Golden Gate Gala at Home: Celebrating 40 Years

You’re invited to celebrate 40 years of The Richmond Neighborhood Center at the Golden Gate Gala at Home!

Join our online auction and fund-a-need paddle raises to support our youth programs, food security services, and community resources that serve more than 3,000 of our Richmond District neighbors each week.

The auction is now closed. Thank you for participating!

Check back often as we will be adding more items over the course of the week! Our goal is to raise $50,000 to keep our programs and staff going to strengthen our community and schools.

Get to know our work by watching this video:

 

What is the Golden Gate Gala at Home?

The Golden Gate Gala at Home is an online-only charity auction featuring incredible items and experiences donated by our supporters, sponsors, and partner agencies across San Francisco.

While the Golden Gate Gala was originally planned as an in-person celebration on March 26, we decided to transition to a digital event in the interest of public health and safety. We’ve received a huge outpouring of support in recent weeks to continue our work, and we’re very excited to have you join us as we build community from our living rooms.

Thank you so much to everyone who purchased tickets to the gala—your support has helped us kick off this event with the momentum we need. If you already purchased tickets, we look forward to seeing you at our fall event celebrating our 40th birthday on Thursday, September 10!

All are welcome to participate, so please be sure to share this event with your friends and family!

 

How do I participate?

• Click the button below to view our auction page, create an account, browse items and experiences, make a watchlist of your favorites, and start bidding!
• You can also purchase gift cards from local businesses and restaurants to contribute to the auction—it helps support your favorite local merchants and the Neighborhood Center’s programs at the same time!
  • If you’d like to donate a gift card to the auction:

1. Purchase a gift card from your favorite restaurant or store. Digital gift cards are easiest, or you can ask the business to mail the gift card directly to The Richmond Neighborhood Center to the attention of Grace Benson, Development Director. Our address is:

The Richmond Neighborhood Center
741 30th Avenue
San Francisco, CA 94121

2. Email giving@richmondsf.org and let us know the merchant and gift card amount so we can include it in our online auction. We will list you as the donor for that particular gift card to recognize your generosity!

• If you were planning on purchasing a ticket to the Golden Gate Gala but didn’t get the opportunity, please help us by buying a ticket anyway! Purchase the “I Will Buy a Ticket Anyway!” item on our auction page and receive a goodie-filled Gala at Home Kit delivered to your door when it is safe for us to do so. These “tickets” are a huge help, and allow us to recover some of the costs of our cancelled in-person event.
• Raise a paddle from home and help us spread the word! Print out our customizable auction paddle and write down your pledge, then take a selfie and post on social media with #GoldenGateGala and #StillGiving. Or, email your paddle-raise photo to giving@richmondsf.org and we’ll be sure to post it on our channels!
• Sign up for email and text alerts so you don’t miss a thing! Use the form below to opt-in to receive emails and text messages about important auction updates, item highlights, and more.

• Give directly to the Neighborhood Center! We are always grateful for your support, and you don’t need to participate in the auction to make an impact.

Give Now

What does this fundraiser support?

Every dollar raised at the Golden Gate Gala at Home directly supports the programs and staff who provide educational programming across 9 public schools, food for 800 neighbors through 3 weekly food pantries, grocery deliveries for 150 home-bound seniors, and community resources for local residents. More than 170 staff members and 100 volunteers make this work possible, and your dollars go to support our program participants as well as our staff.

Here are some examples:

• $100 covers a month of groceries that go to food-insecure, home-bound seniors or adults with disabilities
• $250 covers a semester of academic tutoring for high school youth
• $500 covers a year’s supply of food for middle and high school youth who take their lunchtime to engage in our Multicultural Identity Based programs (BSU, Latinx Club, GSA, Vietnamese Club, Kaibigan Pilipino, Beacon Buddies inclusion program)
• $1,000 covers a year’s supplies for weekly food pantries
• $2,000 covers a year of 1:1 support for two children with special needs, who could not otherwise attend program
• $3,000 covers financial aid for one student to attend after school program for a year

 

How has COVID-19 impacted your work?

Many of our participants who receive our food services are seniors, so a reliable source of groceries that doesn’t require going to a crowded store is more important than ever. During the shelter-in-place order, our weekly food pantries and grocery deliveries continue as an essential service. We are adding additional staff to expedite the process and cover shifts for drivers and regular volunteers who are unable to continue involvement.

During school closures, our youth programs at 9 local public schools that offer robust enrichment to students from elementary through high school are on hold. However, our staff are currently hard at work planning lessons and activities for when those schools reopen. The funds raised by this auction allow us to keep our more than 170 staff members on payroll for as long as possible. We are committed to prioritizing the well-being of our employees and participants, and your support helps us ensure that everyone at our organization has the financial security they need.

This Hoodline article articulates well the challenges we face as a neighborhood center during this time.

 

Which schools do you Serve?

The Richmond Neighborhood Center offers programs at 9 Richmond District public schools:

• Alamo Elementary School
• Argonne Elementary School
• Lafayette Elementary School
• Frank McCoppin Elementary School
• George Peabody Elementary School
• Presidio Middle School
• Roosevelt Middle School
• Raoul Wallenberg High School
• George Washington High School

 

Special Thanks to our Supporters!

We give special thanks to Leadership Donors who have supported The Richmond Neighborhood Center at $1,000 – $5,000+ in the current fiscal year (July 2019 to date). Local philanthropists enable us to adapt, pursue opportunities, and meet immediate needs.

China Beach Champion
David Costa
Anne and Adrian Dollard
Marjan and Byron Philhour

Legion of Honor Leader
Omer and Nauheen Chaudhary
Jeffrey and Karlene Holloman
Ariane Marcus and Rachel Kamen
Samantha and Scott Zinober

Arguello Gate Ace
Anonymous
Anonymous
Grace and Ted Benson
The Blaxter Family
The Chan and Huie Family
Carolyn Colpitts
Michelle Cusano and Derek Mendez
Sandra Lee Fewer
Linda Fries
Marie Louise Hurabiell & Mainul Mondal
Patricia and Karl Kaussen
Joanne Low and Carroll Tom
Edie Mendez
Alex Mitra
William A. O’Loughlin, Jr.
Patrick and Helena Lau
Carrie and Casey McFarland
Ernie McNabb
Stephanie and Lee Notowich
Oleg and Heather Nodelman
Katy Orr
Michael Riordan
The Roy Jenkyn Family
Brian and Maggie Shepard
Kristina Shih and Tim Lugo
Missy and Yvo Smit
Pamela Smith
Joe Takeuchi
Sandra Tong and Denise Schmitt
Phil Ting
Keith and Lindsey Tonsager
Clifford Yee