Hi District 4!
I wanted to put a significant funding opportunity on your radar that may be worth exploring for agencies and partners working in or around San Francisco.
Boundless San Francisco is a $150 million competition funded by Crankstart and managed by Lever for Change. Up to three organizations will ultimately receive awards of between $10 million and $50 million each to advance ambitious ideas that make San Francisco a better place to live.
Unlike many funding opportunities, the competition is not limited to one issue area. Local and regional governmental entities are eligible to serve as Lead Organizations, and collaborative projects are also permitted.
Parks and recreation agencies touch many of the areas this competition is designed to influence public space, community health, youth development, recreation access, climate resilience, neighborhood connectivity, social infrastructure, and overall quality of life.
That could make this worth considering for agencies with a particularly ambitious idea, a large-scale capital or community initiative, or an opportunity to partner with nonprofits, educational institutions, other public agencies, or community organizations.
The key geographic requirement is that the proposed project must primarily benefit the City and County of San Francisco; However, up to 25% of project activities may benefit the broader Bay Area, including San Mateo and Santa Clara counties.
What's next?
If your agency has an idea, project or partnership that may fit, I'd encourage looking at the competition materials and completing the Organization Readiness Tool sooner rather than later.
Important dates:
· Registration deadline: September 11, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. PT
· Application deadline: October 9, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. PT
· Finalist selection: Spring 2027
· Final awards: Fall 2027
Three to seven finalists will also receive project development funding and technical assistance to further develop their proposals before final award decisions are made.
Even if your agency does not have a project of this scale today, this may be a useful opportunity to share with local partners or organizations working on transformational projects that intersect with parks, recreation, public space, and community wellbeing.
Learn more at: https://boundless-sf.leverforchange.org/
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David Kert
Advocacy & Impact Manager
California Park and Recreation Society
(916) 665-2777
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