Beyond the March: Staying Engaged

Civic engagement is participation in activities that improve one’s community or address wider social issues. Civic engagement can involve political and non-political activities. Typical forms of civic engagement include participating in the electoral process, volunteering, and advocacy or activism.

Our community members often feel lost or overwhelmed when it comes to civic engagement, not knowing where to start or how to engage. We wanted to help by creating a resource page with multiple local nonprofit and community organizations that the community can volunteer with and support. 

Marching is just the first step, see below and take the next one… 

Civil Rights

BayLegal’s mission is to provide meaningful access to the civil justice system through quality legal assistance regardless of a client’s location, language or disability.

Community Forward SF is a collection of vital programs that ensures our neighbors experiencing homelessness have effective services designed for their unique needs. Whether one needs housing, medical shelter, a safe place to become sober, or calm in the face of domestic violence - we care for those most vulnerable in our community.

Courage California envisions a progressive, equitable, and representative California, powered by our people. Their mission is to unite and equip Californians to hold leaders accountable and take courageous action for change.

Equal Rights Advocates fights for gender justice in workplaces and schools across the country. Since 1974, we’ve been fighting on the front lines of social justice to protect and advance rights and opportunities for women, girls, and people of all gender identities through groundbreaking legal cases and bold legislation that sets the stage for the rest of the nation.

GLIDE is a nationally recognized center for social justice, dedicated to fighting   systemic injustices, creating pathways out of poverty and crisis, and transforming lives.

MobilizeHer advances intersectional gender justice through concrete action. We mobilize progressive organizations and activists to achieve equity for self-identified women and gender-expansive people through collaboration, education and advocacy, centering the connected nature of our struggles and our collective liberation.

Open Door Legal is pioneering the country’s first system of universal access to civil legal representation. Our goal is to show that when everyone has access to the law, poverty will be dramatically reduced. Legal aid is one of the most cost effective ways to reduce poverty in America.

OWL SF educates and advocates on many quality of life issues that affect midlife and older women. In our monthly meetings and other actions we address housing, transportation, pedestrian safety, aging in place, mental and physical health, nutrition, caregiving, climate change, and racial justice.

To empower and support womxn who are experiencing housing instability and sexual exploitation or trafficking, by creating survivor-centered spaces, services, advocacy, and community education. We provide gender-specific responses to chronic homelessness for this overlooked and underserved population.

Before the pandemic, one in five neighbors was at risk of hunger. Now, we know the need is even greater. We address hunger head-on – from our food pantry network and home-delivered groceries to CalFresh (food stamp) enrollment.

The Human Rights Commission advocates for human and civil rights, and works in service of the City’s anti-discrimination laws to further racial solidarity, equity, and healing.

The San Francisco Women's Housing Coalition is made up of organizations, advocates, and stakeholders who work toward providing sustainable housing for unhoused women in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

Disability Rights

Cultivating connections to help seniors and people with disabilities age and thrive at home in San Francisco.

Together, we can make San Francisco a place that nurtures community, joy, learning, and health for all seniors and people with disabilities.

To improve the quality of life for people with developmental disabilities in our community by providing a lifetime of compassionate support in an atmosphere of respect, inspiration, and purpose.

San Francisco Senior and Disability Action mobilizes and educates seniors and people with disabilities to fight for individual rights and social justice. Through individual support and collective action, we work together to create a city and world in which seniors and people with disabilities can live well and safely.

Ending Violence

The mission of La Casa de las Madres is to respond to calls for help from domestic violence victims, of all ages, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We give survivors the tools to transform their lives. We seek to prevent future violence by educating the community and by redefining public perceptions about domestic violence.

Our mission is to provide national leadership to end violence against American Indian, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian women by supporting culturally grounded, grassroots advocacy.

Dedicated to Restoring Sovereignty and Safeguarding Native Women and Children

Moms Demand Action is a grassroots movement of Americans fighting for public safety measures that can protect people from gun violence. We pass stronger gun laws and work to close the loopholes that jeopardize the safety of our families. 

Advocating for survivors of sexual harassment and assault, and transforming the systems used to address sexual violence in San Francisco.

