Drew Becher quietly left as CEO of the Parks Alliance in February after an eight-year tenure, The Standard has learned.
The San Francisco-based nonprofit confirmed Becher’s departure Wednesday. Robert Ogilvie, who formerly worked with Lighthouse Public Affairs and at SPUR’s Oakland office, has been serving as interim CEO since February.
In an email to donors sent Wednesday, Parks Alliance acknowledged financial problems at the organization, pointing to declining revenue and a failure to cut costs. In its 2023 Internal Revenue Service filing, Park Alliance reported revenue of $9.3 million and close to $15 million in expenses. Filings show declining revenue since 2019, when Parks Alliance reported more than $20 million in contributions.
“By late 2023, revenue — particularly from City grants — declined significantly, but we maintained our staffing levels to continue delivering for our community. We now know that we didn’t react quickly enough to the drop in revenue,” the email said. “As funding dried up, we recognized we needed to take swift action: new financial leadership was brought in, and we began a comprehensive transformation of our internal systems and priorities.”
Becher departed at the end of February. Parks Alliance began laying off staffers in June and cut more this month.
“This transition was in the works for a few months with the Board leadership. I wish nothing but the best for S.F. parks and the alliance and am proud of all we accomplished over 8 years,” Becher wrote in a text message.
Parks Alliance is known for supporting city parks and open spaces, partly by serving as a fiscal sponsor for smaller organizations and city agencies.
The organization is active in revitalizing a range of popular recreational spaces, helping to install public art on the city’s network of “slow streets,” leading programs for the 150th anniversary of Golden Gate Park in 2020, and helping to launch projects like the 7-acre Crane Cove Park, a former industrial shoreline near the Dogpatch.
However, the nonprofit’s close ties with city departments such as Public Works and the Recreation and Parks Department have drawn scrutiny.
A 2020 controller’s office report focused on the organization’s relationship with Public Works under Mohammed Nuru, the former director who pleaded guilty to fraud charges in 2021. Investigators found that Nuru directed donations from companies and individuals to Parks Alliance accounts, which were then used to influence contracting decisions. Parks Alliance denied knowledge of any unethical activity, but city officials noted that the arrangement opened the door to corrupt practices.
Parks Alliance was never accused of wrongdoing, a spokesperson noted.
In 2022, NBC Bay Area found that Parks Alliance raised money annually for parks “scholarships” to support low-income youth and seniors, but some of that money was used to pay for Recreation and Parks staff retreats and worker appreciation events. The department denied wrongdoing, suggesting such events were good for staff morale.
The Wednesday donor email touted the nonprofit’s work in revitalizing playgrounds and expanding access to open space but said it is “putting new projects and costly activations on hold, reassessing fiscal sponsorships, and launching a major fundraising push.”