Public money builds neighborhood projects. Private gifts get them funded and finished.

At the start, public funders back projects that are ready: a site assessment, a concept design, neighbors on board, a believable budget. That early work costs money, and no grant pays for it. Private gifts do, and grants follow. On our projects so far, grants have run at roughly four times the private dollars invested, and many projects are still in progress.

At the finish, grants rarely cover everything. One might pay for infrastructure, but not for irrigation, so new plantings struggle to survive without water. Private gifts close those gaps, so a funded project becomes a finished one that lasts.

30+ projects supported · $2.5M in grants secured · $500K in private donations raised

Why it matters

It took seven years to build a staircase in San Francisco’s Portola District. Fundraising never covered the costs, the city’s red tape was slow, and the people behind it lost hope more than once. When the 59 tiled steps of Steps to Wisdom finally opened, a volunteer cried. It was less about the stairs than about seven years of holding on.

We joined near the end. The money raised under the project’s previous fiscal sponsor was gone, and people were waiting to be paid. We covered the gap, so the finish could be a celebration.

Most neighborhood projects are led by volunteers with no staff and no nonprofit status. As their fiscal sponsor, we provide a legal and financial home for them to accept grants and donations, and we handle the reporting, insurance, and contracts, so the money goes into the ground, not into red tape.

The kind of work this supports

Mariner’s Village, Bayview-Hunters Point: a street with little shade, flooding, and an abandoned basketball court. We secured a SFPUC Green Infrastructure Grant and a City Community Challenge Grant to add trees, native plantings, and permeable ground so rain soaks in where it falls, and to revive the court. It’s in the final permitting stage, with construction expected to begin by the end of 2026 and to be completed by the end of 2027. We’re building it.
Ridge Lane, Ingleside: neighbors have spent over a decade turning a steep, poorly lit path to BART into a safe, green walkway. Two of five sections are finished, and volunteers still meet monthly to keep going. We’re their fiscal sponsor.
Bernal Wild, Bernal Hill: volunteers restoring native habitat for pollinators and birds. We’re their fiscal sponsor.

“Greening Projects has been quickly responsive with answers whenever I have needed advice about applying for a grant or how to proceed with managing funding once a grant is awarded… I feel I can rely on their expertise.”
Fran Martin, Project Leader, Visitacion Valley Engage Green

How your gift is used

To start: community conversations, site assessments, concept designs, and the groundwork funders expect
To finish: costs grants leave out, like irrigation, materials, and upfront expenses that stall volunteer groups
Behind the scenes: financial management and city reporting that keep projects accountable
For the long run: volunteer training and support so what gets built is cared for

Give once, or give monthly. Monthly gifts let us start new projects without waiting for a grant cycle, and close gaps the moment they appear.

Donation tiers (one-time)

$50: outreach to bring neighbors to the table
$100: helps host a neighborhood town hall
$1,000: a neighborhood engagement series, with community conversations and site visits
$2,500: a site assessment and budget for a new project
$5,000: taking an idea most of the way to grant-ready, or closing a major gap on a funded project, such as irrigation a grant didn’t cover

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"Creating sustainable spaces, nurturing communities, transforming cities — through living landscapes."

Greening Projects is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. All donations are tax-deductible.

To discuss a larger gift, contact Mike Doherty at mpd@greeningprojects.org

Help Neighborhood Projects Start and Finish

Private Gifts Unlock Public Money and Get Projects Finished