[2] Compass Family Services, known until 1995 as Travelers Aid San Francisco, was established in 1914 to provide assistance to newcomers to the city, particularly young women and girls drawn by the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in 1915.

[3] Since that time, Compass has served a wide range of populations, from stranded travelers to refugees to homeless families, but a common denominator among the various groups has been a need for help in an often unfriendly urban environment.

In 2007, CP was awarded a contract in partnership with the Eviction Defense Collaborative to provide rental assistance that allows families to maintain housing before they become homeless.

In 2006, CFC received a three-year grant through the SF First Five Commission to provide parent-child services with the goal of improving the developmental outcomes for children ages 0–5.

[14] Compass has been one of 23 agencies nationwide to be awarded a federal grant through the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development to rapidly re-house homeless families.