Corporate Participation Policy

1. Background

SFP is committed, as far as possible and as long as possible, to preserving free admittance to the San Francisco Pride Celebration.

In pursuit of this fundamental goal and the desire to offer a quality event and the best standard of service to the community, it is recognized that the level of resources required invites a prudent and diverse funding base.

SFP also recognizes its unique position to act as a positive nexus for promoting the involvement of corporations at the leading edge of good corporate relations in respect of the LGBTQ+ community.

2. General

SFP welcomes the support of corporations or entities in alignment with our mission, who wish to support the San Francisco Pride event by underwriting the costs and expenses of production and promotion.

SFP seeks partnership with corporate entities that align with the mission of the organization and amplify our efforts to seek community liberation at the intersection of all identities within our community.

However, SFP does not welcome the participation of corporations or entities who have demonstrated a lack of support for our community or those groups who have taken a stand against our community which by their conduct or statements it would appear they are unrepentant of. In addition SFP does not accept sponsorship from specific industries.

3. Authority

This policy is in all respects subordinate to the articles of incorporation, bylaws, and standing rules of the corporation.

4. Specific Industries, Corporations and Situations

1. General

The industries, corporations, and groups which SFP shall not deem as appropriate for partnership will be reviewed on an annual basis in August of each year.

The phrase “corporate partnership” shall include: sponsorship, marketing, and/or promotion of or in connection with SFP organized events; sponsorship, marketing, and/or promotion of or in connection with events not organized by SFP but where SFP shall be a beneficiary, host, endorser or have some other role which associates SFP with the corporate partners assisting that event; direct or indirect (e.g. through an event not organized by SFP) donations; and, sponsorship, marketing, and/or promotion of or in connection with events not organized by SFP but where SFP shall be a participant.

SFP shall not enter into corporate partnerships with the industries, corporations, and groups listed below:

2. Tobacco

SFP shall not enter into corporate partnerships with the tobacco industry and/or tobacco products.

3. Adolph Coors Brewing Company

SFP applauds the many advances made for LGBT employee rights within the Adolph Coors Brewing Company but regrets the continued funding by the Coors Family and the Castle Rock Foundation of causes which are antithetic to SFP’s mission. Notwithstanding the technical distinctions between ownership of the foundation and the brewing company, SFP considers them but tentacles of one octopus. While the Castle Rock/Coors empire continues to support causes antithetic to SFP’s mission a fundamental conflict applies and SFP does not deem the Adolph Coors Brewing Company to be appropriate for corporate partnership.

4. Exxon-Mobil

The decision by Exxon-Mobil to deny its employees domestic partnership benefits which they had been previously entitled to is antithetic to SFP’s mission. SFP does not deem Exxon-Mobil as appropriate for corporate partnership.

5. Hostile Media

SFP does not deem media who are hostile to the LGBTQ+ community, its issues, SFP or Pride events in general as appropriate for corporate partnership. SFP shall deem media ‘hostile’ if, over a period of time, there is a pattern in editorial coverage of an unduly negative and unbalanced viewpoint in relation to the LGBTQ+ community, its issues, SFP or Pride events generally. SFP shall also deem media as ‘hostile’ if a single editorial shall evoke overwhelming outrage within the community. The decision as to whether media be classified as ‘hostile’ or not shall rest with the Executive Committee in the first instance but may be reviewed and modified by the Board as a whole.

6. Military

  1. SFP applauds the removal of the US Armed Forces “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy” officially ending more than two centuries of anti-homosexual discrimination by those institutions. SF Pride emphatically supports and honors the members of our community who are now serving or have served in the past in the US Armed Services. Nevertheless, because of the following ongoing institutional practices:
    1. Discrimination against Transgender people.
    2. The use of intentionally misleading advertising specifically targeting economically disadvantaged youth.
    3. The danger faced by women and men of sexual assault, rape and harassment by other members of the armed services.
  2. The SF LGBT Pride Committee does not deem Armed Services recruiters an appropriate entity for participation in our Vendor or Corporate sponsorship programs.

5. Minimum Requirements

At a minimum, all corporate sponsors of SFP shall:

  1. Endorse the mission of SFP.
  2. Include sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in their policies of non-discrimination.
  3. Not discriminate in the provision of benefits between employees with domestic partners and employees with spouses, and/or between the domestic partners and spouses of employees. This provision to have immediate effect in relation to all new sponsors of SFP, existing sponsors to be given 12 months from 08.16.02 to comply.

6. Administration

  1. The Executive Director shall negotiate and agree all corporate sponsorships within an agreed framework determined by the Board and informed by Corporate Partnerships Committee each August. No agency or third party may negotiate sponsorship on behalf of SFP except as expressly provided for elsewhere in this section.
  2. As soon as practicable after the start of the fiscal year, the Executive Director shall devise standard sponsorship and media partner packages and circulate these to the Board and staff for comment and feedback. Thereafter the Executive Director may negotiate with prospective sponsors on the basis of the benefits described in those packages. Any substantial departure from the types of benefits described shall be agreed to with the Board President prior to presentation to prospective sponsors. The amendment shall be included in the subsequent Board meeting and documented in the meeting minutes.
  3. The Executive Director shall determine the consideration required of the sponsor in connection with each sponsorship and negotiate the same.
  4. All sponsorships shall be evidenced by an agreement direct with the sponsor signed by the sponsor, Executive Director and Board President. Once confirmed, all agreements are entered into. A copy shall be automatically circulated to the members of the Executive Committee and appropriate staff.
  5. Subject to the above, certain pass-through rights may be granted to SFP’s media partners. Pass-through rights shall typically include such things as a booth at the event. The extent of the pass-through rights shall be established in the media partner packages described in 6.2 above.
  6. All sponsorship consideration shall be paid to SFP in advance of the event.
  7. All sponsorship agreements shall include a clause guaranteeing the artistic integrity of the event making it clear that the sponsor shall have no influence over programming.
  8. No sponsor or employee of a sponsor may serve as a director of the corporation, without first signing an agreement to recuse themselves from influencing any decisions or participation in conflict of interest discussions.
  9. No one shall receive any payments or inducements from sponsors and any gifts received must be disclosed to the Executive Director and Board President.
  10. Venue Managers are independent producers who operate our stages and venues and may, with the prior approval of the Executive Director, enter into sub-sponsorships relative to their venue.
  11. Any sponsorship which includes a presence at an event venue shall be discussed with the relevant venue manager prior to agreement with the sponsor.

7. Conclusion

  1. Subject to the above, SFP shall adopt an open-door policy to corporate participation but shall seek to balance this with community-based programs which encourage partnership between community and corporations.

Approved: at Board Meeting 09.07.99 Amended at Board Meeting 02.05.02 Amended at Board Meeting 08.06.02 Amended 02.04.14

San Francisco Pride Celebration Committee, Inc.

This site uses Just the Docs, a documentation theme for Jekyll.