East Bay Community Foundation :: East Bay Community Foundation Awards $651,254 in Grants for Third Quarter

For Important Needs in Alameda, Contra Costa Counties

June 1, 2006 - Oakland, California – The East Bay Community Foundation has awarded 111 grants totaling $651,254 to organizations in Alameda and Contra Costa counties aimed at strengthening families, neighborhood & community building, the environment, education & youth development, and arts & culture.

“These grants are a part of our ongoing support for some of the most vital needs in both counties to which non-profit organizations are devoting important work,” said Mike Howe, President of the Foundation.

The grants for the third quarter of the Foundation’s 2005-06 fiscal year include “discretionary” giving decided by the Foundation and funded from its own endowment and giving that the Foundation helps designate in “partnership” with individuals, families and organizations whose charitable funds the Foundation manages. Together, these grants are expected to total about $3 million for the Foundation’s 2005-06 fiscal year ending June 30.

These grants are in addition to the more than $18 million in grants annually that are designated by the individuals, families, and organizations whose charitable funds are held and managed by the Foundation.

Among the largest of the “discretionary” and “partnership” grants for this quarter are:

	$120,000 for general support of Opportunities for Technology Information Careers of Antioch, which helps low-income people develop the skills they need to move out of poverty and into self-sufficiency in Contra Costa County.
	$50,000 for general support of the Livable Communities Initiative in Oakland, a project of the East Bay Community Foundation aimed at encouraging “smart growth” in land-use planning in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
	$25,000 for general support of the Bay Area Crisis Nursery in Concord, which provides residential care for Bay Area children while their parents deal with a crisis or stress from parenting.
	$20,000 for programs to enhance math and reading skills and to assist students with behavioral problems at Nystrom Elementary School in Richmond.
	$20,000 to Bay Area Community Resources for an educational program at Hoover Elementary School in West Oakland focusing on nutrition, physical and mental health, emotional well being and safety and empowerment. Bay Area Community Resources in San Rafael promotes the healthy development of individuals, families and communities through direct services, volunteerism and partnerships in the San Francisco Bay Area focusing on youth development, alcohol and drugs, tobacco and mental health, national service; community health and fiscal sponsorship.
	$15,000 for assistance to Hurricane Katrina evacuees in the East Bay to Catholic Charities of the East Bay in Oakland, which provides social services and advocacy to people in need in Alameda and Contra Costa counties regardless of their religious affiliation.
	$19,000 for general support of The Mentoring Center of Oakland, which improves the quality and effectiveness of mentoring programs and provides a direct service mentoring program model designed to transform the lives of at-risk youth in the Bay Area.
	$15,000 for an ecology and environmental education program at the Ma’at Youth Academy in Richmond, which is dedicated to creating a safe, clean, and healthy environment for children and youth in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
	$15,000 for general support of the AnewAmerica Community Corporation in Berkeley, which promotes the long-term economic empowerment of new citizens, immigrants and refugees in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
	$30,000 for development of state grants for local youth programs to the Bay Area Partnership for Children and Youth in Oakland, which improves the health and well being of young people by linking the Bay Area's low-income communities with resources and support in education, health, social services and employment.
	$15,000 to the Public Health Institute in Oakland, which promotes health, well-being and quality of life for people throughout California via research, evaluation, training, technical assistance, and community partnerships. The grant is for a collaboration of senior leadership and staff from eight San Francisco Bay Area health departments to eliminate health inequities using a broad spectrum of approaches to create healthy communities.
	$10,000 for a program in Contra Costa County to eliminate harassment, bullying and name-calling. The grant goes to the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network of San Francisco-East Bay in Concord, which works to ensure each member of every school community is valued and respected regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity expression.
	$10,000 for general support of the West Oakland Education Task Force in Oakland, which supports parents/families and youth to serve as advocates and experts in school reform efforts in West Oakland.
	$8,000 for general support of Centro de Servicios Resource Center in Union City, which provides low-income residents with food distribution, emergency food, emergency shelter, and referral to social services and other benefits.
	$10,000 for general support of Youth Radio of Berkeley, which promotes young people's intellectual, creative and professional growth through training and access to media and produces content for local and national media outlets.
	$10,000 to John Muir Health in Walnut Creek, which provides high-quality, comprehensive health care to the communities of Contra Costa County and the greater Bay Area. The grant is for the “Caring Hands” Caregivers program, which supports frail and isolated seniors to help them remain independent in their own homes as long as safely possible.
	$10,000 for the Queer Youth of Color Action Research Project at El Cerrito High School to Youth in Focus in Oakland, which will pilot and document a youth-led action research project that will promote self-care, protection, and empowerment for lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and trans-gender students.
	$10,000 for assistance to Hurricane Katrina evacuees in Alameda County to Eden Information and Referral Services of Hayward, which links Alameda County families and individuals with community resources, especially those for low-cost housing, emergency shelter, and social services.
	$10,000 for general support of Students Run Oakland in Oakland, which operates a non-competitive athletic and mentoring program to train low-income students from inner-city public high schools to run a 26.2-mile marathon.
	$10,000 for the Nonprofit Network to Build It Green in Berkeley, a collaborative of over 40 organizations promoting a healthy, sustainable environment. The grant is to fund quarterly forums to share information and identify areas for collaboration on “green” building issues.
	$8,000 to the Afghan Coalition in Fremont, for a community based television program aimed at helping the Coalition perform its mission of providing information and awareness of important issues to the Farsi- and Pashto-speaking population.
	$10,000 for general support of the Destiny Arts Center in Oakland, which provides movement-arts education & violence-prevention training for youth.
	$10,000 for general support of The Afghan Elderly Association of Union City, which provides health promotion services among Afghan elders in southern Alameda County
	$10,000 for general support of Prescott Circus Theatre in Oakland, a culturally conscious educational program promoting leadership, performing arts education, skill training, academic progress, and life experience opportunities for Oakland youth.
	$10,000 for general support of Youth Together in Oakland, which works in five high schools in Oakland, Berkeley, and Richmond to develop student leadership.

“As government resources for social services continue to be constrained through a combination of economic realities and public policy decisions,” said Howe, “the grant making capabilities of the Foundation itself and of those who hold charitable funds with us are ever more important.”