Our mission is to advance equity, justice, and power by dismantling systemic racism and building a multiracial movement to end anti-Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) hate.

V-Day is a global activist movement to end violence against all women (cisgender, transgender, and those who hold fluid identities that are subject to gender-based violence), girls and the planet. 

Environmental Justice

California Environmental Voters (EnviroVoters) exists to build the political will and power to solve the climate crisis, use climate action to advance justice, and create a global roadmap of innovative solutions that can be exported globally

Idle No More SF Bay  is a grassroots all-volunteer organization composed of Native and non-Native allies dedicated to climate change activism.  

NRDC uses science, policy, law, and people power to confront the climate crisis, protect public health, and safeguard nature. Get updates on our issues.

For over 45 years, the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition has been transforming San Francisco streets and neighborhoods into more livable and safe places by promoting the bicycle for everyday transportation. We are one of the largest and most effective bicycle advocacy groups in the country. 

Sunrise Movement has redefined climate politics in the United States. Sunrise has helped elect hundreds of Green New Deal champions at all levels of government, gotten thousands of politicians to sign the no fossil fuel money pledge, and mobilized our generation to make climate a top issue in our elections. 

Immigrant Rights

We are committed to the pursuit of justice across society, with a specific focus on serving low-income, immigrant, and underserved Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

We are the nation’s first Asian American legal and civil rights organization.

Founded in 1972, the Chinese Progressive Association educates, organizes and empowers the low income and working class immigrant Chinese community in San Francisco to build collective power with other oppressed communities to demand better living and working conditions and justice for all people.

Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA) is a grassroots organization of Latina immigrant women with a dual mission of promoting personal transformation and building community power for social and economic justice.

We guide the City on issues and policies related to immigrants who live or work in San Francisco.

LGBTQIA+ Rights

Bay Area American Indian Two-Spirits (BAAITS) exists to restore and recover the role of Two-Spirit people within the American Indian/First Nations community by creating a forum for the spiritual, cultural and artistic expression of Two-Spirit people.

Equality California brings the voices of LGBTQ+ people and allies to institutions of power in California and across the United States, striving to create a world that is healthy, just, and fully equal for all LGBTQ+ people.

Lavender Phoenix builds queer and transgender Asian and Pacific Islander power to amplify our voices and increase the visibility of our communities. Through organizing in the Bay Area, we inspire and train grassroots leaders, transform our values from scarcity to abundance, and partner with organizations to sustain a vibrant movement ecosystem.

NCLR is a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families through litigation, legislation, policy, and public education.

The Center supports the needs of the entire LGBTQ community and allies through robust programming. We also connect people to a rich network of organizations in San Francisco serving the LGBTQ community.

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence take vows to Promulgate Universal Joy and Expiate Stigmatic Guilt. We are here for our community to foster hope, creativity, and wellness!

The mission of the Transgender District is to create an urban environment that fosters the rich history, culture, legacy, and empowerment of transgender people and its deep roots in the southeastern Tenderloin neighborhood. The transgender district aims to stabilize and economically empower the transgender community through ownership of homes, businesses, historic and cultural sites, and safe community spaces.

The Transgender District is the first legally recognized transgender district in the world

Transgender Law Center changes law, policy, and attitudes so that all people can live safely, authentically, and free from discrimination regardless of their gender identity or expression.

Trikone is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) people of South Asian descent, who trace their ethnicities to one of the following places: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Myanmar (Burma), Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Tibet. 

Politics and Elections

Black Women Organized for Political Action’s (BWOPA) mission is to activate, motivate, promote, support, and educate African-American women about the political process, encourage involvement, and to affirm our commitment to, and solving, those problems affecting the African-American community.

The Commission on the Status of Women and Girls works in a culturally inclusive manner to promote equality and justice for all women and girls by advocating on their behalf with the Governor, the Legislature and other public policymakers, and by educating the public in the areas of economic equity and other key issue areas identified by the Commission as significantly affecting women and girls.

We are a diverse, nonpartisan grassroots organization that believes upgrading our elections with Ranked Choice Voting is one of the most effective things We The People can do to address many of the seemingly intractable problems we face.

