The funding will ensure that artists, culture bearers, and organizers can work side-by-side to ensure a transformative future for Oakland.
Belonging in Oakland: A Just City Cultural Fund believes that transformative change happens when artists and organizers work side by side. In its fourth annual round of funding, the program has opened applications for three grants of $100,000 annually for three years to collaborations between Oakland-based cultural and social change organizations serving BIPOC communities.
The grant awards will also include a $12,000 annual living stipend for artists and cultural practitioners, and a $25,000 allocation for documenting the collaboration. East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF), Akonadi Foundation, and the City of Oakland’s Cultural Affairs Division are partnering to make the funding available with major support from Surdna Foundation’s Thriving Cultures program.
“Lasting change in Oakland is possible, and Belonging in Oakland has taught us that partnerships between artists and organizers are essential to this progress,” said Debrah Giles, EBCF Senior Program Director. “This is our fourth cycle of investing in this kind of collaboration, and we’ve seen firsthand how pairing cultural practitioners with social change organizations can shift narratives, as well as the actual policies and systems that shape people’s lives. We’re excited to see what this next round of grantees builds together.”
This is the fourth round of funding from Belonging in Oakland: A Just City Cultural Fund. Launched in the spring of 2020 to support the arts and cultural sector, the first round of artists and cultural practitioners worked to reframe the crisis of COVID-19 as an opportunity to imagine how Oakland might be transformed into a more equitable and just city. In the fall of 2021, the second funding round gave cultural groups two years to implement projects challenging the mechanisms of systemic racism and lifting the voices of communities most impacted by social injustices.
The most recent round of funding, distributed in Fall 2023, supported three collaborations that uplifted Oakland immigrants who are currently or formerly incarcerated, promoted equity, programming, and community-led development in Oakland Chinatown, and worked toward a robust and vibrant future for local Black cultural hubs.
“Akonadi remains grounded in the understanding that creativity has always advanced resistance, resilience, and transformation,” said Demetria Huntsman, senior program officer at the Akonadi Foundation. “We invest in artists, culture bearers, and healers who inspire joy, hope, and collective action because we believe the cultural infrastructure of our movement is as essential as campaigns, direct actions, and mutual aid. All are critical for us to build a world where we ALL thrive.”
“Oakland has long demonstrated how cultural power drives civic change. Arts and culture aren’t a luxury—they’re essential civic infrastructure that strengthen neighborhoods, advance equity, and create the conditions for belonging,” said Lyz Luke, Cultural Affairs Manager for the city of Oakland. “By investing in artists and cultural practitioners who are deeply rooted in their communities, we’re investing in trusted relationships, bold ideas, and community leadership that transform Oakland—and inspire the world.”
The Fund seeks creative, mutually beneficial, and equitable collaborations working to build pathways to a more just Oakland. Successful proposals will challenge outdated, racialized narratives and test new ways of sharing power, from new social agreements to new community structures. These collaborations aim to lay the groundwork for a racially just and equitable Oakland where everyone belongs.
To ensure transparency and fair allocation of funds, the application process is open and straightforward. The lead applicant of any collaboration must have 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(4) status, or a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor in good standing with the IRS. They must be either a cultural organization that collaborates with civically oriented artists and cultural practitioners, or a social change organization, and should have an operating budget of $500,000 or more.
The application is a two-step process. Eligible applicants should submit a Letter of Interest (LOI) accompanied by general organizational information, financials for the most recently completed year, and a work sample demonstrating policy change efforts. Up to 10 applicants will then be invited to submit a full proposal. The LOI application deadline is Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, at 5 p.m. PT. Late or incomplete applications will not be accepted. Awards will be announced in late October 2026. Applicants can learn more about the process on the Eligibility and Application Instructions page of the Fund’s website.
To ensure that applicants understand the requirements and process fully, a how-to-apply webinar will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 12, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. PT. Attendance is strongly encouraged for all prospective applicants.
Find complete information about the application on the Belonging in Oakland webpage. Applicants can direct inquiries about eligibility or application requirements to Anyka Howard, Just City Cultural Fund Manager, at justcityfund@eastbaycf.org.
ABOUT AKONADI FOUNDATION
Akonadi Foundation supports powerful social change movements, primarily in Oakland, that work to eliminate structural racism and create a racially just society. Akonadi Foundation seeks to stop the criminalization of young people of color and promote responses to harm that nurture wellness and well-being. Since its founding in 2000, the Foundation has given over 1,800 grants totaling $43 million to nonprofit organizations, primarily in the Bay Area, as well as across the country. For more information, visit: Akonadi.org
ABOUT THE CITY OF OAKLAND’S CULTURAL AFFAIRS DIVISION
The Cultural Affairs Division is housed in the City’s Economic & Workforce Development Department. The division includes the City’s cultural funding program, which provides approximately $1 million in grants to support the arts in Oakland; and the public art program, which has more than $1 million in funds currently dedicated for public art installations across Oakland. The division also facilitates professional development opportunities for artists and arts organizations: policy research and advocacy; philanthropic partnerships and special events.
ABOUT EAST BAY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Founded in 1928, East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF) connects donors with community-led movements to eliminate structural barriers, advance racial equity, and create an East Bay where everyone has the economic freedom to dream, heal, and belong. Recognized as 2019’s “Boldest Community Foundation” by Inside Philanthropy, EBCF is committed to ensuring that all members of our community are treated fairly, with equitable opportunity and outcomes. Visit ebcf.org for more information.
ABOUT SURDNA FOUNDATION
The Surdna Foundation seeks to foster sustainable communities in the United States — communities guided by principles of social justice and distinguished by healthy environments, strong local economies, and thriving cultures. Learn more at www.surdna.org.