News

September Newsletter: Building Belonging this School Year

September 18, 2025

Our September newsletter highlights a season of renewed momentum for San Francisco’s public schools. The SF Ed Fund helped unveil Everett Middle School’s $6M renovated schoolyard — a new oasis for students and families — while expanding educator wellness through the Room to Breathe Project, now reaching 874 educators across 16 schools. Applications are open for Educator Impact Grants and Awesome Fund Grants, empowering teachers and students to strengthen belonging and creativity. The San Francisco Literacy Coalition launches its fall professional learning series and convening on October 7, and we’re calling on new volunteers to join our tutoring, mentoring, and mindfulness programs. Plus, don’t miss Spruce’s Back-to-School Bake Sale on September 13 and our Back-to-School Gala: Voices of Our Schools on September 25 — two ways to celebrate and support our city’s educators and students.

August Newsletter: SF Chronicle Highlights High-Impact Tutoring Gains to Kick Off the School Year

August 19, 2025

Our August newsletter marks the start of a new school year with both celebration and urgency. The San Francisco Chronicle spotlighted the success of our high-impact tutoring program, which has already raised $30,000 in new community support — but nearly 800 students remain on the waitlist, and $570,000 is still needed to ensure every child receives the literacy support they deserve. More than 300 volunteers turned out for our 10th annual Back-to-School Setup Day, helping teachers prepare classrooms for thousands of SFUSD students. We’re also opening applications for 2025-26 Educator Impact Grants, preparing new volunteers through fall training sessions, and inviting the community to join us at our September 25 Back-to-School Gala, Voices of Our Schools.

June Newsletter: Progress and Preparation⚡

June 20, 2025

Our June newsletter highlights the collective impact made across San Francisco schools this year — from building a new Sensory Garden at ER Taylor Elementary to unboxing thousands of math curriculum materials with the help of over 100 volunteers. We’re celebrating major milestones, including the success of our high-impact literacy tutoring program, which reached more than 1,000 students with measurable reading gains, and honoring our dedicated volunteers with Giants-sized gratitude. Looking ahead, we’re gearing up for Back-to-School Setup Day on August 15, where the community can once again come together to ensure classrooms are welcoming and ready for students from day one.

May Newsletter: Celebrating Impact

May 15, 2025

Our May newsletter reflects on a school year defined by resilience, stability, and community care. Highlights include SFUSD’s reversal of 151 staff layoffs, a $210,000 grant from Battery Powered to expand high-impact literacy tutoring, and the ribbon-cutting of Guadalupe Elementary’s new turf field, which is already boosting student belonging and attendance. We also celebrated educators through 41 Educator Impact Grants reaching more than 8,000 students, and spotlighted student leadership at the Awesome Fund Showcase, where innovative projects fostered creativity and connection across six high schools. Together, these moments remind us what’s possible when students, educators, and communities are supported to thrive.

Celebrating Women’s Impact on SF Schools

March 26, 2025

For decades, women have been the driving force behind education—both in the classroom and in shaping the institutions that support our schools. The San Francisco Education Fund is no exception. This Women’s History Month, we honor the SF Ed Fund’s founder, Glady Thacher, and the visionary behind our San Francisco School Volunteers organization, Gretchen de Baubigny – two women who transformed how our community supports public schools.In 1978, Proposition 13 slashed public education funding, moving SFUSD from one of the highest-funded districts in the nation to one of the lowest. Glady founded the SF Ed Fund in 1979, securing funding and launching programs that have since provided tens of millions of dollars to students, teachers, and schools in SFUSD. ...

What’s Ahead for SF Schools

February 28, 2025

BookNook Launches + Young Leaders Council Applications Open

January 24, 2025

Over $300K in Educator and Student Impact Grants, 2023-24 Annual Report, and More! 🎉

December 19, 2024