Two dozen arts and culture organizations serving Oaklanders are getting access to $600,000 in “emergency” grants via a partnership between the city and the East Bay Community Foundation, city officials announced.
The money is intended for groups that received funds from Oakland’s Organizational Assistance Program in Fiscal Year 2023-2024 and were poised to get a second round of funding this fiscal year before the City Council passed a budget that made deep cuts in several areas, including the arts, to close a massive budget deficit.
“In this moment, when so many things are in disarray, we are proud to support the people that make the East Bay special,” said Brandi Howard, president and CEO of EBCF.
Money for one-time grants of up to $28,500 is coming in as donations from nine different foundations and will be managed in coordination with EBCF and the city’s Cultural Affairs Division.
The recipient arts groups are together linked to 600 Oakland-based artists who work on performances, exhibitions, classes and workshops in the city’s parks, libraries, schools, theaters and galleries, according to city officials.
“Oakland’s cultural organizations are more than businesses — they are the heartbeat of our neighborhoods,” said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee.
In addition to the EBCF, funding organizations include the Akonadi Foundation, the Fleishhacker Foundation, the Gerbode Foundation, the Hellman Foundation, the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, the San Francisco Foundation, the Stupski Family Fund and one anonymous donor.
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