Photo Credit: Drew Altizer Photography
There are fundraisers in San Francisco and then there is the annual fundraising event put on by Tipping Point Community, which recently raised a staggering $14 million during one mind-blowing charitable evening that also marked the 10th anniversary of the San Francisco Bay Area’s leading poverty-fighting organization founded by Daniel Lurie.
Lurie and auctioneer Lydia Fenet of Christie’s hosted the ninth annual event, co-chaired by Max and David Glynn, Nellie and Max Levchin, Anna and Mason Morfit, and Ayesha Thapar and Nikesh Arora. Notables turned out in force, including Lurie’s parents, Mimi Haas and Brian Lurie, Marc Benioff, Dick Costolo, Larry Baer, Jony Ive, Marissa Mayer, Trevor Traina, Mark Pincus, Alison Pincus, Todd Traina and Justin Tuck.
Celebrating its 10th year, the organization chose a strength-in-numbers theme. Guests arrived at Pier 70 to specialty cocktails mixed by Rye and a projection wall highlighting the magnitude of Tipping Point’s work created by Autofuss. Local culinary artist Paula LeDuc prepared the meal.
The program began with a performance by singer-songwriter Judith Hill. Auction highlights included a day in L.A. with Phil Lord, Chris Miller and Irene Neuwirth, an Italian getaway hosted by Adriano Galliani, head of AC Milan, VIP passes to Taylor Swift‘s 1989 Tour and a suite at Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium. The largest take was the “Be the Tipping Point” package, which came after a portrait of one Tipping Point grantee, Ujima Family Recovery Services, located in Richmond. Girl Talk entertained guests after the dinner, Snoop Dogg made a surprise appearance and DJ Ruckus spun until midnight for the attendees.
The money raised at the Tipping Point benefit, held on April 30, comes at a critical time when roughly 20% of Bay Area residents are too poor to meet their basic needs.
“Here in the Bay Area, we have soaring profits, but declining returns when it comes to improving our community,” said Lurie, also the CEO of Tipping Point Community. “Together, we can turn the tide. We have a responsibility to care for those we see living on the street, suffering under failing schools and being excluded from the workforce.”
Arora, Tipping Point Community board member said, “It’s nights like [this] that exemplify what Tipping Point is uniquely able to do in the fight against poverty. Bringing in some of the learnings from the entrepreneurial space that we live in, bringing in the culture of Silicon Valley, that approach is what ultimately will make the Bay Area a place where all can thrive.”
More than 465,000 Bay Area residents have been served by Tipping Point grantees since 2005. Tipping Point’s board of directors underwrites all operating costs, and 100% of the more than $14 million raised will go directly to the most promising education, employment, housing and health organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Thanks to nearly 1,300 generous supporters including Devon and Pete Briger and Liz and Thomas Laffont, Tipping Point will be able to add five new grantees, invest over $1.5 million in research and development, and increase support to its current portfolio of 47 organizations.
“Change for young people like me and my students doesn’t happen without people like you,” said Teach for America Corps Member Jesus Galindo, a first grade bilingual teacher in Richmond who spoke at the top of the night’s program. “I am here because you are willing to invest in and care about those in our community you’ve never met. Part of it is the willingness, the other part is the urgency. If not now, when? If not us, who? Because, when given the right opportunity at the right time, anything is possible.”
Photos by Drew Altizer Photography
