Walk San Francisco Foundation
Public records show a registered, tax-exempt organization in good standing.
What it says it does
Walk SF works to make San Francisco the safest, most walkable city in the United States.
- Income
- $894,475
- Spending
- $981,449
- Spent on programs
- 52%
- Reserves
- 10.2 months of spending
- Largest source of income
- donations and private grants, 74%
- Employees
- 8
- Volunteers
- 100
- Highest pay
- $156,156, executive dir.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Financial health
Fair: 65 out of 100. Higher than 31% of charities in its peer group (public safety and disaster relief, $250k to $1m).
Reserves
28 of 35Spendable reserves would cover 10.2 months of spending.
Debt
20 of 20It owes 15% of what it owns.
Living within its means
4 of 15Spending exceeded income by 10% of income.
Income trend
5 of 15Income fell 16% on the year before.
Spending floor
8 of 1552% of spending went to programs and raising each dollar of donations cost 25 cents.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Governance
Strong: 97 out of 100. Higher than 97% of charities in its peer group (public safety and disaster relief, $250k to $1m).
Independent board
25 of 259 of 9 voting board members are independent.
Conflict of interest policy
15 of 15Has a written conflict of interest policy.
Whistleblower policy
8 of 8Has a written whistleblower policy.
Record keeping policy
7 of 7Has a written policy on keeping and destroying records.
Board minutes
5 of 5Keeps minutes of board meetings.
Board sees the tax return
10 of 10Gave the board a copy of this return before filing it.
Pay set independently
5 of 5Sets its chief executive's pay through independent review and comparison.
Independent check of accounts
12 of 15Its accounts were reviewed or compiled by an independent accountant, but not audited.
No reported misuse
10 of 10Reports no diversion of assets, excess benefits or loans to insiders.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Impact evidence
Describes programs. Its tax return describes what it does but we have found no measurable results in it.
Programs described in its return (3)
- $256,974 spent. Walk San Francisco Foundation continued its work as a champion of Vision Zero, the City's goal to eliminate all severe and fatal traffic injuries in San Francisco by 2024. The Walk SF Foundation led the Vision Zero Coalition of nearly 40 community-based organizations to inform and support the City's efforts to redesign San Francisco's most dangerous streets. We helped strengthen the designs for several specific street projects to improve safety. Much of our work focused specifically on speed management since speeding is the #1 most dangerous driving behavior.
- $187,585 spent. Walk San Francisco Foundation also organizes the San Francisco Bay Area branch of Families for Safe Streets, a volunteer group of people who have personally survived a severe traffic crash, or whose loved ones have been killed or seriously injured in a crash. Walk San Francisco Foundation helps crash victims with emotional support, as well as education and encouragement to share their personal stories of hurt and loss because no one should face the same devastation that these people have. These people are strong advocates for streets that are designed and enforced in proven ways to protect lives.
- $68,794 spent. In 2024/2025 Walk San Francisco Foundation continued to work with schools to empower local families and school communities to walk, bike, and take transit to school. In addition, we educated families about traffic safety and organized the school community to support traffic safety engineering and enforcement around schools.
Source: Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2025, filed with the Internal Revenue Service. Rating method 2026.2. How we rate
Legitimacy checks
Is it registered with the IRS? Passed.
Listed in the IRS master file of tax-exempt organizations as a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Has the IRS revoked its tax-exempt status? Passed.
Not on the IRS automatic revocation list.
Source: Automatic revocation of exemption list, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 30, 2026.
Are donations tax-deductible? Passed.
On the IRS list of organizations eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions.
Source: Publication 78 data: organizations eligible for tax-deductible contributions, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 10, 2026.
Is it keeping up with its IRS filings? Passed.
Most recent return on file covers the year ending June 2025.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
How long has it been tax-exempt? Passed.
Recognized by the IRS since February 2015.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Is it in good standing with state regulators? Passed.
Not on California's list of charities barred from soliciting. Other states are not yet checked.
Source: May Not Operate or Solicit for Charitable Purposes list, California Attorney General, Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, file dated October 7, 2026.
Could it be confused with another charity? Worth knowing.
A much larger organization has a similar name: San Francisco Foundation (San Francisco, CA), EIN 01-0679337. If that is the one you meant, check the EIN before giving.
Source: Exempt Organizations Business Master File, Internal Revenue Service, file dated September 7, 2026.
Ratings and checks are our reading of public records, using the published method. They are not a statement about anyone's honesty. If you work for this organization, you can send corrections or results, confirm you want gifts through Veridonate, or ask to be removed from giving.