Pam Baer: The Entrepreneurial Philanthropic Journey
Upon arriving in San Francisco from Texas, by way of New York City, local philanthropist, entrepreneur, and community leader Pam Baer lovingly credits her own family upbringing and “The Matriarchs of San Francisco” for mentoring her in the ways of Bay Area philanthropy. But in many ways Baer’s commitment to lifting up San Francisco is deeply personal.
Born and raised in Texas, Baer moved to New York City after college, where she built a successful strategic marketing business. After marrying Larry Baer, longtime San Francisco resident and president and CEO of the San Francisco Giants, Baer relocated to the Bay Area. After giving birth to her four children, Baer eventually redirected her entrepreneurial spirit towards philanthropy and community service which was catalyzed by a serious accident suffered by one of her sons, leading to treatment at San Francisco General Hospital. Baer credits this traumatic event for opening her eyes to the importance of public health and for inspiring her to become intimately involved with San Francisco General. Having served on its board for 25 years and becoming a lifetime director, Baer has created and spearheaded many awareness and fundraising campaigns including the “Hearts in San Francisco” project, a public art initiative that raised awareness and funds for the hospital while showcasing local artists and promoting trauma care.
But Baer’s work extends beyond healthcare to address broader community issues, with a particular focus on mental health, a journey that led to her involvement with the Kennedy Forum, working to improve mental health parity in insurance coverage. Through her various initiatives and partnerships, Baer continues to make significant contributions to San Francisco’s philanthropic landscape, emphasizing collaboration, community engagement, and strategic alliances.
Q: Can you tell us about your journey that brought you from your childhood in Texas to becoming a beacon of San Francisco philanthropy?
Pam Baer: I grew up in Texas in a large family of six kids. We all made our way through sports or academics. I studied business at the University of Texas and then wanted to go to New York to work. In New York I started in financial services, but I had this entrepreneurial spirit that lived within me. Against the advice of family and friends, who thought I should work for a large company, I decided to start my own business.
It began with one large banking client, and it snowballed into a lot of strategic marketing, brand, and specifically direct mail work. I expanded into fashion magazine work and music industry clients. It was challenging at times to be single and starting a business in New York, but it was fun and eye-opening.
I continued with my business until I met my husband, Larry, in New York. After we got married in Fort Worth, Texas, we lived in New York for a couple of years before moving to San Francisco. Initially, I kept my New York business, but after having my children, it became harder to manage with the travel. This was all pre-Zoom, of course. I often tell people now how Zoom has allowed young women to do so much more from home.
I ended up selling my business, and we raised our four children in San Francisco. In this new chapter of my life, I was mentored by some amazing women I call “The Matriarchs of San Francisco” – women like Roselyne “Cissie” Swig, Rhoda Goldman, and Doris Fisher. They encouraged me to get involved in various committees and initiatives. With my marketing background, I found I could do a lot of good.
I chose to focus on raising my children and being part of my husband’s life at the ballpark while also getting involved in the community. Since Larry grew up in San Francisco, I was trying to learn about the city and how it worked. I still call San Francisco a town, though Larry insists it’s a big city. To me, it feels like a small town in a good way.
Q: How did you become involved with San Francisco General Hospital?
A: My involvement with San Francisco General Hospital came about through a personal experience. One of our kids had a really serious accident running through a glass door. It opened my eyes to public health and how lucky we were to be in a city with a level one trauma center.
After our child was saved there, I approached the hospital and asked, “How did I not know about this hospital? How did I not know that this is a level one trauma center?” I realized there was no amount of money I could give to thank them for saving my child, but I wanted to help from a marketing standpoint to get their message out to more people.
I rolled up my sleeves and fast forward, I became a lifetime director, was on the board for 25 years, raised millions of dollars, and did capital campaigns for them.
I’m still involved, but from my perspective, it was something bad that turned into something good. I’m proud of what I’ve given back to the hospital and to the community because it’s allowed me to see San Francisco through a different lens. It opened the door to my understanding of vulnerable populations and aligned with other passion projects, outreach, and building strategic alliances beyond just the hospital.
Q: Can you tell us about the “Hearts in San Francisco” project?
A: The Hearts project came about through brainstorming with two other San Francisco matriarchs, Nancy Bechtle and Ellen Newman. We figured out that if we could put large sculptural hearts in public places, we could create an opportunity for local artists to give back in their own way and expose more of the giving and love of San Francisco.
We wanted to show the community that it’s not just about the art, but what goes behind all the heroes at the hospital – the doctors and the nurses.
It wasn’t easy in the beginning. We had to get 135 permits for public art and work with the City of San Francisco. But in the end, it showcased San Francisco internationally. We had celebrities like Robin Williams personally involved. He and his wife, Marsha, even bought some of the hearts. Robin took his bicycle when we did a public viewing and biked through all the hearts, saying, “Yes, San Francisco is more than just this public art, but it’s surrounding us with the medical care at this hospital.”
The project was about more than just public art; it was about raising awareness about public health. Until the pandemic hit, there were people who would say to me, “Oh, now I understand why you put so many years into public health, because of how important it is for everyone.”
