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Nine philanthropic foundations have joined forces to fill a funding gap created by mid-year budget cuts to Oakland’s Cultural Affairs Division. The $600,000 emergency fund will channel one-time grants of up to $28,500 to 24 local arts and culture organizations to support their summer programming.
The grant recipients initially received funds from Oakland’s Organizational Assistance Program in 2023, expecting the two-year grant to renew for the fiscal year 2024–25. When the city council eliminated the Cultural Affairs Division’s general fund allocation, Acting Cultural Funding Coordinator Pamela Mattera and former Cultural Funding Coordinator Raquel Iglesias led the effort to replace the missing funds.
Donations to the emergency pool come from the Akonadi Foundation, East Bay Community Foundation, Fleishhacker Foundation, Gerbode Foundation, Hellman Foundation, Kenneth Rainin Foundation, San Francisco Foundation, Stupski Family Fund and an anonymous source. The East Bay Community Foundation will coordinate the dispersal of funds…