Spinnies Rise - A Year of Transitioning Back

Amy Tam, President

This year, our organization was one of many in a worldwide movement to rebuild, restore, and reconnect after the pandemic. Our members rallied to reunite our community in person safely and give back to the Bay Area community we love through in person volunteering and fundraising events.

Spinsters was grateful to partner with Oasis for Girls for our 92nd year, renewing our partnership that began in 2011. Oasis for Girls (“Oasis”) is an empowering local nonprofit that works with young women of color ages 14-18 from under-resourced communities in San Francisco to help them cultivate the skills, knowledge, and confidence to build healthy futures, and create more equitable, just communities. Serving more than 100 under-resourced high school girls each year, Oasis runs three core programs focused on life skills, arts education, and exploration. Programs like Oasis, especially during the pandemic, are valuable in supporting young women during a difficult time mentally where physical distancing made it challenging to find spaces of belonging and empowerment. Naturally, as an organization of about 100 young professional women whose own goals were to empower women and build community, their work resonated with us. We were honored to be a part of promoting female empowerment at a pivotal point in young women’s lives.

While the pandemic impacted many traditional philanthropy and fundraising activities, we were grateful to see how much our community stepped up to support our nonprofit partner and other nonprofit organizations across the city. Our members invested 395 volunteer hours between Oasis and other organizations. We were especially moved by how generous our community was in directly donating to Oasis at our fundraisers throughout the year. As an organization, our community made some of the largest donations to our nonprofit partner this year that we’ve ever recorded in our 92 year history. Check out a breakdown of some of our favorite community fundraising events that helped us make an impact this year.

Fleet or Flight Fundraiser

We brought back our infamous 12th Annual Fleet or Flight Fundraiser Party in person at Jaxson SF with amazing signature cocktails from Ketel One Vodka, Diageo, Yuzuri Liquor, and Kikori Whiskey. At our first fundraising event of the year, we sold over 100 tickets and Jaxson SF donated $1520 towards Oasis that evening.

Legacy Benefit

Legacy Benefit, our premier fundraiser of the year, celebrates our Spinsters history while supporting our nonprofit partner at the historic Fairmont Swig Suite Penthouse. Due to COVID-19 restrictions over the last two years, the fundraiser was virtual. This year, we were finally able to bring back this fundraiser in person with live music from The Turnaround Jazz Ensemble, wine from our sponsors (Azari Vineyards, Breathless Wines, Hanzell Vineyards, and Muscardini Cellars) and more. Our alumnae community and guests generously donated to support Oasis.

Gia Colosi, former Spinsters President and Alumnae, generously donated $10k at our live fundraising event. With Gia’s enthusiasm, Lisa Hattig, Spinsters Alumnae, donated $2k on the spot. It was amazing to witness how generous and supportive our community is in giving back.

Collectively, we sold over 100 tickets and raised about $16k from corporate sponsorships and direct donations, alone.

Kicks for a Cause

Our fun and physically active fundraising event, Kicks for a Cause, came back in person for its 4th year, selling over 50 tickets. We appreciate MIZO for supplying drinks to end the day with.

Between virtual and additional in person fundraising events as well as in our community, we continued to raise funds for Oasis. While we are still tallying up the total funds raised, so far we know we raised nearly $20k from corporate sponsors and organizations such as 100+ Women Who Care who donated directly to support Oasis’ work. Stay tuned for more updates! Our final total donation for 2021-2022 towards Oasis is still being tallied.

Our 92nd year was a reflection of the momentum we made in rebuilding our organization from the impact of the pandemic. Even during times of uncertainty, our community demonstrated a strong passion for philanthropy. Spinsters continue to overcome challenges and care for each other and our community while adapting and learning in the process. I cannot wait to see our organization continue to thrive for decades to come welcoming new generations of young professionals passionate about having a voice, having a presence, searching for a purpose, and making an impact in the Bay Area while continuing to foster diversity and inclusion in our community.

Interested in learning more about SOSF and becoming a member? Email recruitment@sfspinsters.com and we’ll keep you in the loop. Check back for more details and other meet and greet events here!.  

