Appendix 2. Overview of the Seven Endeavor Fund Grantees
Profiles of the Bay Area Nonprofits Granted $500,000 a Year for Seven Years by the Endeavor Fund:
1. East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE)
Mission:
For 25 years, EBASE has been dedicated to advancing economic and racial justice by building a just economy based on good jobs and healthy communities. Unionized since 2005.
Programs
The organization engages in campaigns and partnerships that focus on worker rights, housing justice, and community governance.
Budget size:
$3.4 million
Number of Staff:
19
Prior challenges mentioned by interviewees:
Inconsistent communication from newly promoted, untrained supervisors; inconsistent internal policy implementation. Union contracts before Endeavor Fund grants added some missing systems, but not all.
Upgrades instituted in the first 2 years of Endeavor Fund seven-year grant:
Greatly expanded paid leave policy, including bereavement and parental leave. Steps within pay grades to allow for promotions within job titles. Substantial raises and increases in retirement benefits. Staff involvement in goal-setting.
Results:
Staff report better pay predictability, job security, and work-life balance. Organizational stability has led to greater values alignment in program work.
Annual Reports:
Available here
Social Media:
Instagram: /workingeastbay
Twitter/X: @workingeastbay
2. East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC)
Mission:
EBCLC provides legal services and advocacy to low-income communities in the East Bay, focusing on women of color, aiming to promote justice and build a more equitable society. Founded in 1988. Unionized since 2019.
Programs
The center offers holistic legal assistance in areas such as housing, health and income protection, immigration, and youth justice, and serves as a clinical training ground for law and social work students.
Budget size:
Approximately $10 million
Number of Staff:
87
Prior challenges mentioned by interviewees:
Pre-unionization, compensation had been informally decided, opaque and inequitable; years went by without raises; hard to recruit lawyers because of low pay. Lack of consistent HR staff and policies. Turnover: half the staff left during COVID. After unionization, the first collective bargaining agreement going into effect in 2021 had brought new systems and average raises of 15%, framed as racial justice initiatives, before the Endeavor Fund grants began.
Upgrades instituted in the first 2 years of Endeavor Fund seven-year grant:
Salary floor raised to $58,000, with a language differential to staff who use a second language on the job; retirement accounts. More vacation and holidays; longer sabbaticals, after 5 years instead of 10. Paid leave to study for the bar exam. More staff are engaged in organizational decisions.
Results:
Better staff commitment and retention has led to stronger ties of trust with the community they serve.
Annual Reports:
Available here
Social Media:
Instagram: /eastbayclc
Facebook: East Bay Community Law Center
Twitter/X: @EBCLCNews
3. La Cocina
Mission:
La Cocina aims to address equity issues in food business ownership by providing affordable kitchen spaces, training, resources, and community support to women, immigrants, and people of color, enabling them to establish thriving businesses.
Programs
An incubator that offers commercial kitchen spaces and programming at affordable rates, supporting entrepreneurs to launch their own food businesses by building skills, accessing capital, getting technical assistance, and creating businesses that contribute to vibrant, equitable communities.
Budget size:
Approximately $7 million
Number of Staff:
25
Prior challenges mentioned by interviewees:
Pay too low to buy a home. Janitors and other hourly workers had no paid leave and no health coverage. Lack of transparency about pay levels; discretionary and inequitable compensation decisions. Overwork and burn-out. No HR staff or other channel for employees to bring these concerns to.
Upgrades instituted in the first 2 years of Endeavor Fund seven-year grant:
La Cocina had already received a 5-year grant that ended just as the Endeavor Fund grants began. Thanks to this sequence of two many-year grants, they were able to hire the first HR manager, who has stayed in close, supportive contact with all staff. A market comparison study led to pay raises and a 401(k) plan. Hourly workers were added to health plan and PTO policy. Additional health benefits added each year (until a funding cut in 2025 which may prevent more). Improved comp time policy for weekend and evening work; some remote work; summer collective rest week. Collective feedback practices.
