The fallout continues over the collapse of the San Francisco Parks Alliance, with city supervisors taking legal action against former executives of the nonprofit. Supervisor Shamann Walton is pushing to subpoena the Alliance’s last CEO, Robert Ogilvie, his predecessor, Drew Becher, and its former treasurer, Rick Hutchinson, to address unanswered questions about the group’s financial crisis and its consequences for city projects and community organizations.
Last week, none of the former leaders showed up to a scheduled committee hearing, intensifying concerns among numerous nonprofits that depend on the Parks Alliance for fiscal sponsorship; according to a report by the San Francisco Chronicle, Supervisor Walton's request for a subpoena requires the approval of his colleagues and this issue of noncompliance has put more than a dozen community groups in a bind with Ildiko Polony, the executive director of Sutro Stewards, telling CBS News Bay Area, "It's enraging, it's incredibly sad. It's scary, we were all laid off as of Monday. So, currently I'm scrambling as the executive director to find a new fiscal sponsor and I'm working for free."
The origins of these issues trace back to the alleged misappropriation of $3.8 million in restricted funds by the Parks Alliance, as revealed by the San Francisco Chronicle in a leaked email from the board chair. The nonprofit, once instrumental in fundraising and managing donations for community groups and public space enhancements, is now accused of not reimbursing smaller nonprofits for their projects; groups like SF Urban Riders have their operations at a standstill, according to Matthew Blain who said to CBS News Bay Area, "The Parks Alliance holds tens of thousands of dollars of ours, including over $10,000 in money that we've either promised to other people or that we've spent already."
Supervisors are now calling for transparency and accountability, to uncover how city resources were spent and how the Parks Alliance managed the funds it was entrusted with; Supervisor Walton affirmed his commitment to this inquiry, noting the disparity between the funds promised to the Port of San Francisco and what was delivered, citing that the port had only received a fraction of the intended $3.25 million grant, according to statements he made to CBS News Bay Area. "They'll have the answer in terms of how to get resources back into the hands of these nonprofits, but most certainly, we will work together to try to come up with solutions," Walton said, highlighting the critical need for the former Parks Alliance officials to account for their actions.
