FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OAKLAND, March 16, 2022 – East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF) has awarded unrestricted general operating support grants to 25 organizations totaling $1,095,000 through its Community Organizing, Power Building, and Movement Building core program strategy.
Each of the 25 grant recipients were identified as organizations that (1) build and are accountable to a constituency of community members most harmed by injustice, (2) play a key coalition and networking role in the overall ecosystem of the region, and/or (3) grow their base-building and organizing capacity. All 25 organizations do work in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. These grants were made possible with support from multiple funding sources including the Foundation’s discretionary grantmaking funds, the Community Organizing Fund, and A Just East Bay Fund.
“These 25 community movement partners provide a critical ingredient of community support which builds a fair, inclusive, and just East Bay. East Bay Community Foundation recognizes that community organizing is a part of essential community infrastructure and these grants will help enable our partners to do their important work,” said EBCF Interim President & CEO Pamela Calloway. “Building collective power is critical at this time, and so much of this work is about responding to unjust policies and a history of disinvestment.”
Out of the 25 grant recipients, 18 have received annual grants since 2020. Also unrestricted, the 2022 grant awards include an automatic straight-line 5% increase in funding to reflect rising costs and respond to grant recipients’ feedback. The work of these organizations extends beyond health and wellness for East Bay residents; together this group of organizations form a support system and advocacy network with local, regional, and statewide reach. This year, grant recipients also had the flexibility to direct their grant award to any combination of their 501(c)(3) charitable organization or affiliated 501(c)(4) social welfare organization, allowing for greater impact in their issue and policy advocacy work.
Grant recipients have a successful track record of supporting residents in organizing for more substantial tenant and eviction protections, increasing equitable access to vaccines, supporting youth and their families in school transitions, winning key local election measures, strengthening policies in favor of worker and immigrant rights, and reimagining public safety. In addition, grantee recipients have been crucial in shifting racial equity narratives and building racial solidarity through campaigns such as Stop API Hate, Black Lives Matter, and Ending Deportation.
“We recognize that the state of California is one of the wealthiest in the nation while also having some of the largest disparities,” said Rev. Dr. George Cummings, Regional Executive Director of Faith In Action East Bay. “If building power in this region is what we want and need to be doing, then we need to focus on our current power to influence at the state level. To that, we dedicated this past year as the year of base building and have grown our member base substantially, which will support our work in the coming year[s] to transform our communities at the local and statewide level.”
The new organizations joining EBCF’s grantee partners list were identified based on grantmaking gaps in demographics, geography, and issue areas; insights from current grantee partners; and field research. Funding will allow grantee movement partners to launch or support existing community organizing initiatives that provide leadership development opportunities for their constituents.
“This year we are launching The Black Village Network, a learning lab and multigenerational space for youth, parents, and caregivers to co-create solutions so that Black students and families can thrive in our local education systems,” said Sheryl Lane the Executive Director of Building Blocks for Kids. “The Black Village Network is an investment in Black leaders of all ages to come together and create something tangible for the community and gain project design skills in the process.”
The 2022 Community Organizing, Power Building, and Movement Building program strategy grant recipients include:
*New grantee partner of EBCF’s Community Organizing, Power Building, and Movement Building program strategy.
As the East Bay assesses a path forward through the next stages of the pandemic and the ongoing calls for true racial justice, EBCF reaffirms the essential role nonprofit organizations play in creating a path towards an inclusive, fair, and just East Bay.
“East Bay Community Foundation prioritizes community organizing, power building, and movement building as a way to address the systemic injustices caused by the inequitable distribution of power and resources across multiple lines of difference, such as race, class, gender, immigration status, sexual orientation, and age,” said EBCF Vice President of Community Investment & Partnerships Amy Fitzgerald. “Our role as philanthropists is to support these organizations to become more durable and sustainable for long-lasting change.”
Since the launch of the Community Organizing, Power Building, and Movement Building strategy in Fall 2017, the Foundation has distributed over $6.5 million in grants and contributions to support community-driven systems change. To learn more visit ebcf.org/community-organizing/
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 inclusive, fair, and just East Bay. 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. EBCF is supported by 600 local donors and has charitable assets under management of over $600 million.