Tipping Point Community Awards: The Bay Area nonprofit on a mission to end poverty honored Aspire Public Schools, Ravenswood Family Health Center and the SFSU Guardian Scholars Program with $50,000 grants at its fifth annual breakfast at the Julia Morgan Ballroom on Dec. 8 in The City. Accepting awards from Tipping Point founder and CEO Daniel Lurie were Xochitl Sanchez-Zarama, Dr. Sonja Lenz Rashid, Luisa Buada and James Willcox.

Spinsters enjoy holiday ball

Spinsters Holiday Ball 2011: More than 200 members of the women’s philanthropic organization Spinsters of San Francisco and their guests celebrated at the group’s 82nd annual gala Dec. 10 at the Regency Center in The City. Among Spinsters’ beneficiaries is Oasis for Girls, which provides safe spaces and mentoring for girls and young women in need. Adrienne Plaskett chaired the event; Ashley Hayes is the Spinsters’ board president.

Art patrons celebrate 50 years

SECA Award: On Dec. 7 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, patrons opened the annual SECA award exhibition and celebrated the golden anniversary of the Society for the Encouragement of Contemporary Art, which administers the honor given to Bay Area artists of exceptional talent. The exhibit, which runs through April, features works by winners of the 2010 award: Mauricio Ancalmo, Colter Jacobsen, Ruth Laskey and Kamau Amu.

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