SF Moves to Slash Grant Red Tape, Lifting Approval Threshold to $1 Million

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors' Budget and Finance Committee advanced an ambitious plan to cut bureaucratic delays on grant funding, raising the threshold that triggers board approval tenfold — from $100,000 to $1 million — while simultaneously cleaning up pandemic-era fiscal loose ends and keeping the city's independent budget watchdog funded.

• Grant approval overhaul would eliminate board review for 54% of grants, freeing departments to pursue smaller funding faster
• Two key amendments added: a $200,000 cap on grant increases that bypass review, and an exemption for pro bono legal services tied to Trump administration litigation
• Pandemic-era restaurant lease formalized at a Union Square garage, generating $241K annually for transit operations — with 13 more restructured leases still in the pipeline
• Budget analyst contract gets 4.5% COLA, keeping the Board's independent watchdog funded through 2031

Board President Rafael Mandelman brought a proposal to rewrite the rules on how San Francisco handles grant funding — and his colleagues were quick to rally behind it.