Junior League of Oakland-East Bay

The Community Enrichment Fund (CEF) was created to allow the Junior League of Oakland East-Bay Inc. (JLOEB) to contribute to the financial needs of community agencies located in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Grants will be awarded in the month of April, 2010. Community Agencies are eligible to apply for and receive a Grant once a year, during JLOEB's fiscal year, running from June 1st through May 31st. Typically, we try to focus our grant giving to agencies that match our mission of helping Children at Risk in our immediate communities--with the emphasis on (but not limited to) school age children in Kindergarten through the 8th grade.

CEF grants are funded annually by distributions from the Maridel M. Moulton Sustainability Fund. All qualified 501(c)3 agencies in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties are invited to apply for a grant. Submissions are evaluated and selected by members of the Community Programs Council. Semifinalists are subject to both a telephone interview and site visit. The Board of Directors approves the final grant recipients and grant amount awarded.

JLOEB is accepting applications from organizations interested Community Enrichment Grants. The CEF grant application deadline is October 30, 2009.   Click here to download the CEF Application.

2008-2009 GRANT RECIPIENTS

During the 2008-2009 League Year, we awarded a total of $12,000 in grant money to the following organizations.

Girls, Incorporated of the Island City in Alameda is a local member organization of a national nonprofit dedicated to inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold sm. Girls Inc., recognizes that gender stereotyping still limits girls' potential, and challenge girls to ask questions about themselves and the world in which they live. Their programs are designed to be hands-on and interactive in order to encourage each girl to take risks and gain a sense of her own power and strength.  Our grant of $5,000 will help Girls, Inc. purchase a minibus which will allow them to expand their existing reach from three Alameda schools to four additional Alameda schools.  

The Crucible in Oakland is a non-profit educational facility that fosters a collaboration of Arts, Industry and Community. Through training in the fine and industrial arts, The Crucible promotes creative expression, reuse of materials, and innovative design while serving as an accessible arts venue for the general public.  Local youth participate in Bike Fix-a-thons, Earn-a -Bike programs and Frame Alteration workshops.   This experience often results in the youth expanding their exposure at the Crucible to the industrial arts which provide for valuable trade skills, creativity and confidence.  Our $3,000 grant will purchase a two-person work “island” which includes tools used in the bike programs.

Donald P. McCullum Youth Court in Oakland offers youth offenders a second chance through restorative justice, peer accountability, and empowering opportunities.  The Youth Court engages all youth, especially those at risk for entering the juvenile justice system, in expansive experiences related to law and justice with the aim of changing young lives and impacting communities.  Our $4,000 grant will assist their Focus on Justice (FOJ) program for 7th and 8th graders. These students engage in research on peers in their community with topics ranging from Gang Violence to Relationship Abuse.

During the 2006-2007 League year, we awarded the following four organizations grants each in the amount of $4,000. Each provided much needed services to underserved children in our community.

Community Violence Solutions (CVS) is dedicated to working in partnership with the community to end sexual assault and family violence through prevention, crisis services, and treatment. Formerly called the Rape Crisis Center, CVS has been in existence since 1974 and provides services to residents throughout Contra Costa and Marin Counties.

Oakland Youth Orchestra (OYO) was founded in 1964 as the educational arm of the Oakland Symphony, is recognized as an important musical organization in the Oakland and San Francisco Bay area. Consisting of seventy-five talented music students age 12 to 22, OYO maintains a commitment to cultural exchange, and has toured throughout the world. Our grant will provide scholarships for underprivileged students, enabling them to take lessons and perform with this esteemed orchestra.

Volunteer and Emergency Services Team in Action (VESTIA, Inc.) is a non-profit organization composed completely of volunteers responsible for raising money and obtaining donations to provide supplemental support to Employment and Human Services Department clients when no other resources are available. Our grant will help fund The Life Enhancement Program, which responds to unique requests from social workers throughout Contra Costa County and fulfills various needs that the children require. The requests vary from the simple to the complex, but they are always for items not covered by other funding sources or programs. VESTIA also operates many other programs such as Holiday Helpers Warehouse, Angel Tree, Project Ready to Learn and food pantries.