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LOVE IN ACTION FOR NEARLY SIXTY YEARS

This is a place of hope, meaning and purpose. Visit and become a part of something bigger – a movement that is changing lives.

Overview

GLIDE is a nationally recognized center for social justice, dedicated to fighting systemic injustices, creating pathways out of poverty and crisis, and transforming lives. Through our integrated comprehensive services, advocacy initiatives, and inclusive community, we empower individuals, families, and children to achieve stability and thrive. GLIDE is on the forefront of addressing some of society’s most pressing issues, including poverty, housing and homelessness, and racial and social justice. GLIDE’s mission is to create a radically inclusive, just, and loving community mobilized to alleviate suffering and break the cycles of poverty and marginalization. Our Core Values emerge from GLIDE as a spiritual movement. They are rooted in empowerment, recovery, and personal transformation. Our values inspire and guide our behaviors. They are the ground we stand on.
Learn more about GLIDE's Values

Values

Radically Inclusive

Radically Inclusive

We welcome everyone. We value our differences. We respect everyone.

Truth Telling

Truth Telling

We each tell our story. We each speak our truth. We listen.

Loving and Hopeful

Loving and Hopeful

We are all in recovery. We are a healing community. We love unconditionally.

For the People

For the People

We break through barriers. We serve each other. We change the world.

Celebration

Celebration

We sing. We dance. We laugh together. We celebrate life.

Our story

1929

A beginning

San Francisco philanthropist Lizzie Glide purchases a parcel at Ellis and Taylor Streets and founds Glide Foundation, whose charitable mission includes establishing a church as “a house of worship for all people”.
1960s

A renewed commitment

In 1963, a young African American minister named Cecil Williams joins other progressive ministers at GLIDE determined to bring life into a dying congregation. Welcoming in the diverse community of hippies, prostitutes, chronic drug users, transgender youth, and other poor and the marginalized people of the Tenderloin, GLIDE offers refuge and support, becoming a home for political and cultural change as well as spiritual growth.
1970s

For the People

As the Vietnam War continues to escalate, GLIDE becomes known as the counterculture rallying point in San Francisco. Everyone from Bill Graham to Angela Davis comes to GLIDE Celebrations to speak out and join in community. KMEL and K101 radio begin broadcasting GLIDE’s Sunday message throughout the Bay Area, as the Bay Area increasingly looks to GLIDE for moral guidance, social solidarity and spiritual sustenance.
1980s

Confronting new crises

Guided by Janice’s leadership and Cecil’s steady vision of supporting the disenfranchised, GLIDE programs increase in size and scope. The flagship Daily Free Meals Program kicks into overdrive, and begins feeding the hungry and homeless three times a day. The Generations program holds its first graduation ceremony in 1987. From protesting the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory’s development of nuclear weapons to leading the Northern California Martin Luther King, Jr. Federal Observance Committee, GLIDE walks the walk for peace, equality and justice while organizing to address the crack cocaine epidemic and the AIDS crisis, twin scourges on the health of the community.
1990s

Building the beloved community

Not content to let those afflicted by crack find their way to GLIDE, Cecil takes the Facts on Crack movement into the housing projects. Meanwhile, GLIDE’s fame continues to grow as the likes of President Bill Clinton, Sharon Stone and Oprah Winfrey come to Celebrations and commend GLIDE as a model of compassionate community in action.
2000s

A strong foundation

GLIDE enters the 21st century with a surplus of vision, enthusiasm and hope. In 2000, Reverend Douglass Fitch is appointed pastor of GLIDE Church. Janice, as Executive Director and President, restructures GLIDE to meet the ever-evolving needs of the community. In the late 2000s, Willa Seldon comes on as CEO (2007-2010) and two new pastors, Rev. Donald Guest and Rev. Karen Oliveto, join GLIDE Church. Cecil continues as Minister of Liberation and Janice as Founding President.
2010s

Our Time Is Now

The Bay Area is roiled by a historic economic boom that has highlighted an ever-widening gap between those with means and those left behind. Historic racial-ethnic enclaves are disappearing, and the Tenderloin—long a “safe space” for people down on their luck—is part of the fierce citywide competition over space and resources. Through these challenges, GLIDE remains an oasis for those most in need. Under President and CEO Karen Hanrahan, GLIDE is refining its service approach to reach more people and deepen its impact while creating pathways towards better lives. GLIDE’s expanding Center for Social Justice, meanwhile, is at work in the community mobilizing the power of love for personal growth and social betterment.

