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Questions and Answers
May I Donate Goods to the Season of Sharing Fund?
We are unable to manage donations of any type of goods, including toys, holiday food baskets, clothing, furniture, automobiles, etc. HELPLINK at 1-800-273-6222 can suggest organizations in your area seeking such donations.
Who is eligible for assistance and how do they find out about receiving help?
Senior citizens (60+) or disabled individuals and low-to-moderate income families with dependent children who have a one-time critical need and who reside in the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, San Francisco, Santa Clara, Solano or Sonoma. Funds are also distributed to food banks in these counties. If you or someone you know needs short-term assistance and might qualify for a grant, please contact the HELPLINK referral services at 1-800-273-6222. You will be directed to a Community Service Agency near your home who will work with you.
What is the purpose of the Fund?
Despite public and private efforts, thousands of San Francisco Bay Area families and individuals slip through social safety nets. Typically, these are low-income people (many of whom are working at minimum wages or minimum hours) who have one-time emergency needs that can't be met through other resources. Through a network of 120 community service agencies, the Season of Sharing Fund provides assistance to strengthen the stability of a family in crisis. Basically, the fund pays bills on a short-term basis.
How does the Fund work?
The San Francisco Chronicle with its media partners features stories of people in need beginning Thanksgiving Day and concluding New Year's Eve. The San Francisco Chronicle invites its more than one million readers to contribute, and television encourages its million of viewers to donate to the Fund. Local agencies provide screening and referral services to individuals. Social service departments work closely with clients and prepare a detailed budget with the goal of finding and eliminating areas of concern. Once applications are approved, fiscal agents in each county disburse grants. All funds donated are used through the year. No funds are held over from year to year.
Can donations be made directly to individuals featured in the paper or on television?
No, for a number of reasons, including:
- Direct donations to individuals will adversely affect other sources of income. For example, if an individual is receiving Social Security Income, Disability Income, Welfare-to-Work assistance, the government will cut that income exactly to the amount of the donation, therefore they gain no ground.
- Approximately 20 families are featured during the campaign. If only those families received assistance, they would share more than $4 million and thousands of equally deserving individuals and families would not get help.
- The people featured are representative of the ills of our society and are neither more nor less worthy than thousands of others who request assistance through the Season of Sharing Fund. All donations to the Fund are used throughout the year to help people in stressful situations by providing one-time grants which will not affect other income.
What is the method of assistance?
Critical needs assistance is in the form of grants that are paid directly to the supplier of services. Assistance is also provided through food box and brown bag programs. Each year, Season of Sharing funds provide roughly 1 million meals; resolve critical needs and assist with housing for approximately 5,000 families. Through the years, thousands of children and their parents have been moved out of shelters into permanent housing and the funds have prevented thousands of people from becoming homeless.
How are grants allocated to participating counties?
85% of the total funds donated are used for housing and critical needs; 15% are used for emergency food services. Each county receives a base amount for housing and critical needs (currently $25,000), and a base amount for food programs (currently $5,000). The balance of the funds is distributed on a percentage basis, according to three areas of need in the counties served: 1) Families with Children; 2) Elderly Individuals; and 3) Disabled Individuals.
How does the San Francisco Chronicle support the Fund?
The San Francisco Chronicle opens the drive each year with a contribution of $30,000. The San Francisco Chronicle also pays the fiscal agent in each county an administrative fee of 2.5% of the total funds distributed for housing and critical needs assistance. With its television partners, Chronicle reporters and photographers interview people in need who are then featured in the paper and on the air during the campaign. The newspaper publishes lists of contributors, stories of contributors, a running total of donations to the fund and a coupon advising readers how to contribute. Ads throughout the San Francisco Chronicle and public service announcements on television further encourage Bay Area residents to help their neighbors in need. At the conclusion of the campaign, The San Francisco Chronicle publishes an accounting of funds donated and how funds were distributed.
Is a percentage of donated dollars allocated to cover administrative expenses?
No. Every dollar contributed goes to our neighbors in need. All administrative expenses are paid for by the San Francisco Chronicle, interest on the Fund, selected foundations who support the Fund, and by the more than 120 community service agencies who distribute the funds in each county.
Is donor information provided or sold to anyone else?
Absolutely not. We value each and every contribution and all are completely confidential. With the exception of names published in the paper at the donor's request, and corporations and foundations published in our annual report, our donor database is private.
Are contributions tax-deductible?
Yes. The Season of Sharing Fund is a non-profit corporation exempt from income tax. It does have a 501(c)(3) number.
Are contributions accepted all year?
Yes. The account is open year-round. Contributions can be sent at any time to:
San Francisco Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund
901 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
What is the history of the Fund?
Although the San Francisco Chronicle created the Season of Sharing Fund in 1986, as an extension of the Emergency Family Needs/Housing Assistance Fund administered by Northern California Grantmakers in 1983-84. Since the San Francisco Chronicle started the fund, more than $56 million have been donated. All donations have been used to provide critically needed items, housing assistance and food to thousands of Bay Area individuals and families through the years.
Who can I contact if I still need information?
Contact the San Francisco Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund office at the address above, via e-mail at the San Francisco Chronicle or call 415-777-7120. Note: Because our staff is small it may take a few days to get back to you.
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