2020 - Let's not forget it so fast

Amy Tam, Communications Director

2020 embodied more than just Spinsters’ 91st year. It was a year of firsts, a year of overcoming adversity, and a year where we appreciated all the little things we previously took for granted. While most of us understandably feel like pushing 2020 far away like a bad dream, it is important to celebrate how each of us as individuals adapted and how we found new ways to stay connected as a community of Spinsters. I’m so proud of what we accomplished together this year, from pivoting to a fully virtual experience during a global health pandemic to learning how to become better listeners and allies in an ongoing civil rights and racial justice movement. In this primarily virtual world we all navigated entering our 91st year, community and collective impact has meant more than ever before. Together as Spinsters, here are just a few of the noteworthy accomplishments we made:

1. We held our first virtual New Member Tea welcoming new members into our Spinsters community. Our new members’ creativity and spirit shone through the screen from all across the Bay Area!

2. We raised $54,856 for our nonprofit partner, La Cocina, topping our fundraising records from the past decade!

Proceeds went to support La Cocina’s Emergency Relief Fund to provide direct financial support to female food entrepreneurs from immigrant communities who lost between 70-100% of their sales during the pandemic.

To share some testimonials from La Cocina food entrepreneurs that benefited from financial support:

“This money is beyond amazing and I don’t know how my family and I would survive without it. The folks at La Cocina and the community that supports us are angels. Overwhelmingly grateful.”

— Michelle Numbers, Buko Bakes

“I am so excited to receive these funds. These funds will for sure ease some of the financial stress my family is experiencing due to the pandemic. Thank you and love you all.”

— Nafy Flateley, Teranga

3. We held our first virtual Fleet or Flight Fundraising Party in October featuring wine from local women-run wineries, Breathless Wines, Artesa Winery, Benziger Family Winery and delicious food flights from two talented La Cocina graduate chefs, Bini Pradhan, Founder of Bini’s Kitchen and Tina Stevens, Founder of A Girl Named Pinky. At our first virtual fundraising event of the year, we were able to raise $1800 for La Cocina.

4. We maintained our time-honored tradition of Spinsters potlucks by gathering virtually together at our first virtual Fall Potlucks where Spinnies cooked alongside each other on screen.

5. We launched our first Holiday Gift Guide with a portion of all purchases that went to our nonprofit partner, La Cocina.

6. We launched new bonding experiences as well as workshops. To name a few:

Spinnies Supporting Spinnies Buddy System where Spinsters are paired with another Spinster to build new friendships, share experiences, and support each other.

Professional Development Power Hour where Spinsters convened for an hour quarterly on topics such as sharing their tips for working from home, job hunting in the competitive pandemic market, and striving for better work life balance.

Professional Development DEIB Workshop where we learned how we can hone our skills (i.e. Personal development/growth, negotiation techniques, self-empowerment, etc), learn more about and be active allies for our fellow co-workers to create more inclusive and empowering work environments.

7. We showed up and supported one another in a million little ways from virtual wine nights to dropping off treats socially distanced on each others’ doorsteps. Thanks to each of you, we built a stronger community together.

While 2020 was a year where we learned to cherish our old traditions, we also learned to make new ones. From this list of firsts and accomplishments, it’s clear to see that 2020 taught us a lot about how to slow down, be present, take care of ourselves and others, and stay connected even in the face of new challenges. This year brought us gifts of community, love, and support, which not only made a meaningful impact towards our nonprofit partner, but to each other.

Interested in learning more about SOSF and becoming a member? Email recruitment@sfspinsters.com and we’ll keep you in the loop. Save the date for our new member info session on February 9th! Check back for more details and other meet and greet events here!.  

What is life like as a Spinster in 2019?

Get to know some of our ladies who lead!

Amy Tam, Public Relations Co Chair

How do you define a Spinster, specifically Spinsters of SF (SOSF)? Back in October 25, 1929, SOSF formed with a commitment to create a social network of strong, independent young women. Later, the group developed a passion for making a difference in the Bay Area through volunteering and fundraising.  90 years later, SOSF has continued to evolve. Spinsters are traditional with a progressive twist, nurturing and rebellious in nature, and leaders in advocating for a bigger voice for women in the community. Today SOSF is made up of a diverse group of 200+ unmarried women, ages 21-35 who lead different lives outside of the organization.  What is life like outside of SOSF for Spinsters? We asked three of our members to tell us about the lives they lead and share their advice with us.