Leadership

Our organization is lead by a diverse cross-section of dedicated individuals with backgrounds in non-profit, education, business and more.

Malcolm Walter

Interim Chief Executive Officer

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Malcolm Walter
Malcolm Walter’s career spans more than 40 years and includes serving as the chief operating officer (COO) or chief financial officer (CFO) for several privately held and public companies. In 2016, Malcolm retired after a 17-year career as COO of Bentley Systems, a global software company whose mission is sustaining infrastructure. At Bentley, his responsibilities included sales, professional services and marketing. Malcolm is a CPA and received his undergraduate degree from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Malcolm’s career provided an opportunity to travel to more than 60 countries and to work with clients and colleagues worldwide. More recently, his travels have been to the least developed parts of the world to observe the unique challenges faced in these communities battling extreme poverty and where empowerment - particularly of women - has proven to unleash the spirits and capacity of these fellow humans to end their own poverty. His mission today is to promote a world that works for all. Malcolm currently serves on the board of the Presidio Graduate School, which offers industry-leading MBA and MPA academic programs in sustainability management. He also serves on the board of Jack London Park Partners - the first non-profit organization to take up management of a state park on behalf of the people of California.

Dr. Holly Joshi

Director of the Center for Social Justice

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Dr. Holly Joshi
Dr. Joshi joins Glide as the new Director of the Center for Social Justice. She is a Bay Area native and has been a community servant and leader in social justice and systems change work for twenty years. Dr. Joshi has worked on issues of racial and gender justice, youth and community development, and criminal justice reform through executive leadership positions with government, non-profit, and private, social impact organizations. A nationally recognized expert on gender-based violence prevention and intervention, she served as the executive director for MISSSEY, a direct service organization providing crisis intervention, long-term supports, and advocacy for trafficked youth. Dr. Joshi served on then Attorney General Kamala Harris’ Task Force on Human Trafficking and Task Force on 21st Century Policing and has worked to implement survivor-centered policy reform and legislation at the local and state level. Before coming to Glide, she worked as the Director of Racial Justice and Systems Change at Bright Research Group, a woman of color owned and operated research, evaluation, strategy, and design firm. While there, she led participatory action research, qualitative inquiry, and capacity-building projects that centered the voices of marginalized communities, and supported government, non-profit, and philanthropic leaders to think deeply and act strategically for justice. Dr. Joshi holds a B.A. in criminal justice, a master’s degree in leadership for social justice, and a doctorate in educational leadership. Her work has been featured in the Bay Area local press, on MSNBC, Anderson Cooper, and in Essence Magazine. Away from work she enjoys spending time with her partner, kids, and French bulldog, taking in the spicy foods and beauty of the Bay, and hiking, biking, and running.
Jean Cooper

Jean Cooper​

Chief Impact and Strategy Officer

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Jean Cooper
Jean Cooper is currently the Acting Chief Finance and Operations Officer at GLIDE, having served previously as Chief Impact & Strategy Officer and Chief of Staff. Her career at GLIDE began in 2005, as Program Manager for the Daily Free Meals program. She became Director for Community Building and then Strategic Initiatives. With her management and research experience, Jean established her own consulting firm for nearly a decade. She supported national nonprofits to develop and implement innovative programs and projects through thinking partnership, operational capacity building and change management. Jean is a passionate nature lover and equestrian.

