New Research Shows Impact of Philanthropy

Oakland, CA, August 26, 2010 --  Large foundations in California and across the nation pump millions of dollars into Oakland and the East Bay, according to new research conducted by the Foundation Center, an authority on organized philanthropy worldwide. This funding supported local, national, and international organizations based in Oakland.

Oakland non-profit organizations received $237 million in grants of $10,000 or more from the nearly 1,500 large foundations included in the Foundation Center’s 2008 grants sample. More than one-third of this giving—$86.2 million—targeted organizations that primarily serve Oakland and the East Bay, with California foundations providing the vast majority of this support.

“The level of local investments shows the importance of philanthropy in the East Bay,” said Steven Lawrence, the Foundation Center’s Director of Research.  “For the first time Oakland’s boosters can also see how foundation giving complements other sources of local support, such as government funding.”

The East Bay Community Foundation provided more grants (175) than any other funder in the sample to local organizations serving Oakland and the East Bay, according to the research.  It also ranked second on a list of 50 foundations contributing the most to Oakland and the East Bay at $14.8 million.  These grants from its donors and its own endowment represented only a fraction of the foundation’s overall commitment to the area.

“More than three out of five grant dollars we award each year benefit Oakland and the East Bay,” said Nicole Taylor, President & Chief Executive Officer of the East Bay Community Foundation.  “If you go beyond this study to include giving through grants of less than $10,000, we provided over $38 million in 2007-08 and more than $28 million in 2008-09 to benefit causes and needs in the East Bay, which includes Alameda and Contra Costa counties.”

According to Taylor, the reason the foundation provides such a consistently large share of funding to locally focused organizations is that most of the Foundation’s approximately 500 individuals, families, corporations and other organizations holding charitable funds at the Foundation live in, work in, or have some other attachment to Alameda and Contra Costa counties.

Since adopting a new strategy in 2008 that focuses on advancing economic opportunity for adults and families in need and on ensuring very young children are successful in the education system so they have better economic opportunity as adults, the Foundation has funneled $3.5 million to those two related causes in the East Bay.  

The Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation was the top funder to Oakland-based agencies in terms of dollars ($15.2 million) and distributed over 27 grants.  According to Foundation Center data, the Wayne and Gladys Valley Foundation has a history of supporting capital and building projects in the East Bay, and has announced it is winding down its grantmaking and plans to spend out by September 2018.

The research was funded by The San Francisco Foundation and by the Fund for the Oakland Mayor’s Office of Public, Private Partnerships at the East Bay Community Foundation.     

To view the results of the research, click here.