at a gathering for Black History Month at City Hall.
“The Human Rights Commission has given me their word that a request for proposals will be given out on or before March 21,” he told Black community leaders, referencing a process to select grant recipients. “I want you to know my administration is taking this seriously. Funds allocated to the African American community are critical to the stabilization of our neighborhoods.”
Dr. Jonathan Butler, the new president of the San Francisco NAACP, lauded Lurie for moving the program forward, citing its successes in feeding the hungry and helping first-time home buyers and students.
“Every Black person in the community is impacted by Dream Keeper,” Butler said.
However, the program may no longer be referred to by that name. A rebrand is in store, sources told The Standard.
Multiple cases of wrongdoing regarding dispersion of Dream Keeper funds were uncovered last year in rapid-fire succession by local media. Among the scandals, the former Human Rights Commission head approved $1.5 million in contracts for her romantic partner’s organization; another nonprofit funded by the program spent community funds on steakhouse dinners, liquor, and first-class flights, The Standard revealed.
Former Mayor London Breed froze some funding for Dream Keeper, calling for an audit by the city controller’s office, the results of which are expected in the coming months.
Dream Keeper was Breed’s signature program, spun up in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder of 2020. Before Friday, Lurie had yet to voice support for Dream Keeper; he spent the last few months visiting with Black leaders to gauge community needs. His announcement comes as President Donald Trump targets federally funded programs aimed at uplifting minority communities.
With Lurie’s backing and the rebranding will come new support.
The city will devote resources to help small nonprofits with financial infrastructure to deal with the influx of money, a challenge that may have led to past legal snafus. And Lurie will institute more stringent requirements for nonprofits to prove they have delivered results for the Black community.
Meanwhile, Lurie announced that the Human Rights Commission, which disburses funding for Dream Keeper, will issue a new request for proposals to receive funding. That means a new host of nonprofits may benefit — potentially a way of weeding out programs identified as problematic.
Theo Ellington, a consultant who sits on the Bayview Opera House board of directors, said Dream Keeper’s restoration will help the Black community, whose members need to voice their needs louder than ever since Breed’s exit from office.
“The harsh reality is that in every statistical category, Black folks are the most impacted or the most vulnerable. The data supports the need to continue this investment,” he said. “We have to tell the story of where the investment should go specifically.”
The need increased after Dream Keeper’s pause, with Black-led nonprofits reporting layoffs and grant disbursements to students falling by the wayside. Black leaders protested at City Hall, calling for Dream Keeper funds to be restored.
However, money is not enough, Butler said; nonprofits that have never handled large sums need guidance in financial controls.
“He’s certainly listened,” the NAACP leader noted of Lurie. “It’s good news.”