The One City Forum—a leadership committee of nonprofit executives and tech social impact leaders—presents its inaugural mandate, a set of guiding principles that establishes a clear scope of what the members and their organizations are working towards. Through partnerships, cross-sector collaboration, and thought-provoking events, the One City Forum strives to find innovative solutions to issues facing the City.

The first One City Forum mandate focuses on three areas critical to the long-term success of San Francisco and its residents. This includes developing the workforce of tomorrow, bridging the digital divide, and engaging the San Francisco community. Learn more below about these focus points and the One City Forum’s recommendations on how to achieve a better San Francisco for all.

Develop the Workforce of Tomorrow: Despite ongoing commitments to diversify the tech workforce, the percentage of Black (4.7 percent) and Hispanic (6.8 percent) employees in tech have increased by less than one percent since 2014. All San Francisco residents should have a fair shot at participating in the modern economy. By closing the skills gap and making hiring practices more equitable we can help workers find well-paying roles and be competitive job candidates in the ever-changing job market.

• Diversify the workforce by broadening the talent pipeline with more inclusive recruiting and hiring practices and removing barriers to entry for candidates from underrepresented backgrounds, including ethnicity, race, age, gender, and sexual orientation
• Boost investments in public education, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education, and workforce development programs
• Increase representation of underrepresented groups in leadership roles at both tech companies and nonprofit organizations

Bridge the Digital Divide: With an estimated 100,000 residents lacking internet access at home, San Francisco needs to take major strides in order to become a digital-first city. With every aspect of daily life becoming increasingly dependent on technology, we need to enhance the City’s existing digital infrastructure and provide every San Francisco resident with the digital tools, resources, and skills to reliably participate in the digital world. 

• Support programs that improve the digital skills of students, seniors, and other individuals from low-income and disenfranchised communities
• Support programs that distribute technological tools such as laptops, wifi hotspots, tablets, and more to schools and local community organizations 
• Enhance the City’s digital infrastructure by supporting initiatives that expand reliable, accessible, and affordable broadband to all corners of the City, particularly to historically and systemically marginalized neighborhoods

Engage the San Francisco Community: Encourage corporations and their employees to become active partners in the local community. By increasing community engagement efforts and developing strong partnerships, companies and organizations can create meaningful, long-lasting impact in their own backyard.

• Support City-sponsored programs such as Opportunities for All, TechSF, Civic Bridge, and Avenue Greenlight that promote corporate engagement and reinvest in the local community
• Develop corporate partnerships with local nonprofits, small businesses, and schools such as 826 Valencia’s college prep tutoring sessions, JVS’s mock interviews, Larkin Street Youth Services’ kit assemblies, Meals on Wheels San Francisco’s “Disaster Resilience and Isolation Outreach for Seniors”, and sf.citi’s “Circle the Schools”
• Encourage individual and corporate volunteering with community-based agencies and donating to local nonprofits

sf.citi ONE CITY FORUM