Support Our Work

San Francisco Small Business Coalition (SFSBC)

San Francisco’s small and mid-sized businesses are not abstract policy points — they are operators signing personal guarantees, meeting payroll, and keeping neighborhood corridors alive.

SFSBC exists to ensure their voice is organized, credible, and heard.

Our Mission

To protect, strengthen, and advocate for small San Francisco Bay Area businesses through constructive civic engagement, policy oversight, and operationally grounded leadership.

SFSBC works to:

• Safeguard access to brick-and-mortar businesses

• Promote public safety and lawful enforcement

• Advance transparent, data-driven policy discussions

• Ensure small operators are represented before decisions are made — not after damage occurs

• We believe policy should work for the many — not the loudest few.

What We’ve Done

1. Valencia Corridor Advocacy (San Francisco)

SFSBC became widely recognized for organizing and supporting Valencia corridor merchants during the controversial center-running bike lane and parking removal project led by the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA).

Key outcomes:

• Documented safety risks and operational harm

• Elevated merchant concerns in media and civic channels

• Coordinated engagement with city officials

• Contributed to the removal of the center-running configuration

The design reduced safe access to storefronts, eliminated critical parking, created visibility conflicts, and materially harmed foot traffic for many small businesses. Some failed. Others barely survived.

Our position was never anti-bike or anti-mobility. It was pro-safety, pro-access, and pro-balanced planning.

2. Public Safety & Enforcement Advocacy

We have consistently engaged with:

• The San Francisco Board of Supervisors

• The San Francisco Police Department (SFPD)

• The San Francisco Fire Department (SFFD)

• The San Francisco City Attorney's Office

SFSBC follows the policy and law related to lobbing compliance.

Our focus:

• Enforcement of existing laws

• Worker and customer safety

• Clean, functional commercial corridors

• Practical solutions instead of political theater

We advocate for safer, healthier districts through structured dialogue — not rhetoric.

What We Continue To Do

Policy & Legislative Watch

Small businesses often learn about new regulations after they are drafted.

We monitor:

• Zoning changes

• Transit and curb policies

• Fee increases

• Licensing adjustments

• Public safety ordinances

• Mobility redesign proposals

Our goal: Get ahead of policy before it harms operators.

Coalition Building Across the San Francisco Bay

We support neighborhood and merchant groups throughout:

• San Francisco

• Alameda County

• Greater Bay Area districts

The objective is regional alignment — because commerce and mobility do not stop at county lines.

Why Support SFSBC?

Supporting SFSBC means supporting:

• Transparent government engagement

• Balanced infrastructure planning

• Public safety accountability

• Economic vitality in neighborhood corridors

• Rational, data-driven decision making

Small businesses do not have full-time policy teams. We provide structured advocacy capacity where none exists.

How You Can Support

1. Join the Coalition

Become a participating business or district representative.

2. Apply for the Steering Committee

• We are currently accepting applications for Steering Committee Members to assist with:

• Annual project planning

• Legislative monitoring

• Policy research

• Government engagement strategy

This is working leadership — not symbolic membership.

3. Contribute Financially

Operational advocacy requires resources:

• Legal review

• Communications

• Data collection

• Public meeting representation

• Administrative support

If you believe in balanced civic leadership, your support matters.

Call to Action

San Francisco and the Bay Area will not stabilize through passive observation.

• If you operate a business.

• If you employ people.

• If you believe access, safety, and transparency matter.

Stand with SFSBC.

• Apply to join.

• Support the mission.

• Help shape policy before it shapes you.

Policy, Ethics & Transparency

Our Purpose

The San Francisco Small Business Coalition (SFSBC) operates as a public policy and advocacy organization representing the interests of locally owned businesses across San Francisco and the greater Bay Area.

Our work includes policy research, stakeholder convening, public education, and direct advocacy with government officials to promote economic vitality, regulatory clarity, and public safety for small businesses.

Funding Transparency

SFSBC is committed to operating openly and ethically.

• SFSBC accepts contributions from individuals and organizations aligned with our mission.

• Contributions are not tax-deductible.

• Funds are used exclusively to support:

  • Advocacy and public policy work

  • Research and analysis

  • Communications and public education

  • Operations and professional staff

SFSBC does not accept funds that are contingent on political outcomes, enforcement actions, or preferential access to elected officials.

Compensation & Governance

SFSBC is led by professional staff with experience in government, business operations, and public affairs.

• Leadership and staff may be compensated for their work as an operating expense.

• Compensation is established using market benchmarks and approved through organizational governance processes.

• No profits or surplus funds are distributed to individuals.

Lobbying & Regulatory Compliance

SFSBC complies with all applicable lobbying and ethics laws.

Depending on the jurisdiction and nature of advocacy, this may include:

• Registration and disclosure with an Ethics Commission

• Registration and disclosure with the California Fair Political Practices Commission

• Compliance with federal regulations governing advocacy organizations

When required, SFSBC registers and files public disclosures in accordance with law.

Political Activity

SFSBC is not a political action committee (PAC).

• We do not make campaign contributions to candidates.

• We do not coordinate with political campaigns.

• We do not aggregate or route funds to candidates or committees.

Our advocacy focuses on policy outcomes, not elections.

Our Commitment to Clean Advocacy

SFSBC believes transparency is essential to public trust.

We distinguish ourselves from organizations that:

• Obscure funding sources

• Funnel money indirectly to political campaigns

• Operate without disclosure while exerting political influence

SFSBC does not engage in “dark money” practices.

Our positions, leadership, and funding purpose are public and clearly stated.

Questions & Accountability

We welcome questions about our operations, governance, and advocacy practices.

Transparency is not a slogan—it is a requirement for credibility.

Jurisdictional Scope & Compliance

SFSBC engages in public policy advocacy at multiple levels of government, depending on issue scope and impact.

San Francisco – When engaging in direct advocacy with City and County officials, SFSBC complies with applicable registration and disclosure requirements administered by the San Francisco Ethics Commission.

Berkeley, Oakland, and Alameda County – SFSBC engages in issue advocacy and stakeholder engagement within East Bay jurisdictions. Where required by local ordinance, SFSBC complies with applicable ethics and disclosure rules.

State of California – When engaging in state-level advocacy, SFSBC complies with registration and reporting requirements administered by the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

Federal – If engaging in federal advocacy or operating under a federal tax classification, SFSBC complies with applicable requirements of the Internal Revenue Service and other federal regulators.

SFSBC continuously evaluates its activities to ensure compliance with applicable laws and ethical standards across all jurisdictions in which it operates.