San Francisco Study Center — since 1972

About Us

San Francisco Study Center was founded in 1972 at the rise of neighborhood power here and across the country. Community organizers needed technical assistance to get the data to frame their goals and City Hall updates to inform the evolving neighborhood groups. We showed them how to research public records and helped them understand San Francisco’s budget. Study Center explained how they could get their piece of the public pie. And, clearly, they did.

Study Center’s mission, then and now, is to help nonprofits succeed. That assistance has taken the form of breaking news from City Hall, one-to-one public records training, producing technical handbooks, annual reports, newsletters and comprehensive special reports on foundation’s community initiatives.

Study Center’s mission has evolved from our City Hall newsletter and book, “Understanding San Francisco’s Budget,” to our first fiscal sponsorship in 1975, to today’s focus on comprehensive fiscal sponsorship and serving as fiscal intermediary for city-funded programs largely in health, behavioral health, housing and community development.

Study Center edits, publishes and distributes “Fiscal Sponsorship: 6 Ways to Do It Right” from attorney Gregory Colvin’s first edition in 1993 to a 3rd revised and expanded edition later this year. This Study Center Press book, a blueprint for proper practice, has transformed fiscal agency into fiscal sponsorship, professionalizing the field in the process. The third edition, which will define a popular new Model L, will be published later this year.

Fiscalsponsordirectory.org connects projects with a database approaching 300 fiscal sponsors nationwide. Study Center launched the site in 2008 and maintains it as a free resource for projects and sponsors throughout the nation. In addition to profiles of sponsors, the Directory is the go-to site for news and features showing fiscal sponsorship in action. A steady stream of stories puts a face on fiscal sponsorship, shows it in action, explores its many parts and illustrates its benefits.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Richard Livingston, Acting President, Administrative Director, EXIT Theatre

Tina Tong Yee, Vice President, former Director, Cultural Competence and Client Relations, S.F. Behavioral Health Services

Reiko Homma True, Secretary-Treasurer, former Director, S.F. Community Mental Health

John Burks, chair emeritus, S.F. State Department of Journalism

Hazim Elbgal, Vice President, Branch Manager, City National Bank

Eric Eldon, Editor, Hoodline

Ben Kutnick, former Finance Director, Port of San Francisco

Jeanne Kwong, former health educator, S.F. Department of Public Health

Stas Margaronis, shipbuilder, co-founder S.F. Study Center

Jim McWilliams, advocate, S.F. Mental Health Clients Rights Advocacy

STAFF
Administration and Finance
Geoffrey Link, Executive Director

Jackie Okamura, Finance Director

John Nuñez, Bookkeeper

Linda Kuo, Accounting Clerk

Leonor Vera, Human Resources, Compliance Coordinator

Irene Soriano, Administrative Assistant

Editorial & Graphics
Marjorie Beggs, Senior Writer and Editor, Directory Manager

Lise Stampfli, Art Director and Photographer

Mark Hedin, Community Reporter