Correction: A previous version of this story said organizations were awarded grants, but no funds were disbursed.
The San Francisco Human Rights Commission announced awards for 44 organizations on June 30. But they rescinded their intent to issue those grants in July, after receiving feedback that the scoring system was unfair.
A coalition of Black organizations sent a letter that demanded the HRC re-evaluate all applicants. They alleged HRC misused AI tools to assess submissions and that this year’s process did not fulfill its stated mission of racial equity.
The grant program was originally called the Dream Keepers Initiative. Former San Francisco Mayor London Breed launched it in 2021 to support Black communities. But the HRC overhauled it after financial scandals last year. She paused the funds in light of misspending and appointed new executive director, Mawuli Tugbenyoh.
This year's request for proposals said it would award up to $19 million in grants to organizations that uplift historically marginalized communities. HRC plans to invest in a range of initiatives: from health, to arts and culture, to housing stability and public safety.
Now, as the commission re-evaluates the submissions, organizations like GLIDE, Lyon-Martin, and Creativity Explored are in limbo.
The Dance Brigade was initially told they would be awarded funds in June. Managing Director Stella Adelman said, “I have no idea how the City expects us to survive. It feels so disrespectful that they can't get it together.”
HRC said they will provide an updated timeline for the review process by Friday, August 8.