Results:
Better work-life balance, thanks to more flexible hours. Job performance improvements. Improved workplace culture and morale. Despite typically poor job quality in the restaurant industry, some of the food businesses launched by clients now incorporate positive aspects of La Cocina’s workplace policies.
Annual Reports:
Available here
Social Media:
Instagram: /lacocinasf
Facebook: La Cocina SF
4. Oakland Kids First (OKF)
Mission:
OKF aims to increase youth voice, leadership, and power to create engaging and equitable public schools where all students learn and lead.
Programs
The organization provides safe spaces and skills for over 600 Oakland youth annually, focusing on leadership development and organizing campaigns to transform the school system.
Budget size:
$3 million
Number of Staff:
19
Prior challenges mentioned by interviewees:
Ad hoc, informal organizational culture, without focus on management of staff. Internal culture that expected constant availability.
Upgrades instituted in the first 2 years of Endeavor Fund seven-year grant:
New HR policies and paid leave expansions. Market research, consultation with lawyers and board deliberation led to a well-thought-out compensation policy.
Results:
Strong infrastructure and core systems that they believe will pay off over time. More rested and productive staff, resulting in better support for youth.
Annual Reports:
Available here
Social Media:
Instagram: /oaklandkidsfirst
Facebook: Oakland Kids First
Twitter/X: @OaklandKids1st
5. Oakland Promise
Mission:
Oakland Promise seeks to ensure every child in Oakland graduates from high school with the expectations, resources, and skills to complete college and be successful in the career of their choice.
Programs
The organization offers cradle-to-career services, including early childhood programs, college scholarships, mentorship, and college completion support.
Budget size:
$13.5 million
Number of Staff:
66
Annual Reports:
Available here
Social Media:
Instagram: /oaklandpromise
Facebook: Oakland Promise
Twitter/X: @oaklandpromise
6. Young Women's Freedom Center
Mission:
The Young Women’s Freedom Center aims to empower and inspire young women and trans youth who have been involved in the juvenile justice system or underground street economies, providing them with opportunities to transform their lives and communities.
Programs
The center offers leadership development, advocacy training, and employment opportunities to support personal and professional growth.
Budget size:
$7.7 million
Number of Staff:
79
Prior challenges mentioned by interviewees:
Problems with staff performance and accountability. No HR staff and incomplete staff handbook. Weak mental health coverage; no retirement benefits beyond state-funded public programs.
Upgrades instituted in the first 2 years of Endeavor Fund seven-year grant:
Expanded administrative and HR staff, who improved financial and other back-end systems and employee handbook, reducing burden on top management. More attention to conflict resolution; more attention to equity. Better benefits.
Results:
Improved retention. More Black and transgender leadership.
Annual Reports:
Available here
Social Media:
Instagram: /young_women_free
Facebook: Young Women's Freedom Center
Twitter/X: @youngwomenfree
7. Youth Organize! California (Yo! Cali)
Mission:
Youth Organize! California empowers young people to engage in social justice movements and develop leadership skills to create systemic change in their communities.
Programs
The organization provides training, resources, and support for youth-led initiatives and advocacy efforts.
Budget size:
Approximately $2.5 million
Number of Staff:
14
Prior challenges mentioned by interviewees:
Overwork due to understaffing and incomplete planning; staff burn-out. Inequitable pay rates, and lower pay than at comparable Bay Area organizations.
Upgrades instituted in the first 2 years of Endeavor Fund seven-year grant:
Raises and benefit expansions, including parental leave, and option to contribute pre-tax to flexible spending accounts for dependent care. More funding for staff coaching and professional development. Work plans make workload more manageable. Raises to bring all staff up to new consistent pay bands, followed by annual COLAs. Able to hire new Operations and Finance directors.
Results:
Now retaining long-term staff. Less dependence on low-overhead, short-term funders means more organizational stability.
Social Media:
Instagram: /youthorganizeca
Twitter/X: @youthorganizeCA
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