top of page

About Us

OVERVIEW

We believe families make San Francisco stronger and more vibrant.

MISSION

We are committed to helping create a stronger, more vibrant San Francisco by ensuring that Potrero families from a diversity of income levels stay and raise their children here.

THEORY OF CHANGE

Potrero families are less likely to flee San Francisco if they have attractive and affordable education options, a strong connection to a community of friends and neighbors, and their interests are met by local government.

OUR WORK

We operate a local preschool and support neighborhood elementary schools.  We bring families together with their neighbors for community events and programs. We advocate on behalf of families with SFUSD and other city agencies.

IMPACT

We are helping increase:

-Demand for neighborhood schools.

-The number of local families that stay through the middle and high school years.

-The number of local families reporting they feel part of a larger community.

HISTORY
History

PREFund got its start in 2005 when three of five Potrero public schools were slated for closure or merger.  A group of parents and neighbors rallied and created an intense, six-week grassroots campaign to overturn the closure recommendations from the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) and its Board of Education (BOE). Over 600 signatures were gathered in support of keeping Daniel Webster Elementary School (DW) open and the BOE was presented with a multi-part plan to increase the school’s enrollment.

In May 2006, eight of the parents and neighbors in that initial group created PREFund, an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) nonprofit with the mission of supporting education and building community in Potrero. The first initiative was to honor the pledge to the BOE to raise enrollment at Daniel Webster. 

 

Part of that plan was to create a preschool on the DW campus with the belief that a welcoming, high-quality, neighborhood preschool would help funnel more local families to the adjacent elementary school. Potrero Kids at Daniel Webster (PKDW) opened in September of 2008 and offered a Spanish bilingual pre-kindergarten program to its initial class of 32 children.

With more applicants than seats available, PREFund seized an opportunity to expand and opened a second campus, named Potrero Kids Third (PK3), in October, 2012 in Dogpatch. Across both campuses, Potrero Kids now serves roughly 100 children, ages 2 and up, with roughly 40% receiving some sort of tuition assistance.

The plan worked. Daniel Webster is now thriving, as is Potrero Kids.  Both are sources of neighborhood pride and cornerstones of the community.

In the years that followed PREFund expanded its work beyond the DW and PKDW communities to include education, advocacy, and community-building initiatives that impact all families in Potrero and surrounding neighborhoods. The organization invested in local community organizations and education programs via grants and launched programming for youth, adults and families. Some of the most impactful initiatives include a bi-annual speaker series, recurring support groups for new parents, and seasonal community events, which bring together local school groups, families and small businesses to play, learn and connect. 

PREFund believes that families are the central building blocks of communities.  By providing a touchpoint for families of all stages, bringing them together around a shared vision they strive to encourage engagement, leadership, participation and ultimately -continuity and longevity - in the Potrero Hill community. 

2006

Formalized as 501(c)3

2014

Board & Mission

Expand

2016

Form Middle School and School Integration Coalition

2017

Outreach and enrichment programs gain traction and grow audience 

2019

Daniel Webster and Starr King alumni begin attending feeder SFUSD Middle Schools

BOARD
Our Board

Current

Emeritus

PREFund owes its founders and subsequent dedicated community members a debt of gratitude

for their service and the impact they’ve had on the Potrero Hill community

Dena Fischer

(Emeritus in Memoriam)

2006-2012

Katherine Doumani

2006-2014​

Melissa Millsaps

2006-2014

Laura Mitic

2006 - 2014

Jennifer Betti

2006-2015

Debra Grassgreen

2006-2015

Stacey Randecker Bartlett

2006-2017

Daphne Magnawa

2011-2015

Stacey Delo

2012-2018

Galateia Kazakia

2012-2018

Sarah King

2012-2019

Julie Harris-Wai

2016-2021

PRESS
Press

This 2015 Potrero View article reviews the continued success and evolution of Daniel Webster and touches on the addition of new board members.

This 2012 San Francisco Chronicle article focuses on positive changes at Daniel Webster and includes interviews with two PREFund founders as well as additional Daniel Webster parents.

This 2009 San Francisco Chronicle article details our successes and highlights the tremendous community support for Daniel Webster and our efforts.

This 2008 San Francisco Chronicle article describes our partnership with Rebuilding Together SF and multiple local corporations to upgrade Daniel Webster's campus.

This 2006 San Francisco Chronicle article describes our genesis and early efforts.

Please reload

CONTACT

Contact Us

810 Illinois St., San Francisco, CA 94107 

info@prefund.org 

  • Facebook - White Circle

Success! Message received.

bottom of page