How can public-private philanthropy partnerships transform a city’s infrastructure to serve families and communities?
A Vision for a More Livable San Francisco
In 2005, the number of kids in San Francisco who wanted to play far exceeded the capacity of safe and available public playing fields. The city’s fields were in considerable disrepair — inadequate lighting, poor grass coverage, unsafe gopher holes — or often closed due to darkness, rain, or turf re-growth.
That year, Bob, Bill, and John Fisher, the sons of GAP retail store founders Doris and Donald Fisher, began to consider how their philanthropy might create a more livable San Francisco for families.
They turned to Susan Hirsch and Third Plateau, knowing our regional network and experience designing new initiatives could help them understand where to focus resources and move from vision to reality. Our firm was an early and enthusiastic leader in creating philanthropic public-private partnerships, which have become a proven and effective model. We knew from projects in our earliest days that bringing together the expertise, resources, and political capital of different sectors substantially increases the possibilities for lasting change.
Building a Citywide Public-Private Partnership
Third Plateau’s philanthropy experts partnered with the Fishers to create a comprehensive field revitalization initiative that would transform outdoor recreation across San Francisco. The work required addressing multiple dimensions of change:
- Conducting discovery research with community and youth leaders to uncover the full scope of need and opportunity for citywide transformation
- Building a strong public-private partnership with the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department that would leverage both philanthropic and municipal resources
- Designing sustainable funding mechanisms that would attract diverse funders beyond initial seed funding
- Ensuring equitable impact across neighborhoods, particularly in underutilized parts of the city
- Creating long-term maintenance strategies to keep fields beautiful and usable for ongoing family access
This work demanded a partnership model that could align diverse stakeholders, secure significant funding, and deliver lasting infrastructure improvements across the city.
“The three of us had grown up in San Francisco and raised our kids here, and it was important to us to be able to give something back to the city we love. The things we’ve enjoyed the most through the ten years of City Fields have been first, the tremendous experience of working with Susan Hirsch and her team. We certainly could not have done it without them. And the second thing is seeing the fields transformed.”
— Bill, Bob and John Fisher
A Model Collaboration
Third Plateau led the process of discovery, speaking with community and youth leaders, planning convenings, and analyzing data. We uncovered the significant need for robust playing fields and the opportunity for citywide transformation. Revitalized fields would improve well-being by ensuring children have safe places for year-round physical activity while serving as informal community centers where parents and neighbors exchange information and form friendships—critical factors for livability in an increasingly expensive city.
The San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department became an enthusiastic partner given its oversight of city fields and mission to provide enriching activities in beautiful environments. Together we created the Playfields Initiative to increase access to high-quality recreation spaces across the city.
Third Plateau launched the City Fields Foundation with the Fishers and directed the multimillion-dollar public-private partnership over many years. After initial seed funding from the Fishers, more than 120 others made contributions to City Fields while the City earmarked additional funding, for a total of $52 million. Ultimately, the project restored and expanded access to 21 fields in nine facilities across San Francisco.
“When you want a good city, perhaps you’ve got a good government. If you want a great city, you’ve got to have public-private partnerships. This is one of those great examples where we all came together to do this.”
— Late San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee
Impact Across Neighborhoods and Generations
Beach Chalet Athletic Fields in San Francisco, CA. Renovation funded by City Fields Foundation
The Playfields Initiative transformed recreation access across San Francisco. Since its launch, more than 200 new sports teams have formed, including 85 teams for girls. Field improvements created space for more than 90,000 additional hours of field time annually. The fields and facilities helped connect youth and families with access to recreation in neighborhoods across San Francisco.
Critically, the Initiative continues to create impact through sustainable practices for ongoing philanthropic involvement. While new fields and facilities were an important first step, the Initiative renovates fields when they reach the end of their life cycle to keep them beautiful and usable for families. Third Plateau continues to manage this work, ensuring the project realizes the Fisher brothers’ vision of a more livable San Francisco for children and families.
Ultimately, this partnership demonstrated what’s possible when philanthropic vision, government commitment, and community voices come together—creating infrastructure that serves generations of San Francisco families.
Ready to translate your philanthropic vision into lasting social good? Reach out to start the conversation.