Val Feldman

Senior Director, Strategic Learning and Impact

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Val Feldman
Valerie Feldman is GLIDE’s Senior Director of Strategic Learning and Impact. As a key member of the Impact and Strategy team, she leads cross-system efforts to align GLIDE’s many strategies to affect change in and for the community. In this capacity, she also provides strategic oversight to GLIDE’s research and evaluation department, the Center for Applied Learning and Impact (CALI), which leads GLIDE in its evolution as a learning organization. Valerie brings more than 15 years of experience in designing and leading mixed-methods research on various social issues including racial justice, sex work politics, and immigrant youth-serving organizations. Prior to GLIDE, Valerie spent several years leading teams in strategic planning, evaluation, and impact assessment for nonprofit and philanthropic organizations, primarily in the Jewish community sector. Valerie holds a PhD and MA in Sociology from the University of California, Davis. She lives in the East Bay with her partner and two overly affectionate cats.

Angelo Turner

Chief Development Officer

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Angelo Turner
Angelo Turner serves as Chief Development Officer of Glide Foundation. Angelo has spent 26 years in development spanning work with the American Cancer Society, UCSF, Scripps Health, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Emanuel Medical Center and St. Charles Health System. He has also worked extensively in criminal justice volunteer roles that include police oversight, inmate reentry services as well as juvenile justice reform panels. Angelo is a native of San Diego and he graduated from National University in La Jolla, CA and the graduate non profit program of Indiana University.

Lillian Mark

Senior Director of Programs

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Lillian Mark
Lillian Mark serves as GLIDE’s Senior Director of Programs. She oversees GLIDE’s implementation of strategic initiatives for the unhoused and portfolio of client service programs to assist marginalized residents in the Tenderloin neighborhood and communities in need across San Francisco. Lillian joined GLIDE in 2004 while an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley through the organization’s Epworth Emerging Leaders Internship Program, and then she never left. Upon graduation, Lillian joined GLIDE’s Executive Office as a project assistant but found herself wanting more, to be “more proximate” to the community. Since then, Mark has worked in multiple and progressively more responsible roles. Lillian has served as Community Safety and Training Manager and Division Manager for Operations, supporting program operations and managing client services. And, most recently, as Deputy Director of Programs, she led GLIDE programs through significant developments, including integrating mental health training with the Community Safety Team, innovating structural changes to holiday events during the pandemic, and leading client services offered through the Tenderloin Community Resource Hub with COVID-19 testing and equity vaccination efforts. Do not let Lillian’s somewhat youthful appearance fool you. If you want good “back in the day” stories about GLIDE—after 17 years of committed service at GLIDE– she’s got some great stories!
Bernadette Robertson

Bernadette Robertson

Chief People Officer

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Bernadette Robertson
Bernadette Robertson leads GLIDE’s Human Resources department and our efforts to modernize and evolve our talent and human resource capabilities as GLIDE grows to meet the needs of our community. Most recently, Bernadette served as the Chief Talent Officer for Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation (TNDC), so she comes to GLIDE with a deep understanding of the Tenderloin and the people we serve. Bernadette has supported many organizations through significant growth, and has a rich experience combining broad strategic thinking with effective ongoing operational practices. We are proud to have her with us!

Essential Needs

206

families with children served by GLIDE

176

children received direct care from GLIDE

+1,000

people reached by GLIDE’s Center for Social Justice community engagement and experiential learning programs

+23,005

people participated in Sunday celebrations with GLIDE Memorial Church

Family & Community Building

3,937

people reached with vital services, including harm reduction, essential goods and services, violence intervention, and support for families and children

1,932

people connected to social benefits like CalFresh food assistance and SSI

533,298

meals served to unhoused and low-income community members across San Francisco

7,904

grocery bags distributed to families in need across the city

$24 M

secured in state funding for housing subsidies, shelters, and mental health support through coalition work

$114 M

allocated to California’s state budget for food banks as a result of coalition-based advocacy

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