Our Rich History
The co-founders literally and figuratively opened the doors of downtown employment to their community, persuading top executives at large businesses and firms to bring Black candidates to apply to their opening positions. Soon enough, they were matching job openings to folks in their community, essentially becoming a free placement employment office for Black people. In the midst of the Civil Rights Movement, PACT was born out of the co-founders’ desire to break down barriers, passion to contribute to the cause, and talent to do everything they could, or else nothing would happen.
In 1965 PACT was able to secure Federal funding from the Health Education and Welfare Department, pioneering one of the first TRiO Educational Talent Search programs on the West Coast, a funding that consistently supported PACT until today. Recognizing early on that survival in the job market would soon demand a college degree, PACT started helping young adults and high school students to get into college and receive financial aid. By 1968, PACT was a $500K organization with a three-pronged approach to advance economic and educational opportunities for Black people: job placement and workforce development, education, and Black business promotion, thanks to Louis Barnett, PACT’s Director of Minority Business Development.
With Dr. Daniel Collins, civic leader, UCSF professor and first Board Chair, the 70’s marked a time of steady expansion. It is then that Ms. Elizabeth Heller’s bequest enabled PACT to obtain the three-story house on Divisadero which became PACT official headquarters. With the Watergate, however, PACT’s economic development arm swiftly dried up, shifting its focus entirely to education. By the end of the 90’s, PACT presence eventually expanded to 2,500 students annually, covering 14 high schools and 2 middle schools in San Francisco. With the new millennium PACT expanded into the East Bay, serving 600 students annually in Richmond, Vallejo, and Vacaville.
In the fall of 2024, PACT was recognized as a Legacy Business Program! The Legacy Business Program was established in 2015 by the City and County of San Francisco. This program recognizes and preserves longstanding, community-serving businesses. The Legacy Business Program certifies businesses that have operated in San Francisco for 30 years or longer and have contributed to San Francisco’s history and identity. PACT is proud to be a part of this community!
To measure PACT’s impact, suffice it to say that over the past 60 years, PACT has served 60,000 young people, placing approximately 36,000 students in colleges and other post-secondary institutions, most with financial assistance. Beyond its direct impact on the Alumni cohort, PACT has nurtured over its lifetime an incredible set of dedicated staff and volunteers, many of whom stayed 20+ years and counting. A striking example is Charlene Folsom who spent 41 years at PACT, from first PACT advisor to Executive Director. Brandon acknowledges that a most satisfying outcome of leading PACT is the positive impact on the staff who were enabled to “flourish” at the professional and personal level.
PACT at 60: an inspiring lesson in civic engagement in the fight for social and racial justice; the legacy of a long-term commitment, and an incredible example of vision and insight from the founders who led their community in making a plan of action for challenging times.
PACT in Numbers