Common Cause is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to upholding the core values of American democracy. We work to create open, honest, and accountable government that serves the public interest; promote equal rights, opportunity, and representation for all; and empower all people to make their voices heard in the political process.

GENup “Generation Up” is a California-based, nationwide student-led social justice organization and student-activist coalition that strives to advocate for education through the power of youth voices! GENup is for the students by the students. From its bottom to top, youth run all aspects of GENup. We strive to be a long term agent and champion of educational advocacy and change.

Here at GENup we have a very unique model of change and theory of impact: we seek to legislate and organize for educational policy reform through a unique combination of community organizing and policy organizing. 

IGNITE is a movement of young women who are ready and eager to become the next generation of political leaders. IGNITE has trained 20,000+ young women to discover and flex their political power. From a small pilot program in Oakland, California, IGNITE has become the nation's leading organization harnessing political ambition, community building and leadership skills among young women and girls. Our model moves young women to run and win, and it dramatically increases their political engagement on every level. 

The Independent Voter Project (IVP) is a 501(c)4 organization that seeks to re-engage nonpartisan voters and promote nonpartisan election reform through initiatives, litigation, and voter education. IVP is best known for authoring California's successful nonpartisan primary.

Our members act every day to enact our progressive values: strengthening democracy, healthcare for all, economic justice, climate justice, racial and gender justice and reproductive rights. On the federal, state and local level, we hold our elected officials accountable!

The League of Women Voters of California is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization working to protect and expand voting rights, build grassroots power in our communities, drive policy change on the biggest challenges facing our state, and ensure everyone is represented in our democracy.

The League of Women Voters of San Francisco is a nonpartisan political nonprofit that encourages informed and active participation in government. Leagues at all levels take action. Our advocacy can include writing letters to media or legislators, holding press conferences, speaking at hearings and public meetings, adding our voice to a ballot measure campaign or sending action alerts to our members.

  • Voter Essentials and Voting plan

  • Candidate statements

  • Proposition Informations

Being a voter is just one way to be civically engaged. Democracy needs defenders like you every day. We can help you get involved in issues that matter in our San Francisco community.

MomsRising is a network of people just like you, united by the goal of building a more family-friendly America. MamásConPoder es una comunidad de personas como usted, unidas con la meta de construir una nación más apegada a las familias.

NextGen America is the nation’s largest youth voting organization that’s using innovative digital and field strategies to turn out young voters in key states. 

San Francisco is a diverse city with a wide range of people and issues affecting it. In order to take advantage of the extensive experience and knowledge available in the city, various Boards, Commissions, Committees, and Task Forces have been formed to bring that knowledge together. These groups and their membership requirements are established through legislation from local, state, and/or federal government

  • Commissions, Boards and Task Force: San Francisco’s city government has a plethora of active commissions, boards, task forces, and advisory committees of one kind or another. They serve a number of purposes, such as providing an appeal and oversight function for certain city departments, or providing advice to the Mayor and/or Board of Supervisors on specific issues. 

Check out the vacancies here: Vacancy - Boards, Commissions & Task Forces | Board of Supervisors (sfbos.org)

San Francisco Rising builds the political power of working-class communities and communities of color in San Francisco to lead the way for democratic governance that prioritizes racial, economic and environmental justice.

SFWPC champions policies and candidates committed to advancing intersectional feminism, racial justice, gender equity, and equitable systems and structures through participation in the San Francisco political process. 

Our Mission is to build power for women of color to lead America to a new political era. We envision an America governed by love, justice and belonging, led by women of color. 

#VOTEPROCHOICE mobilizes the nation’s prochoice majority to elect prochoice champions who protect and expand reproductive freedom at every level of government. Our digital-first tools engaged over 50+ million prochoice voters and helped elect hundreds of prochoice champion candidates. 

Resources on how to verify your voter registration, voting day tips, and ways to get involved.

Reproductive Rights 

ACCESS removes barriers and builds the power of Californians to achieve reproductive justice. We combine direct services, community education, and policy advocacy to promote real reproductive options and access to quality health care for people in California. No other organization in the state provides the same range of support for people considering or seeking an abortion.

Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice California) is the leading grassroots pro-choice advocacy organization in our state, and we believe that every woman should be able to make personal decisions about the full range of reproductive health options.

