The Bay Area Council is an association of businesses in the San Francisco Bay area. Its members include some of the nation’s largest businesses. The organization lobbies local and state lawmakers to pass and implement policies that help businesses stay competitive. ¹ It conducts polling about the priorities of Bay area voters. ²

The organization is a major supporter of mass transit. The organization was an advocate of the region’s BART mass transit system and helped lobby for its construction. It is also an advocate of high-speed rail in California. ³

Overview

The Bay Area Council is a regional business association in the San Francisco Bay area. It is an advocate for business interests in the region. ¹

The council was founded in 1945 in an effort to coordinate Bay Area businesses in cashing in on expected post-war opportunities in manufacturing, foreign trade, and retail. The initial membership featured some of the world’s biggest businesses of the time, such as Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Transamerica, Standard Oil of California, Pacific Gas and Electric, Bechtel, Kaiser Industries, Clorox and others. ³

Today, its membership consists of businesses from all over the Bay Area. It also features some of the nation’s biggest companies such as AT&T, Amazon, Airbnb, Google, and PayPal. ⁴

Advocacy For Mass Transit

The Bay Area Council is an advocate for increased mass transit programs. The organization was the lobbyist for the creation of eventually became the BART mass transit system that operates in the Bay Area. ³ Many of the companies that were in the leadership of the organization eventually became contractors in the construction of the system. ⁵

In addition to supporting more local transit, the council is an advocate for California’s controversial high-speed rail project. The organization has claimed that it will be good for the region, but critics point out the project is slow to construct and way over budget. ³

From time to time, the Bay Area Council conducts polling on the priorities of Bay area voters. ² A poll in March 2022 found that 64% of Bay Area residents believed the area was on the wrong track, the highest level in the poll’s history. The question has been asked every year since 2014; a majority of respondents had also claimed the area was on the wrong track in 2015. ²

Finances and Leadership

According to its 2020 tax return, the Bay Area Council had $6,729,737 in revenue and $6,410,780 in expenses. It had $6,333,776 in assets. ⁶ Jim Wunderman is the president and CEO of the organization. ⁷

1. “About Us: Bay Area Council About.” Bay Area Council. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://www.bayareacouncil.org/about-us/.
2. Ting, Eric. “Bay Area Residents Are Growing Even More Dissatisfied, Poll Says.” SFGATE. March 31, 2022. https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Bay-Area-residents-unhappy-poll-says-17045784.php.
3.  “History.” Bay Area Council. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://www.bayareacouncil.org/history/.
4. “Member Companies.” Bay Area Council. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://www.bayareacouncil.org/member-companies/.
5. “The Bay Area Council: A Business Lobby of BART Contractors.” FOUNDSF. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://www.foundsf.org/index.php?title=The_Bay_Area_Council%3A_A_Business_Lobby_of_BART_Contractors.
6. Bay Area Council. Return of an Organization Exempt From Income Tax (Form 990). 2020. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/237325853.
7. “Professional Team.” Bay Area Council. Accessed May 22, 2023. https://www.bayareacouncil.org/bay-area-council-staff/.