Years later, we created smaller versions of the hearts, and it continues to raise public awareness about the hospital, the staff, the nurses, and it just makes people happy as well. It’s been an ongoing project that continues to bring joy and awareness to the community.
Q: Do you think there is a need for greater coordination between philanthropy, the private sector, and government to meet the most urgent needs of your community?
A: Definitely. It takes a village. It’s often difficult to work through city and state politics to get things done. But it takes passion and focus to really move the needle forward on a lot of social good. That’s why I feel like in a way, this Hearts project wouldn’t have happened in a huge, big city. San Francisco is more like a town, where we were able to put hearts in parks and on rooftops. Everyone got involved – we never had anyone turn us down for sponsorship or artist participation. There were law firms that had to get cranes to put hearts on their rooftops. It was so exciting. The only thing we didn’t have enough of was time. We could have probably had 200 hearts, but we had to move forward with what we had. It was almost overwhelming how many people wanted to help.
This project really demonstrated the power of collaboration. It takes strategic partnerships and coordination between different sectors – philanthropy, private businesses, and government – to create meaningful change. We need this kind of collaboration to address the complex issues facing our communities today.
Q: San Francisco, like many major cities, faces numerous challenges, especially post-COVID. What do you see as the most pressing issue facing San Francisco now?
A: Mental health. I think we’re in a mental health pandemic at the moment. We need to address what’s happened with children today – they missed school, they missed the social part. It trickles down from top to bottom and bottom to top.
We’ve got to get to the crux of mental health because we can give people housing, but if they can’t figure out how to take their medicines, how to turn on the lights, and how to feed themselves, all of that shelter goes away. We’ve got to help. And we’re getting better.
I’m part of the Kennedy Forum on parity. We’re working to ensure that insurance companies will cover mental health services just like they cover diabetes or cancer screenings. Pretty soon, mental health is going to be aligned just like you’re going to check for diabetes or cancer. You’re going to be able to get all the services related to mental health and not be denied.
I helped create and chair a mental health fund at San Francisco General Hospital before the pandemic because I lost a nephew to suicide seven years ago. This is when I thought, boot straps on, make some noise and have a voice! We all need to make lemonade from lemons when communities struggle. How can I use my platform to raise more awareness and create and build stronger partnerships to help with the solutions? It’s a complex social situation, and we need to approach it from multiple angles as many families are affected.
Q: Your work touches so many areas of need and the work of many nonprofits. What advice would you give to nonprofit leaders who are trying to get on the radar of philanthropists and foundations for funding?
A: My advice would be to collaborate more with those that you think are doing similar things to you. Be at the same table to move the needle further on social good. Collaborate, put your egos aside because it’s gotten too confusing for many philanthropists to make decisions. Pretty soon, mental health is going to be detected with interventions and optimization for well-being and integrated care.
As a philanthropist, I would really value seeing an effort coming to me that was in partnership with other organizations.
I think it’s important for nonprofits to understand that philanthropists are looking for strategic, impactful ways to make a difference. When organizations come together, they can often achieve more and present a more compelling case for support.
Q: You’ve had a successful career in business and now in philanthropy. How do you see the intersection of these two worlds?
A: I think my business background has been invaluable in my philanthropic work. The skills I developed as an entrepreneur – strategic thinking, problem-solving, networking – have all been crucial in my nonprofit endeavors.
In business, you learn to identify needs and find innovative solutions. In philanthropy, we’re doing the same thing, just with different goals. Instead of profits, we’re seeking social impact. But many of the strategies are similar – you need to have a clear vision, build strong partnerships, and execute effectively.
I also think there’s a lot that the business world can learn from philanthropy. The focus on mission and impact that drives nonprofit work can be really valuable in the corporate world too. More and more, we’re seeing businesses recognize the importance of social responsibility and giving back to their communities.
Ultimately, I believe that the most effective philanthropy happens when we bring together the best of both worlds: the strategic thinking and efficiency of business with the passion and mission-driven focus of the nonprofit sector.
Q: Looking ahead, what do you see as the future of philanthropy, particularly in San Francisco?
A: I think we’re going to see a continued emphasis on collaboration and strategic partnerships. The challenges we face are too complex for any one organization or sector to solve alone. We need to break down silos and work together more effectively.
I also believe we’ll see more focus on systemic change. While it’s important to address immediate needs, more philanthropists are looking at how to create long-term, sustainable solutions to social problems. This might mean more investment in policy change, education, and preventative measures rather than just reactive solutions.
And technology is going to play an increasingly important role. We’re already seeing how digital platforms can connect donors with causes more efficiently, and I think this trend will continue. But we need to be mindful of the digital divide and ensure that these technological advancements don’t leave behind the communities we’re trying to serve.
Lastly, I hope we’ll see more diverse voices in philanthropy. We need perspectives from all parts of our community to truly understand and address our challenges. This includes not just diversity in terms of race and gender, but also age, socioeconomic background, and lived experiences. The future of philanthropy in San Francisco, and indeed everywhere, should be about harnessing our collective resources, knowledge, and passion to create meaningful, lasting change. It’s about building a community where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.