With everything going on in the Bay and the rest of the world, it can be all too easy to get caught up in the negativity. But it doesn't have to be that way. Why not take a break from angrily typing “I know you are, but what am I!” on your friend’s grandmother’s political post on Facebook, and open up a big can of positive? There are so many awesome nonprofits in our community and ways to get involved.
Last updated October 29, 2024
Centro Latino de San Francisco
This small but mighty community center in the Mission has been serving seniors, immigrants, and people with disabilities for 35 years. They're always looking for volunteers that can help with meal services, running activities for seniors, and assisting with their citizenship classes that help permanent residents pass their citizenship exam. Get involved.
Clean Up The City
Make the city sparkle with Clean Up the City, the weekly neighborhood clean-up presented by Civic Joy Fund in partnership with SF Public Works and local community members. The clean-ups happen in 8 different neighborhoods (Nob Hill, Lower Polk, Fillmore, Mission, Hayes Valley, Ocean Beach, Ingleside, and Bayview) every weekend. Civic Joy Fund also organizes additional volunteer opportunities, like the quarterly Tenderloin Beautification Day where the streets are cleaned and power washed, with a free brunch for volunteers afterwards. Get involved.
Cheer San Francisco
If you’ve ever uttered the phrase, “I just want to dance!” then this, dear friend, is the perfect volunteer organization for you. For 37 years CHEER San Francisco® has been bringing the pep to the Bay by way of charitable cheerleading. They dance. They fundraise. They donate to causes like the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund, Hospice By The Bay, and the San Francisco LGBT Community Center. Ra ra indeed. Get involved.
Food Runners
Ever wonder what restaurants and businesses do with excess food? Thanks to Mary Risley, a culinary school owner and humanitarian, a good chunk of them are donating anything that their customers don’t use to organizations aiding the hungry. The group has been quite literally running (and driving, carting, and biking) food from businesses to shelters since 1987. They have over 250 active volunteers, and more than 450 restaurants devoted to the cause. Get involved.
Lava Mae
Have you seen the big blue buses cruising around town? Those buses are actually showers and toilets on wheels aimed at rekindling “dignity for our homeless guests in San Francisco.” With a motto of “radical hospitality,” this organization will have surely have you singing “Rubber ducky, you’re the one!" Get involved.
Friends of the Urban Forest
This aptly-named group tackles their mission of “greening San Francisco” by (you guessed it) planting trees, bushes, flowers, and flora of all kinds throughout the neighborhoods of the city. Their current estimate places 47% of San Francisco’s total street tree canopy as the direct result of their efforts. While there are multitude of obvious benefits to adding some street trees - a prettier San Francisco and better air quality being the two most obvious perks - the FUF website also cites some less well-known benefits, including a reduction in traffic stress and a lowering crime rate. That's right: more green equals less violence. Get involved.
Project Night Night
Aside from having one of the most adorable names in the business, Project Night Night is #winning by providing over 35,000 Night Night Packages to homeless children annually. Each package contains a blanket, a book, and a stuffed animal to help provide some semblance of nighttime comforts to homeless children experiencing a traumatic transitions. Get involved.
Presidio Trust Volunteer Programs
It takes a lot of work to keep the Presidio beautiful, which means it takes a lot of volunteers to keep the Presidio beautiful. Weekly volunteer programs include habitat restoration, trail and forest maintenance, shoreline cleanup, and vegetation management. Have a bit of an unpredictable schedule? Volunteers are welcome to drop-in or register for sessions in advance. Do good, preserve San Francisco, work on your tan: that's a win-win-win. Get involved.
Saves the Bay
In 1961, three East Bay women came together to fight the rampant pollution they saw corroding the Bay. Through countless calls, letters, and donations, the organization was born – and has worked to protect our Bay throughout numerous environmental concerns and crises every since. They estimate a whopping 15,000 hours of volunteer work served their organization in 2016 alone, which is pretty much grounds for sainthood if you ask us. Get involved.
Habitat For Humanity
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Written by Caitlin Burch
