New Partnerships and A Commitment to Give Back Can Spur Innovation to San Francisco’s Most Pressing Challenges

Jointly written by Chris Kohlhardt, Founder & Chairman of Gliffy, and Jeff Kositsky, Director of the San Francisco Department of Homelessness & Supportive Housing

On any given night, there are approximately 7,500 people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco, and each year nearly 21,000 individuals are homeless in the City. San Francisco annually rehouses nearly 2,000 people experiencing homelessness; and the City assists approximately 15,000 unhoused people with food, shelter, outreach, health care, and other forms of assistance.

Despite these efforts, the City has struggled to achieve a substantial and sustained reduction in the number of people living on our streets because more people are becoming homeless than we can help exit homelessness.

Today, we will announce the rollout of a new initiative in this work: Problem Solving assistance that will rapidly end homelessness for some of our unhoused neighbors. Problem Solving helps people resolve their homelessness without the need for long-term shelter or permanently subsidized housing.

Problem Solving assistance is designed to help prevent or quickly end homelessness through brief, one-time interventions that enable people to help themselves. In some cases, we will be able to provide flexible grants to remove barriers to housing, such as help with car repairs, unpaid utility bills or rental assistance for those starting a new job. The goal is to empower people with creative solutions to avoid entering shelters or sleeping outside.

We are also excited to announce a $400,000 gift from San Francisco-based software company Gliffy, which will provide substantial support for Problem Solving assistance.

Gliffy is helping support this new approach to make a positive impact in the community and to participate in the Pledge 1% movement, which encourages companies to invest in their communities through local non-profits. Prior to making its gift, the company carefully explored options that could have the maximum direct effect on a pressing challenge in San Francisco, which led to the partnership with HSH soon after.

Gliffy’s $400,000 investment allows San Francisco to continue experimenting with this new approach and measure its effectiveness. Success with the Problem Solving approach will ensure that needed resources are preserved for individuals and families who require a higher level of care and need to rely on the system to end their homelessness. If successful, the partnership will also help develop, refine and institutionalize a significant change to San Francisco’s Homelessness Response System.

Gliffy hopes to inspire other companies to start a philanthropic program or think bigger about their existing philanthropic programs. Gliffy started its organized philanthropic program in 2014, with funding of the Gliffy Charitable Fund. Gliffy’s 39 team members would help the company direct gifts each quarter to non-profits that meant something to them. Gliffy subsequently joined Pledge 1%. As Gliffy has learned, Pledge 1% can provide an effective and efficient model for those companies who may not have a philanthropic program in place but would like to give back. Gliffy hopes to inspire other companies to think bigger about their philanthropic programs.

In addition to Gliffy’s grant, the company’s staff will support HSH staff with technical assistance, activating their engineering and marketing expertise towards HSH’s new Strategic Framework and goals. Gliffy’s employees felt helpless when it came to homelessness. Now, they are active participants in the solution, committing their time to help HSH with a number of projects that only a software company is uniquely set-up to help with.

Gliffy has been motivated by the work of the talented team at HSH and its partner agencies, but more importantly, Gliffy staff has rallied to do something for their fellow San Franciscans. This “shovel ready” project is starting and there are hundreds more coming.

So many of us are inspired by this eclectic, creative place called San Francisco. We believe in the power of Problem Solving. Together, through new partnerships and a commitment to give back to the community, we believe we can solve our current challenges and prepare for an even brighter future.

Jeff Kositsky is the Director of the San Francisco Department of Homelessness & Supportive Housing. HSH’s mission is to make homelessness in San Francisco rare, brief and one time.

Chris Kohlhardt is Founder and Chairman of the Board of Gliffy, a San Francisco-based software company that specializes in visual tools that power and help teams work better together. Gliffy is also a member of Pledge 1%, which encourages and challenges individuals and companies to commit 1% of equity, profit, product, and/or employee time for their communities.