Sign up to volunteer with Reproductive Freedom for All! It's going to take all of us to ensure reproductive freedom for all.

At Planned Parenthood our mission is to ensure all people have access to the care and resources they need to make informed decisions about their bodies, their lives, and their future

WRRAP is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization assisting people who are financially unable to pay for safe, legal abortions or emergency contraception.

Resources on ways to support those fighting for Reproductive Rights and access to abortion services

Women Empowerment

Global Fund for Women envisions a world where movements for gender justice have transformed power and privilege for a few into equity and equality for all. We were founded over 30 years ago to fill a critical gap in funding for local women's rights organizations. Today, we are the leading funder of gender justice organizations, initiatives and movements worldwide.

The Latina Coalition of Silicon Valley is a 25 year organization that develops and strengthens the power of Latinas to advance our collective success through sisterhood, leadership, and civic engagement.

The Commission on the Status of Women is a Commission of the City and County of San Francisco whose purpose is to ensure women and girls equal economic, social, political and educational opportunities throughout the City. The Commission was established by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1975 after years of advocacy on the part of the San Francisco women’s community. In 1994, the voters of San Francisco approved Proposition E, which created a permanent City Department on the Status of Women to carry out the policies of the Commission. We meet on fourth Wednesdays from 5-7 PM, all meetings are open to the public.

The Women’s Building is a women-led community space that advocates self-determination, gender equality and social justice. The Women’s Building is a safe place that addresses two of San Francisco’s most pressing issues:

  • Services and advocacy for the well-being of women and girls

  • Affordable space for nonprofits and community members

Young Women’s Freedom Center has provided support, mentorship, training, employment, and advocacy to young women and trans youth of all genders in California who have grown up in poverty.

Workers Rights

The Chicana Latina Foundation is a non-profit organization that promotes professional and leadership development of Latinas. As the fastest growing population in California, Latinas are the future. Young, multicultural and entrepreneurial, by 2030, Latinas will make up the largest share of California’s workforce.

NEJA, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has provided timely and strategically critical aid to groupings of people isolated sometimes by geography, but worse by deeply ingrained public and social policies that perpetuate poverty and injustice. 

One Fair Wage works to advance policy, drive industry change, and shift the narrative in order to ensure that all workers in America are paid at least the full minimum wage from their employers. We are organizing service workers, employers, and consumers to advance local, state, and federal policy requiring One Fair Wage – a full, fair minimum wage with tips on top for all workers. 

Every person who works in America should be paid at least a full, fair minimum wage from their employer.

SEIU Local 1021 is a diverse, member-driven organization with members who work to make our cities, schools, colleges, counties, and special districts safe and healthy places to live and raise our families. We nurse our sick, educate our children, clean our schools, and care for our seniors and developmentally disabled.

We work to improve restaurant workers’ lives by building worker power and uniting workers of various backgrounds around shared goals and values.

UESF is the collective voice of San Francisco Unified School District teachers and paraprofessionals, organized and professional educators committed to learning and to the bond between students and their teachers.

Youth

Since its inception in 2012, Alliance for Girls has been facilitating development, coordination, and collective action for systemic change across the girl-serving sector. We work strategically, passionately, and collectively to dramatically shift gender norms and realities and to ensure that the next generation of girls and gender-expansive youth realize their full potential. Creating a world where girls and gender-expansive youth, especially those of color, are valued, respected, and safe, through youth-led research and storytelling, leadership development, and advocacy. By supporting and connecting the leaders of girl-serving organizations, we are able to best support girls holistically and create lasting change.

We are a powerful, community-driven alliance of girl-serving organizations and leaders advancing gender equity and ensuring every girl can thrive

Youth Advocates for Change is a youth-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to impact the next generation of changemakers through arts and creativity.

LYRIC’s mission is to build community and inspire positive social change through education enhancement, career training, health promotion, and leadership development with LGBTQQ+ youth, their families, and allies of all races, classes, genders, and abilities.

Key: 

C = Commissions 
D = Donate
M = Membership
R = Resources
V = Volunteer or Take Action

Beyond the March: Staying Engaged Presentation