Parks Alliance leaders accept no responsibility for the group’s scandal and collapse

In an extraordinary hearing July 17, leaders of the San Francisco Parks Alliance refused to take any responsibility for the crisis that brought to organization to collapse.

The former CEO and treasurer of the organization told the Government Audit and Oversight Committee that the misappropriation of funds that cost small community groups hundreds of thousands of dollars happened entirely without their knowledge.

Overall, the hearing suggested that the organization, which worked closely with the Department of Recreation and Parks, operated with at best a stunning lack of internal or external oversight.

Rick Hutchinson, the board treasurer during the period when the financial problems happened, said he never saw any indication that anything untoward was going on with the money.

Widespread news reports have shown that the Parks Alliance took money that was held in trust for mostly small community groups doing mostly volunteer park projects and used it for operating expenses.

SFPA was a “fiscal sponsor,” meaning that donors could get a tax write-off by giving money for, say, park clean ups, murals, rehabilitating historic stairways or other similar projects, and the alliance would hold onto the money then pay the community groups’ expenses. Many of those groups raised their own money, in small donations.

But some of that money was apparently diverted to covering the group’s overhead expenses. Some of the community groups are complaining that they never got the money that was donated for their projects. It was, as one speaker said, as if you put money in the bank and then the bank said it was no longer there.

The group’s federal tax filings, which are public record, show assets declining from $30 million to essentially zero over five years. The alliance was having serious cash flow problems. But Hutchinson said there were no red flags until June, 2024, when it became clear that money was being potentially misused.

The organization was concerned, Hutchinson said, that putting out the information about internal problems might damage fundraising. “If the donors realized the depths of the issues, the funds would dry up,” he said.

Drew Becher, the CEO, testified under oath that “before May 2024, I had no idea that restricted funds had been used for non-restrictive purposes.”

Becher blamed everything on former COO for finance Justin Probert, who was fired in 2024. He said that he trusted Probert and his team to take care of the group’s money, and never personally checked on what was coming in an where it was going.

Sup. Shamann Walton, who called the hearing, said “it was beautiful to hear that you took no responsibility for anything that happened at the Parks Alliance.”

Walton: When did you start to realize that restricted funds were going for improper purposes?

Becher: I did not know, I wasn’t the COO.

Walton: You never saw that a line item was for this and it went to that?

Becher: No

Walton: When did you start using restricted funds on organizational expenses?

Becher: I don’t know.

In fact, Becher, who resigned in February, said he doesn’t know where all the money that was earmarked (and often raised) by and for community groups is today.

Walton, who was formerly the CEO of a nonprofit, said he found that astounding, even hard to believe. “You were at worst negligent and inept,” Walton said. “I don’t believe for one minute that you didn’t know what the CFO was doing.”

Sup. Stephen Sherrill asked again:

The Parks Alliance has been involved in serious prior scandals. former Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru, who is now in prison, got corporations like PG&E and Recology to donate money to the group, which he then used for lavish parties.

It has operated for years with close ties to Rec-Park and its director, Phil Ginsburg.

Ginsburg’s involvement is still a bit unclear. In May, 2025, the city cut financial ties with the group—but Becher testified that he met with Rec-Park officials, including Ginsburg, on June 27, 2024 and informed them of the financial crisis.

He said he couldn’t remember if the misappropriation of funds was part of that discussion. “I’m not sure it ever came up,” he said.

Meanwhile, not just small community groups but the city itself have been left holding the bag. Elaine Forbes, director of the Port, said that the Parks Alliance was holding $2.5 million to fund improvements to Crane Cove, in Bayview. The alliance paid only $997,000. “We were never informed about the internal crisis,” she said. “We were granted an award to do these projects, but we couldn’t pay for all the improvements.”

A lot of community groups have had to lay off staff because of the Parks Alliance staff.

Robert Ogilvie, who took over for Becher after Becher resigned, said that it appears the group is $5.5 million in debt, and there’s nowhere near enough money in the bank to pay it off. He also said he had to be sensitive about releasing public information, because that might discourage donors. “I had to walk a fine line,” he said.

Walton said that transparency about public money is absolute, and not negotiable.

Numerous community groups came forward in public testimony talking about how the financial collapse impacted them, including the inability to pay small businesses and employees.

Sup. Jackie Fielder asked Ogilvie if the Parks Alliance board had “a moral or legal responsibility to make the city and community groups whole.” Ogilvie said that would be a decision for the supes.

The Parks Alliance has liability insurance, but nobody seems to know exactly how much those policies are worth or whether some of that money could help pay the community groups that have been the victims of what Sup. Stephen Sherrill called “a Ponzi scheme.”