“Live your lives boldly and keep the door open for others.”

January 16, 2024

Hello!

Wishing you a very happy new year and lots of health and happiness in 2024!

Six years ago our dad, Ed Lee, passed away. We’re continuing to remember him every year with this Fund, donating money to organizations that work on many of the causes he cared deeply about. Here’s a quick update on what we’ve given out recently.

In Dec. 2023, we donated to organizations supporting housing, climate sustainability, civic education and local development in the Bay Area:

In Dec. 2022, we also gave to seven organizations in the Bay that work to promote abortion access, support housing development, fight against climate change and prevent gun violence:

Thank you so much to all of you who have contributed to this fund over the years and continue to support our giving.

If you’d still like to make a contribution to the Edwin M. Lee Community Fund, you can find instructions at the bottom of this page: Scroll down to the “Donate by Check” or “Donate Online” sections.

If you or someone you know would like to receive future updates like this, please be sure to sign up on this page.

Thank you!

Anita, Tania & Brianna Lee

Mayor Lee &
the City He Loved

Edwin M. Lee was the 43rd Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco and the first Asian-American mayor in San Francisco’s history. Appointed in 2010 and elected and re-elected in 2011 and 2015 respectively, Mayor Lee’s term was a time of unprecedented prosperity in San Francisco and Mayor Lee sought to bring that prosperity and opportunity to all San Franciscans. He focused on balancing the budget, creating jobs, boosting San Francisco’s economy, building housing, housing the homeless, creating a cleaner and safer city and addressing affordability challenges.

Mayor Lee began his city government career as an investigator for the City’s first whistle-blower program in 1989 and also led the Human Rights Commission, the City Purchasing Office, and the Department of Public Works before he was appointed City Administrator in 2005. Mayor Lee was a community organizer and civil rights advocate and from 1979 to 1989, he was a Managing Attorney for the San Francisco Asian Law Caucus. He was born in Seattle, Washington, and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Bowdoin College in 1974 and from Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley in 1978.

Our Mission

The Edwin M. Lee Community Fund seeks to continue the work of the late Mayor Edwin M. Lee who fought for a more just, inclusive, and compassionate society. (You can read more about Ed’s legacy here.) In the spirit of these values, the Edwin M. Lee Community fund seeks to support organizations that hold similar values, especially with initiatives that include but are not limited to:

  • Protect immigrants and increase pathways to citizenship
  • Reduce homelessness with a focus on increasing affordable housing
  • Protect the environment and reduce the harmful effects of climate change
  • Support equal pay and leadership opportunities for women
  • Improve access to quality education for all students
  • Advance causes for social justice and human rights

Support

Our family is grateful for the outpouring of support for this fund. As our family is rooted in the San Francisco Bay Area, grants from the fund will primarily support organizations in San Francisco and the Greater Bay Area while some grants may be given to organizations across the US and internationally.

You can read more details about our family’s plans for the fund here.