#1 Benefit
The only thing more impressive than the guest list at the Tipping Point annual gala is the fund-raising total. More than 1,200 of the Bay Area’s biggest names gathered in the Bill Graham Civic Center Auditorium in 2017, raising more than $16 million for the fight against poverty in San Francisco. Renowned event designer Stanlee Gatti designed the event, which included performances from Phoenix and DJ Ruckus. Next: May 2018
#2 Benefit (up from #5)
The Mid-Winter Gala is the most coveted social ticket in town. Attendance at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco fund-raiser (which alternates locations between the Legion of Honor and the DeYoung), is by invitation only, and guests typically include tech titans, philanthropists, and celebrities. In 2017, Marissa Mayer, Devon Aoki, and Roman Coppola enjoyed dinner and dancing with the 195-strong crowd while raising more than $300,000 for the museums. Next: March 2018
#3 Benefit
Well-heeled music lovers flock to the War Memorial Opera House each September for the black-tie gala. The evening begins with a cocktail reception, followed by a grand dinner by McCalls in a stunning tented pavilion. After the performance, revelers adjourn to the after-party for dancing, live music, and even more food. Proceeds from the event benefit the San Francisco Opera Association and Opera Guild’s education and community programs. The 2017 ball will launch the Opera’s 95th season. Next: September 8, 2017
#4 Benefit
The featured performance happens at the War Memorial Opera House, but the wining, dining, and dancing before and after the show are just as much of a draw for the 3,500 ballet supporters who attend opening-night festivities. The evening starts with formal dinner for top patrons in San Francisco City Hall and ends with a party under the landmark’s beautiful Beaux-Arts rotunda. This year’s event generated about $2.7 million for the ballet’s programs. Next: January 18, 2018
#5 Benefit
The San Francisco Symphony celebrates each new season with black-tie event in September. The night starts with four levels of donor dinners, followed by a performance with a special guest. (In 2016, it was Kelsey Grammer. In 2017, it will be Yo-Yo Ma.) After the concert, the gala literally stops traffic as planners shut down the block adjacent to Davies Symphony Hall for the one of the best after-parties of the year. Next: September 14, 2017
#6 Benefit
Science gets a Cinderella moment with the swanky fête at the California Academy of Sciences, which raises more than $2 million annually to support the museum’s programs. The 2017 event included a conversation with Mythbusters host Kari Byron and Big Bang Theory star and neuroscientist Mayim Bialik. Next: April 2018
#7 Benefit (up from #8)
The cool cats in town assemble at SFJazz’s slick Hayes Valley digs each winter for a benefit concert, awards presentation, and AfterJam party honoring the most talented musicians in the industry. Nine-hundred guests attended the 2017 gala, which raised $1.2 million to support the organization’s artistic and education programs. Next: February 1, 2018
#8 Benefit (up from #9)
The Hope Gala is JDRF’s most high-profile networking opportunity and its most successful annual fund-raiser in the Greater Bay Area, raising $1.87 million in 2017 to fight Type 1 Diabetes. This year, 475 patrons filled the ballroom at the Ritz-Carlton for dinner, dancing, and a competitive (but friendly) auction. Next year, the event will be celebrating its 20th anniversary. Next: May 19, 2018
#9 Benefit (up from #12)
Forget black tie; dress code for the volunteer-led benefit is red tie, and the sea of red ensembles that floods the Julia Morgan Ballroom assures ticket-holders they’re in the right location. The evening includes cocktails, dinner, an auction, and an after-party, while honoring local heroes who have supported veterans, active-duty service men and women, and the communities around them. In 2017, 350 guests raised more than $500,000 at the event. Next: Spring 2018
#10 Benefit
The annual bazaar benefiting the Oakland Museum has been connecting shoppers with great finds for almost 60 years. Organizers fill a 96,000-square-foot warehouse with donated goods, divided into 19 categories from furniture and artwork to collectibles and clothing. The 2017 sale raised more than $2 million for museum programs. Next: March 3-4, 2018
#11 Benefit
For 27 years, Lifehouse Agency has treated guests to food and fine wines from 50 upscale restaurants and wineries. The 500 attendees at the 2017 gala enjoyed live music from the Atlantic Boys, while raising $580,000 to provide residential and support services to more than 250 individuals with developmental disabilities in the Bay Area. Next: April 21, 2018
#12 Benefit (up from #13)
Notes & Words brings writers and musicians together on stage at the Fox Theatre in Oakland for an evening of readings and performances. More than 1,600 guests attended the 2017 event, where headliners including Daveed Diggs, the Head and the Heart, and Michael Lewis led the charge to raise $1.5 million for UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland. Next: Spring 2018
#13 Benefit
The Guardsmen Wine Auction is the largest and longest-running wine auction in the city, with more than 40 participating wineries. While the event includes socializing and dancing, the highlight is the auction itself, featuring dinners at the world’s top restaurants such as Saison and French Laundry, and tours and tastings at Northern California’s top wineries. Some 600 wine-lovers attended the event in 2017, raising more than $500,000. Next: April 7, 2018
#14 Benefit (up from #15)
Now in its eighth year, the Glide Legacy Gala is becoming one of the hottest events on San Francisco’s summer social calendar. Last year’s event drew more than 1,000 guests to raise more than $100,000 for Glide Memorial Church’s food programs, medical clinics, and social services in the Tenderloin. In addition to beats by DJ KingMost, the 2017 gala will feature performances from the Glide Ensemble and the Change Band. Next: August 5, 2017
#15 Benefit (new to the list)
Raphael House has been supporting homeless families in San Francisco for 45 years and raising money through its annual gala for the last 20. More than 600 supporters gathered in the historic Palace Hotel for the swanky black-tie event this year, collecting more than $750,000 for the city’s oldest and only privately funded shelter and services program. One of the highlights of the event: a bid-for-your-wine auction during which tables bid on premium magnums to enjoy with dinner. Next: May 2018
#16 Benefit
The two-day event at the historic Bentley Reserve brings in more than $450,000 for youth behavioral health services. The fund-raiser begins with a Thursday-night dinner gala, followed by an all-day shopping event on Friday featuring more than 25 retailers including Trina Turk and outerwear designer J’Amy Tarr; 25 percent of the proceeds from the shopping fair go to Edgewood. Next: April 2018
