About Fiscal Sponsorship, Agreements & Park Partners

In May of 2009, our newly formed "Friends of McKinley Square Park" [FoMSP] was nominated by Steve Cismowski, NSA Manager for San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department (SF RPD) for a 501c fiscal sponsorship allowing us our non-profit status.  From June 2009-2013, we worked closely with San Francisco Parks Trust, now known as the San Francisco Parks Alliance after an organizational merger in 2012 with Neighborhood Parks Council. 

By mid-2013, we were ready to make a change (change is good) and established a new agreement with Tides Foundation located here in San Francisco. This too came as a recommendation and referral from our friends at SF RPD.

For more than 35 years, great ideas have thrived at Tides. Tides provides sophisticated financial and management services - and inspiration - to help donors and doers (like us!) achieve their vision of a just world.  The transition from SFPT to the Tides Foundation represents a natural progression of learning that has occurred with us growing up from the early incubator stages to now partnering with a world class leader.

Tides Foundation hosts and manages a fund for the Friends of McKinley Square Park, which can accept tax-deductible contributions from donors and make disbursements to support the park’s renovation plan as implemented by SF RPD.  We have a great appreciation for our many park partnerships that support our non-profit goals.

Together with our partners, we are firmly committed to working with every neighbor and individual groups on a variety of healthy funding activities, outreach and raising awareness through consensus based community design, planning and wellness programs benefiting McKinley Square and support our open spaces.

Our Advisory Committee manages the fund at Tides Foundation under our agreement and brings together expertise in fundraising, community outreach, financial services, insurance, and administrative support services--all for the benefit of the park.

As volunteers, we do not have the authority (or desire) to approve, deny or support any special interests or topics. All of our efforts are in good faith, as neighbors - to support our neighborhood and provide a much needed resource in the areas of funding and in supporting park improvements.  We work together with many park partners and local groups to accomplish this effort.  We do our best in the areas of community outreach, ongoing funding education and in the facilitation of park meetings that promote healthy parks, healthy communities. All of efforts since 2009 fall under the direction of our local state and government agencies which primarily include SF Recreation and Parks Department, Department of Public Works and our friends at Caltrans.