San Francisco Public Press

What it reported doing in 2024

The San Francisco Public Press is a nonprofit, noncommercial news organization that produces independent public-interest journalism about under-covered topics, with a focus on under-served audiences. Online and on community radio station KSFP-LP, broadcasting on 102.5 FM in San Francisco, we offer local investigative and solutions reporting. Coverage areas include environmental protection, housing affordability, public health, transportation safety, homeless services, digital privacy, immigration and elections. The Public Press experienced a leadership transition in early 2024 as Lila LaHood, who previously served as publisher, stepped into the role of executive director, previously held by Michael Stoll for 15 years. Stoll and LaHood co-founded the Public Press with the support of a volunteer steering committee in 2009. Following the 2024 leadership change, Stoll remained on the board of directors and transitioned into a new newsroom role as senior editor so he could return to his first passion, science and environment reporting. We published our biggest project toward the end of 2024: "Exposed: The Human Radiation Experiments at Hunters Point," a series of six articles by Chris Roberts and two podcast episodes by Rebecca Bowe. Michael Stoll served as project editor. The following spring, "Exposed" won the 2025 national Izzy Award from the Park Center for Independent Media at Ithaca College. For "Exposed," our team sifted through thousands of pages of obscure records, interviewed experts and tracked down elderly veterans who were subjected to ethically questionable radiation exposure by the U.S. Navy in San Francisco during the Cold War (see: https://www.sfpublicpress.org/exposed/). What we found reveals a troubling history with effects still felt today. The Guardian (U.K.) was a publishing partner. Public Health Watch and The San Francisco Bay View National Black Newspaper republished articles and reached some of the people most affected. Community organizations repeatedly shared the project and referred to it in a current day court case. For every local election, the Public Press produces a comprehensive, multimedia nonpartisan voter guide. In 2024, we produced guides for the March and November elections. In 2024, the team for "Civic," our local public policy interview podcast and radio show, produced two seasons, with in-depth reporting and highly produced episodes. Early in the year, investigative reporter Sylvie Sturm and producer Liana Wilcox produced an episode about drug policy and addiction specialists' opposition to a San Francisco ballot measure that would compel adult welfare recipients to undergo drug screening before collecting cash benefits and another about the increase in overdose deaths among the city's Maya immigrants, highlighting the need for culturally competent drug treatment services. This reporting built on Sturm's previous coverage of the city's opioid crisis. Wilcox worked with reporter Zhe Wu on an episode about community groups' efforts to address concerns about violence against Asian Americans in San Francisco. Mel Baker, our director of programming for KSFP, produced an episode looking back at the COVID-19 pandemic and public health lessons learned from it. Election-related episodes with Lila LaHood explored increased spending in judges races that used to go uncontested and a primer on the process for electing party representatives to county central committees, which California voters are asked to do every four years, while Baker explored dueling ballot propositions designed to overhaul the city's commissions and how the existing system came to be. Wilcox and Baker also led production of episodes on a wide range of topics built around reporting by other journalists in our newsroom, some of which are described below. (See: https://www.sfpublicpress.org/civic). In addition to his work on "Civic," Baker diligently reached out to a diverse array of local audio producers with offers to broadcast thei

Financial Efficiency

• Mission deployment rate: 77%; rating input score 77
• Program expense ratio: 80.9%; rating input score 81
• Fundraising efficiency: $8.01 raised per $1 spent on fundraising; rating input score 31; 31st percentile among comparable filings

Transparency & Controls

• Consistency checks: 100%; rating input score 100; 63rd percentile among comparable filings
• Pay-setting controls: Limited
• Foreign activity oversight: Limited
• Grant itemization coverage: Limited
• Major donor itemization: Yes; rating input score 100
• Related-party transparency: Limited

Accountability

• Independent voting board: 88.9%; rating input score 89; 22nd percentile among comparable filings
• Governance controls: 3 of 8 controls in place; rating input score 38
  • Conflict-of-interest policy: Pass
  • Whistleblower policy: Fail
  • Document-retention policy: Fail
  • CEO compensation review process: NotApplicable
  • Other executive compensation review process: Pass
  • Form 990 shared with the board: Fail
  • Board meeting minutes documented: Pass
  • Audit committee oversight: Missing
  • Independent financial-statement audit: Fail

Sustainability

• Operating margin: 4.8%; rating input score 50; 50th percentile among comparable filings
• Total-asset coverage ratio: 0.08; rating input score 4; 4th percentile among comparable filings
• Liabilities to assets ratio: 0; rating input score 91; 91st percentile among comparable filings
• Officer compensation ratio: 5.2%; rating input score 53; 53rd percentile among comparable filings

Growth

• Program expense growth: 6.8% per year; rating input score 100; 51st percentile among comparable filings
• Revenue growth: 13.8% per year; rating input score 100; 76th percentile among comparable filings
• Asset growth: 7% per year; rating input score 100; 47th percentile among comparable filings