San Francisco Will Pay You $5,000 to Throw Outdoor Parties

I spy Jeff Hunt from the Storied SF podcast in this photo from a Dragon Spunk event. Photo by Ivy Chen.

While many neighborhoods are experiencing a resurgence since the the pandemic began to dwindle, San Francisco is still being plagued by a false reputation as the seventh circle of hell. While there are undoubtedly some major problems in SF, the vast majority of the city is nothing like the way the media is portraying it. Eat a gangrenous dick Fox News.

With that in mind, folks from various communities in SF are stepping up to help revitalize the city and breathe new life into areas that need it. Manny Yekutiel (of Manny’s), and philanthropist Daniel Lurie (founder of Tipping Point), just announced their new Civic Joy Fund which will be spending $2 million over the next six months to “Inject a jolt of magic back into San Francisco’s commercial corridors.”

And on Monday, SF Parks Alliance announced a new round of ShineOn SF Action Awards, which support projects that bring free, recurring community events to public spaces in San Francisco

Get Paid to Throw Public Events in SF

If you’re down to throw free, recurring community events in some of San Francisco’s public spaces, the SF Park Alliance might give you money and technical assistance to do so. Here’s the broad strokes:

• Any SF resident or SF-based business or community group can apply to receive up to $5,000 and technical assistance to bring free, recurring community events to public spaces in SF.

• In the newest round of Action Awards, SF Parks Alliance will distribute 10 $5,000 cash grants. Between a pilot round and an inaugural round of Action Awards grants, SF Parks Alliance has already distributed $88,000 to 18 awardees.

• Applications close June 19. Interested parties are encouraged to attend the ShineOn Action Assembly on May 30, where previous awardees, prospective applicants, and SF Parks Alliance staff can mingle and share ideas. An additional informational webinar will be hosted on May 31.

• Previous awardees have hosted clean-up events, movie nights, mural paintings, movement classes, and more, all in service of bringing a sense of community to public spaces.

From a Shark Stewards event. Photo by Kailen Swain

Sounds Pretty Awesome Right?

This is your chance to give back to the city, get to know your neighbors, meet new friends, and throw some kick-ass events! The entire press release is below:

SAN FRANCISCO, CA ­(May 22, 2023) –­ Today, San Francisco Parks Alliance announces a new round of ShineOn SF Action Awards is open. The Action Awards support projects that bring free, recurring community events to public spaces in San Francisco. Any SF resident or SF-based business or community group can apply to receive up to $5,000 and technical assistance to help make their idea a reality.

The Action Awards give resources to help people or organizations care for a public space that matters to them. Previous awardees have hosted clean-up events, movie nights, mural paintings, movement classes, and more, all in service of bringing a sense of community to public spaces.

In the newest round of Action Awards, SF Parks Alliance will distribute 10 $5,000 cash grants. In addition, SF Parks Alliance provides expertise in public programming and permitting and other technical support to ensure awardees can bring their visions to life. Between a pilot round and an inaugural round of Action Awards grants, SF Parks Alliance has already distributed $88,000 to 18 awardees.

“The Action Awards cut to the heart of what the Parks Alliance is about – empowering San Franciscans to take ownership of public spaces and bring them to life. This program recognizes that communities are the best stewards for their parks, alleys, and gardens,” said Drew Becher, CEO of SF Parks Alliance.

Interested parties are encouraged to attend the ShineOn Action Assembly on May 30, where previous awardees, prospective applicants, and SF Parks Alliance staff can mingle and share ideas. An additional informational webinar will be hosted on May 31. Applications close June 19. You can learn more about the Action Awards at sfparksalliance.org/action-awards.