By Arshan Afshar

The window of Yvonne’s Southern Sweets sat shattered after vandalism. For Yvonne Hines, the owner of the Bayview shop, this was not merely cosmetic; it was a threat to her business’s ability to operate. For many small businesses, a broken storefront can mean days or weeks without customers, repair bills and uncertainty about whether reopening is even possible.

SF New Deal stepped in, funding a protective rollaway gate and assisting with the permitting process needed to install it. Simon Bertrang, executive director of SF New Deal, said Hines’ story illustrated a broader truth: what stands between small businesses is not always a lack of customers or ambition, but often it is “relatively small amounts of money standing in the way of businesses being able to succeed and to operate on a basic level.”

For SF New Deal, a San Francisco nonprofit that works to strengthen neighborhoods by supporting small businesses, Hines’ experience was not unique. SF New Deal works with hundreds of businesses each year by helping distribute grant funding, assisting owners with permitting and providing technical assistance. Through that work, the organization has seen how relatively small financial hurdles can stand in the way of long-term success.

That experience helped shape SF New Deal’s latest effort, the Inner Sunset Neighborhood Vibrancy Fund, which was announced in July. Backed by donations of Inner Sunset neighbors who chose to stay anonymous, the pilot program will provide grants for storefront beautification, technical assistance and filling vacant storefronts. By investing in individual businesses, SF New Deal hopes to strengthen the commercial corridor as a whole and test a model that could be eventually expanded to other neighborhoods across San Francisco.

For Susannah Wise of the Inner Sunset Merchants Association, the Neighborhood Vibrancy Fund is an opportunity to build on the qualities that already make the neighborhood successful.

“The Inner Sunset is sort of like a little village,” Wise said.

The neighborhood’s compact commercial corridor is home to a variety of local businesses that meet residents’ everyday needs, while a loyal customer base keeps those businesses thriving. Wise explained that improvements that make storefronts more inviting and welcoming encourage people to spend more time in the neighborhood, increasing foot traffic and helping businesses throughout the corridor. The grants are designed to give business owners time to invest in their future, rather than solely focusing on day-to-day operations. Wise said many Inner Sunset businesses are what she calls “micro businesses,” often with just two to five employees. Owners juggle rent, staffing and the daily responsibilities of running their businesses, leaving little time to think beyond immediate needs.

“Anytime there is some extra help, it’s really an incredible gift,” Wise said. “You can step out of the day-to-day and think about where you want to be in the future.”

Wise pointed to outdated awnings as one example of the improvements the fund could help finance. Some businesses continue using awnings left behind by previous tenants because replacing them is too expensive. Although owners can paint over them, traces of writing from the previous awning remain visible. A grant could help businesses install new awnings to both beautify the street and help with their branding.

The fund offers three grant tracks designed to address different businesses’ needs. Businesses can apply for up to $10,000 for storefront beautification improvements such as signage, awnings and lighting. A second track provides up to $5,000 for technical assistance, supporting projects like marketing and online commerce. A third track offers grants of up to $20,000 to help fill vacant storefronts with the goal of a more active commercial corridor.

Grant recipients will be selected using criteria developed by SF New Deal, with guidance from a community advisory panel that includes representatives from the Inner Sunset Park Neighbors, the Inner Sunset Merchants Association and other neighborhood stakeholders. While the advisory panel will help review applications, SF New Deal will make the final decisions.

“Small businesses are the heart and soul of our neighborhoods,” Bertrang said. Through the Inner Sunset Neighborhood Vibrancy Fund, SF New Deal hopes to strengthen the commercial corridor by helping businesses overcome the financial barriers that can limit their growth. For Bertrang, success will not only be measured by the impact on the Inner Sunset, but by whether the pilot program inspires similar investments across San Francisco. If the pilot succeeds, SF New Deal hopes to expand the model to neighborhoods across the City.

The grants are open to small businesses located between Fifth Avenue and 19th Avenue, bounded by Lincoln Way and Kirkham Street. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, with priority given to applications submitted by Aug. 28. Learn more and apply at sfnewdeal.org/inner-sunset.