What You Won’t See at Horizons at SFFS’ Annual Benefit 

One of the first conversations that I participated in when I joined Horizons at SFFS, in late February 2020, was a very honest debrief of Horizons’ fundraiser at Bimbo’s 365 Club. The central discussion questions: the benefit at the new venue had been successful, but had it been inclusive? Did it uphold Horizons’ values grounded in equity and social justice? Was an event really “the Horizons way?” 

I’ve carried that conversation with me for the last two years. It has been a big part of what has pushed me to think critically about the way we engage in philanthropy, to ensure that we stay true to our values. 

Sometime in 2020, I was introduced to the idea of Community-Centric Fundraising (CCF), a movement in philanthropy that pushes for fundraising practices to be grounded in racial equity and justice. There are ten principles of CCF, they include things like 1) We recognize that individual organizational missions are not as important as the collective community 2) We appreciate those who contribute time, talent, and connections as much as we appreciate those who contribute money 3) We treat donors as partners. And my personal favorite: We promote the understanding that everyone (donors, staff, funders, board members, volunteers) personally benefits from engaging in the work of social justice – it’s not just charity and compassion. I know with certainty that Horizons at SFFS embodies this principle. That’s why the answer to all those questions we asked ourselves about the event is yes. Let’s unpack that a bit.

According to that principle, “we must avoid creating a sense of charity or pity among donors toward other community members and instead encourage donors to see how they and their families also benefit from the work they are donating to sustain.” In our case, Horizons brings SFFS’ Quaker values to life. SFFS staff, students, and families are inseparable from the Horizons community: they are our summer teachers, high school volunteers, mystery readers, board members, and more. We don’t have to look hard to see that Horizons brings us closer to our goal of being a school with a public purpose. Our partnership is one tangible way that we deepen our commitment to being an ever more engaged and inclusive community. This is at the core of our annual fundraising event.  

At Horizons’ annual benefit, you won’t see stories of pity and charity. We won’t focus on the barriers that are statistically and systemically stacked against Horizons students, or the many ways in which these challenges have been exacerbated by the COVID pandemic. We will not come together for charity, we will come together in partnership because that is the Horizons way. 

We will celebrate that our first class, which started with us as Kindergarteners in 2014, is now graduating eighth grade and off to high school. We will celebrate that we are poised to welcome yet another incoming class to serve a total of 153 students on SFFS’ campus this June and July. We will celebrate that our program has expanded beyond the summer into the school year and high school. And of course, we will celebrate that we can be together. 

I hope that you will join me to learn more about, and support, Horizons at SFFS’ mission, work, and impact at our Annual Benefit on May 12th at Bimbo's 365 Club at 6pm. Community Level tickets begin at $100, and Early Bird tickets are available until April 18th. For more information on tickets, tables, and the celebration visit our event page.