CHALLENGE: Managing a Multi-Million Dollar Youth Services Ecosystem Across 142 Agencies

In 1991, San Francisco voters approved a groundbreaking initiative that set aside dedicated public funding for children, youth, and family services. Today, that initiative directs over $92 million annually through the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families (DCYF), supporting 142 nonprofit agencies and reaching more than 113,000 young people across the city.

This scale of investment demanded a high-performing system to manage complex processes—from funding allocation and contracting to service tracking and financial accountability. Without a unified platform, DCYF and its community partners faced significant administrative strain, data silos, and challenges maintaining transparency across hundreds of programs and stakeholders.

SOLUTION: A Unified, Digitized Platform for All Funding, Reporting, and Quality Oversight

To meet the moment, DCYF partnered with Cityspan to develop a fully integrated data management platform tailored to the department’s diverse operational needs. The platform centralizes and standardizes all major workflows, creating a seamless experience for DCYF staff, service providers, and partner institutions like the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD).

Key components include:

  • RFP Management: The system handles the full request-for-proposal lifecycle, from online agency registration to submission, scoring, and award decisions—supporting multiple funding categories with tailored questions and review structures.
  • Contracting: Once funded, agencies submit detailed scopes of work, service goals, demographic targets, and budgets directly through the platform. DCYF staff can review, request edits, and finalize contracts—all within the same system.
  • Invoicing and Reporting: Each month, grantees upload invoices, participant attendance, expense line items, and qualitative progress updates. DCYF can then review and approve submissions through an efficient digital workflow.

Enhanced features built into the platform include:

  • Program Management Tools: Agencies can manage schedules, enroll participants, and track daily attendance, all of which reduce administrative burdens and enhance data accuracy.
  • Data Integration: Secure connections with SFUSD eliminate duplicative entry, allowing shared access to key student data and improving citywide coordination.
  • Embedded Quality Standards: The platform integrates the nationally recognized Program Quality Assessment (PQA) from the Weikart Center, ensuring standardized program evaluations during site visits.

Results: A Stronger, Smarter, and More Transparent System

DCYF’s Cityspan platform has transformed the department’s ability to manage one of the country’s most robust municipal youth funding portfolios. With greater transparency, centralized oversight, and reduced administrative load, both the department and its grantees can focus more on what matters most—delivering high-quality services to the young people of San Francisco.

Key Outcomes:

  • Data at Scale: Centralized oversight of 142 agencies and 234 programs, all within a single system.
  • Efficiency Gains: Streamlined contracting, invoicing, and reporting processes save time for both city staff and service providers.
  • Cross-Sector Collaboration: Real-time, secure data sharing with SFUSD enhances coordination across education and youth development efforts.
  • Increased Transparency: Every dollar, hour, and outcome is traceable, helping DCYF demonstrate value to voters and funders.
  • Continuous Improvement: Quality standards and detailed reporting allow programs to self-assess and adapt based on data.
  • Reduced Burden: Agencies spend less time on paperwork and more time on programming.

Interested in transforming your citywide youth funding strategy with a unified data management platform? Let’s talk.