Project Homeless Connect

Background

San Francisco has one of the most severe homelessness problems in the United States with approximately 15,000 homeless people in the city. While only 20 percent of the homeless population can be considered chronic, 63 percent of San Francisco's $200 million annual budget goes towards serving this segment [1]. Yet the number of homeless continues to rise alarmingly and the current system of shelters has proven ineffective.

Studies have demonstrated that, compared with shelters and transitional housing, permanent housing with on-site support services is more cost effective and ultimately more successful at getting people off the streets permanently. In 2004, San Francisco adopted a 10-year plan to provide permanent supportive housing for all of the city's chronically homeless.

Organization Mission

Project Homeless Connect (PHC) is a public/private initiative to mobilize thousands of volunteers to reach out to the homeless population, connect them to much-needed services and ultimately place the chronically homeless into long-term supportive housing.

Full Circle Fund Role

Working with San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's office, the Affordable Housing Circle focuses on three areas: business planning, corporate outreach and communications strategies. The team has developed and implemented a multi-faceted corporate partnership strategy and is also assisting the project with communications, public relations, volunteer recruitment and business planning.

Impact

In partnership with Project Homeless Connect, the Full Circle Fund team has:

• Organized two extremely effective corporate VIP tours and briefings.
• Developed a corporate outreach strategy and tools to enable PHC staff to cultivate partnerships with a tracking and relationship management system.
• Helped secure a donation from FedEx of $25,000, reprographics services and logistical management advice and employee volunteers, as well as a donation of 1,000 pair of jeans from Levi Strauss & Co.
• Supported PHC nationwide replication efforts by working with an outside design firm to produce PHC's first annual report, clearly documenting the Project's progress over its first year.
• Developed and implemented with partner Bill Slatkin a program to recruit pro-bono PR/advertising professionals to support PHC. As a result, Michael Fineman of Fineman PR [link] is now actively, drafting news releases and media advisories, launching a campaign to achieve national exposure, and enlisting the help of other PR professionals.

¹ The San Francisco Plan to Abolish Chronic Homelessness, 2004.

NAME: Project Homeless Connect
LOCATION: San Francisco
WEB: sfconnect.org
GRANT TERM: 2005-2006
TEAM LEADS: Kate DeYoe and Victoria Lavi

"Full Circle Fund is an exemplary organization that encourages young leaders to play a vital role in the narrative for positive social change in communities throughout the Bay Area. I am pleased to commend Full Circle Fund for its stewardship in connection with San Francisco's Project Homeless Connect - which now serves as a national best practice - and for all its philanthropic endeavors that go toward enhancing the quality of life for all our residents."

Mayor Gavin Newsom

City and County of San Francisco