Given our national political context, as well as the crises facing our planet and our economy, young people need to be front and center of any movement in forging our path forward for future generations. Students and young people are already taking leadership across the country, and San Francisco Rising is part of this movement. We cultivate the leadership of young people of color, in particular, to organize, shape, and determine California’s future. 

We began organizing with students at San Francisco State University, City College of San Francisco and the University of SF, in the fall of 2017. Together, we are developing a school-to-organizing pathway of students equipped with strategic, culturally-relevant organizing skills who will actively support a political agenda of working-class communities of color. Our organizing alongside students has helped establish Student Liberation Committee (SLC) meetings, a space led by students, for students to discuss and address issues impacting their campuses and communities.

Because San Francisco Rising is a member organization of Power California, SF Students Rising members are part of a statewide network that organizes hundreds of thousands of young people of color and their families from diverse backgrounds as voters: Black, Latinx, API, Native, LGBT, currently and formerly incarcerated, undocumented and citizen. Youth of color make up 70% of the millennial generation in California and 50% have an immigrant or refugee backgrounds. Together, we are building a movement of young people and families of color to win policy victories, elect and hold leaders accountable and meet the aspirations of our communities.

Specifically, we inform, educate and mobilize young people of color and their families to engage in civic decision-making to transform their strength in numbers into real political power at the polls. We run phone banks and personally speak to thousands of young voters of color before every election so that our communities are aware of what’s on the ballot, are ready to vote, and know how to vote. Together with the Power California network, we registered more than 40,000 young voters between 2017 and 2019 and engaged more than 200,000 voters in elections during the same period.

This form is for individuals. If you represent an organization that would like to join San Francisco Rising as an affiliate please contact information@sanfranciscorising.org.

Become a Student Rising Fellow!

If you’re a Bay Area college student looking to protect your right to an education, this is the opportunity for you! This in-person, 6-week long, paid fellowship will cultivate the knowledge and skills you need to be a student organizer and make the change you want to see on campus. Apply now for our 2025 Student Rising Fellowship!

Budget Advocacy

Last year, SF Rising was proud to help convene a People’s Budget Coalition to fight for the resources our communities need to thrive. Although we experienced great loss, we won back $30 million of the proposed $120 million cut. 2025’s budget cycle may be even harder as our city faces a nearly $900 million budget deficit. We are ready to continue the fight for funding for programs that help lift up our communities. Sign up to volunteer with us to help us win a People’s Budget. 

Protect our Status as a Sanctuary City

We know that under a Trump administration, our immigrant and undocumented community will be under attack. As these threats arise, we want to build cross-solidarity between immigrants and undocumented people by mobilizing impacted people and allies. We are following the lead from Bay Resistance, who is leading the fight to protect our communities against these threats. Sign up for our updates to stay in the loop about upcoming actions and mobilizations.

Training college students to be effective organizers

SF Rising has been organizing college students in San Francisco and the East Bay to train them in being effective organizers on their campuses. We engage students through voter registration, campus events, and through our Student Power Fellowship. We envision a future where everyone who wants to, can go to the higher education institution of their choosing without financial barriers standing in the way. If you're interested in joining our student organizing work, sign up to be a volunteer today!