SOSF Member, Cynthia Miranda

“You’re young.  Slow down.” “Pay your dues” before trying to rise ahead.  These were common remarks Cynthia Miranda, a third-year member of SOSF and a first-generation minority, heard throughout her career.  Cynthia is a communication analyst at the Judicial Council of California. What Cynthia is most passionate about in her career is pushing for more female leaders in her field.  In her own experience, Cynthia's female peers have advocated for her while she learns to navigate her male-dominated workplace. She feels that recognition for skilled women’s contributions and opportunities to grow should start at the top with senior leadership.  SOSF is proud to have women like Cynthia pushing for more female representation in government in our ranks! Outside of work, Cynthia strives to find balance in her life by traveling, reading for fun, dancing, especially salsa, listening to music, and eating all the delicious food SF has to offer.  She hopes to be able to travel more and manage her own schedule as a communications consultant in the future.  

SOSF Member, Amber Bissell

Another one of our “ladies who lead” is Amber Bissell, a second-year member of SOSF and one of the Co-Chairs of Professional Development of SOSF.  At just 31 years old, Amber is a Partner at Bain Mazza & Debski LLP, a law firm that specializes in labor and employment in California. Although she has always known she wanted to become a lawyer, she decided to pursue her Master of Science in Gender and Social Policy before going to law school.  Off the beaten path of what most would advise her not to do, pursuing her masters actually helped her specialize her law practice. Amber started her law career working at a small law firm in a male-dominated field. Afterward, she worked at another law firm founded by women before becoming a Partner at her current law firm.  So far in her career, she witnessed a few challenges for women in particular; women sometimes did not support other women in the field. The older generation held onto their positions of power and did not act as mentors to build up future legal leaders. Further, it was hard to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Currently at her law firm, Amber is grateful that her colleagues embrace cooperation and collaboration while supporting a healthy work-life balance.  Apart from her stressful yet fulfilling career, she enjoys fine dining, traveling, hiking, cooking, hosting, and getting creative with ceramics and writing. Something Amber hopes to share with other women is to trust yourself because there will be many people who will tell you that you should not pursue what you want to do. Thank you for encouraging us all to use our intrinsic motivation to achieve our goals!

SOSF Member, Xanadu Bruggers

“Don’t turn down opportunities to meet someone new,” said Xanadu Bruggers. Xanadu is a fifth-year in SOSF who served as Vice President and Philanthropy Director over the course of two years. She is currently a Board Member of the San Francisco Opera BRAVO! Club and longtime volunteer at Muttville.  Coming from a musical theater education and career background, Xanadu always felt her path was clear, but after a decade in performance, she lost her identity and wasn’t sure what would come next. After parting ways with theater, Xanadu began her career as an Executive Assistant (EA) at Pixar Animation Studios. Today she is an EA at the gaming live streaming platform, Twitch.  Joining SOSF initially seemed foreign to Xanadu as she was never in a sorority and did not know much of what the organization was about. But after a former President of SOSF encouraged her to join the organization, Xanadu found a community of women that has helped her find a new life purpose: volunteerism and nonprofit work. Currently, Xanadu is exploring graduate programs in nonprofit administration and aspires to work in nonprofit management to contribute every day to the causes she is most passionate about.

Interviewing Cynthia, Amber, and Xanadu, I learned that we are not that different in this organization.  While we all have different stories, challenges, and passions, we are able to create a powerful learning community with each other through SOSF.  Personally, SOSF has allowed me (Amy) to expand upon my creative ideas and foster leadership skills. In my non creative career, I rarely have opportunities to pitch an idea and see it unfold.  It gives me a lot of joy contributing to this organization because I’m able to see the end result of something I’ve worked hard on. Further, this organization has provided a safe space for me to feel loved, valued, and to be vulnerable.  A big city seems less lonely when you have a community that you’re a part of. Even though I’m not sure what everyone’s story is in joining, I can confidently say that there is a community for any women in their walk of life with SOSF. As Melinda Gates wrote in her book, “The Moment of Lift”, “maybe our best selves are not our polished selves.”  Looking at our members like Cynthia, Amber, and Xanadu, it’s clear that our best selves appear when we are able to share our passions, doubts, challenges, and advice with each other. 

Interested in learning more about SOSF and becoming a member? Email recruitment@sfspinsters.com and we’ll keep you in the loop. Save the date for our new member info session on February 5th! Check back for more details and other meet and greet events here!.