Approach

  

In pursuing our mission, we have three core activities:

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We are building a grassroots coalition

At the start of RescueSF, we understood that building popular support behind our ideas would allow us to have influence with City Hall.  We also recognized that we needed a grassroots, citywide coalition to form relationships with each member of the Board of Supervisors.  We are currently engaged with more than forty-five neighborhood associations and community benefit districts across all eleven electoral districts.  We are independent, non-ideological, and non-partisan.  We have already established a track record of successful community organizing.

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We are policy entrepreneurs

When we formed RescueSF, we understood that vague expressions of frustration would not produce an impact at City Hall.  Instead, we need to engage with homelessness on a deeper, substantive level in order to present specific, actionable ideas. 

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We facilitate collaboration among stakeholders

As we started to build our coalition, our political leaders paid attention, but we understood that we represented one of many voices at City Hall.  Business as usual at City Hall involves different interest groups fighting for influence over politicians.  Business as usual often leads to either paralysis or inferior solutions.  As an alternative, we are striving to unite different stakeholder groups -- representing government, business, non-profit service providers, advocates, faith-based communities, academics, and residents -- behind a common vision for change.