We’re Putting Cash in the Pockets of Families in our Hometown
by NewSchools’ Hometown Fund team*
We’re on staff at NewSchools. We all come from different places, but Oakland is our hometown now. It’s where we work and we love it. That’s why we’re excited to be able to give direct cash payments to some of our neighbors who need a hand. Often when faced with an emergency or disaster, people want to take action by helping. For some that means volunteering or sending supplies. But in this particular moment, when we’re dealing with the effects of a pandemic, one of the most impactful things to do is simply give cash. If you can spare as little as $5 or $10, for families in our hometown or yours, it will make a difference.
If you are fortunate enough to work for an organization with the ability to do more, we urge you to use your influence and encourage them to do so.
We work at a venture philanthropy investing in early-stage innovators who want to make a difference in the world by reimagining education. And although NewSchools makes investment all across the country, it felt right to do something here in our hometown to help families who are struggling in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.
A few months ago, before we had any idea a pandemic was brewing, we were given an opportunity to work on something called The Hometown Fund. The idea was to invest $250,000 into nonprofit organizations that support Oakland public school students through approaches outside the scope of NewSchools’ existing investment areas.
Then, Oakland Unified School District closed in March because of the rapid spread and potential health impact posed by COVID-19. We later learned Oakland public schools would remain closed for the remainder of the school year. This unexpected shift created a major challenge for local public schools, students and their families.
Our team decided to focus on emergency relief funding for the families of Oakland public school students, via local intermediary organizations with a history of providing direct support to the Oakland community. The two nonprofit organizations who received the grants are The Oakland REACH and Oakland Public Education Fund.
If you are able to, and would like to support organizations in our hometown, click on the links below to work through vetted organizations that will put cash in the hands of families with school-aged children who need help with food, housing and other necessities:
And, if you’d prefer to support an organization in your own hometown, that’s also awesome!
*NewSchools’ Hometown Fund team members:
- Angel Njenga, Senior Analyst, Diverse Leaders
- Antonio Tapia, Senior Associate Partner, Innovative Schools
- Ariana Valenzuela, Associate Partner, Innovative Schools
- Cameron White, Senior Associate Partner, Ed Tech
- Justin Wedell, Associate Partner, Ed Tech
- Leo Bialis-White, Senior Associate Partner, Innovative Schools
- Natalie Wilson, Associate Partner, Diverse Leaders
- Nathan Shiferaw, Analyst, Innovative Schools
- Raffy Maristela, Analyst, Innovative Schools
