The Oakland Public Education Fund
The Oakland Public Education Fund is a public charity based in Oakland, California, that leads the development and investment of community resources in Oakland public schools so students can learn, grow, and thrive. The organization was formed in 2003 and says it has helped raise more than $275 million for schools and programs since then.
The Oakland Public Education Fund at a glance
In short: The Oakland Public Education Fund gave $5.1M across 28 grants in 2025 (avg $183K), mostly in California. 54% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $5,119,776
- -36.1% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 28
- +27.3% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $182,849
- -49.8% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $8,000
- Total assets
- $24,886,403
- -8.1% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 54% first-time grantees (15 of 28, 2025)
- Primary geography
- California (100% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to The Oakland Public Education Fund
- Contact
Mailing address: PO Box 71005, Oakland, CA 94612
Phone: (510) 221-6968
Website: https://oaklandedfund.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from The Oakland Public Education Fund
A to Z Fund Mini-Grant- General Classroom
The Oakland Public Education Fund
Amount
Up to US $1,500
Deadline
Deadline not published
A to Z Fund Mini-Grant- Professional Development Grant
The Oakland Public Education Fund
Amount
US $1,500 - US $5,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who The Oakland Public Education Fund funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Oakland Unified School District ($3.9M). Together the top 10 received $5.0M.
Grant Size Distribution
123 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 73 grants of 123 (59%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Ed Fund’s stated work centers on Oakland public schools. All grant dollars itemized for filing year 2025 went to recipients in California, including organizations in Oakland, San Francisco, La Jolla, Santa Cruz, and Los Angeles.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 28 itemized grants.
Cities
Is The Oakland Public Education Fund open to new grantees?
54%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 15 of 28 grantees (54%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $44K; repeat grants $343K. How we count
Medians: $8K first-time, $8K repeat.
- 36% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−19%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $5.1M (2025) to $10.1M (2021). In 2025 it made 28 grants totaling $5.1M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Oakland Unified School District Oakland, CA | Unrestricted - General Operating Support | $3,853,313 |
| The Freedom School LLC Oakland, CA | Unrestricted - General Operating Support | $335,000 |
| Oakland Tech Exchange Oakland, CA | Unrestricted - General Operating Support | $231,340 |
| Oakland International High School Oakland, CA | Unrestricted - General Operating Support | $198,046 |
| Samoan Community Development Center San Francisco, CA | Unrestricted - General Operating Support | $149,000 |
| Youthbeat Oakland, CA | Unrestricted - General Operating Support | $80,000 |
| Oakland Promise Oakland, CA | Unrestricted - General Operating Support | $40,000 |
| Regents of the University of California at San Diego La Jolla, CA | Unrestricted - General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Regents of the University of California at Berkeley Oakland, CA | Unrestricted - General Operating Support | $25,000 |
| Regents of the University of California at Santa Cruz Santa Cruz, CA | Unrestricted - General Operating Support | $25,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $24,886,403 | $20,676,565 | $22,570,145 | $5,119,776 | 28 | $373,245 |
| 2024 | $27,089,178 | $21,802,431 | $25,003,647 | $8,014,836 | 22 | $264,749 |
| 2023 | $29,779,873 | $25,528,569 | $28,680,913 | $10,079,354 | 28 | $268,612 |
| 2022 | $32,223,402 | $29,139,835 | $25,484,490 | $6,359,577 | 12 | $33,678 |
| 2021 | $29,835,630 | $28,210,005 | $31,957,576 | $10,123,103 | 33 | $34,969 |
| 2020 | $33,409,347 | $34,420,175 | $25,233,366 | $9,882,414 | 19 | $216,352 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The organization’s mission is to lead the development and investment of community resources in Oakland public schools so all students can learn, grow, and thrive. Its program description says it works with schools to support results-oriented approaches, entrepreneurial leadership, collaboration and family leadership, student personalization, and innovative curriculum.
The organization reports supporting all Oakland public schools, with a focus on schools furthest from opportunity. Its A to Z Fund provides educator mini-grants for classroom projects and professional development. The organization also fiscally sponsors public-school programs and education-focused projects.
Examples of 2025 grantees illustrate the range of organizations it supported. Oakland Tech Exchange describes its mission as helping families access computers, internet service, and technology skills. Oakland Promise describes its work as advancing equity and economic mobility through cradle-to-college-and-career achievement. Parent Voices Oakland describes itself as a parent-led organization advocating for affordable, accessible, quality child care and organizing families toward economic and educational justice. These grants were reported as general operating support.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Ed Fund reported 28 grants totaling $5,119,776. Grant amounts ranged from $5,077 to $3,853,313, with a median of $8,000. The largest reported awards included $3,853,313 to Oakland Unified School District, $335,000 to The Freedom School LLC, $231,340 to Oakland Tech Exchange, $198,046 to Oakland International High School, and $149,000 to Samoan Community Development Center. Each was listed for unrestricted general operating support.
The A to Z Fund offers mini-grants for general school or classroom projects and professional development. Its application page says Fall 2026 applications are open. Eligible applicants include people working at Oakland public schools or programs, including OUSD and charter-managed schools. General project requests may be up to $1,500; professional development requests may be up to $1,500 for one person or $5,000 for a group. Applications are reviewed by the A to Z Fund’s Community Advisory Board. Projects must be otherwise fully funded, and Fall 2026 projects must be completed by December 31, 2026. Funds may support eligible project costs such as supplies, books, equipment, conference fees, or training. They may not be used for teacher or substitute pay, gift cards, unrelated general supplies, or high-end or personal-use technology. The application page says only one application can be awarded in a grant cycle and that recipients cannot receive another mini-grant in the immediately following cycle.
The organization says it records grant dates, reporting requirements, and fund-use restrictions, and may meet with grantees’ program and financial staff. It may require financial or other reports to account for grant funds.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Loraine Binion-Hardy as director and chair through June 2025; Landon Baines as vice chair through June and chair beginning in June; and Michael Johnson as director and vice chair beginning in June. It also lists Rupa Chandra Gupta as secretary through June, Sofia Navarro as director and secretary beginning in June, Wilbur Hobbs Jr. as treasurer, and John Bliss and Calvin Guinn as directors beginning in June. Travis Kauzer and John Palmer are listed as directors.
The Oakland Public Education Fund is led by Alexandria Medina, Executive Director since 2025 (on filings since 2020); 7 of 19 officers listed in 2025 are compensated.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Alexandria Medina
Executive Director
Executive Director → Chief Executive Officer, 2024
Chief Executive Officer → Executive Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
40 hrs/week
$116K (2020) → $242K (2025)
Kaitlin Levenstrong
Executive Director - Oakland Goes Outdoors
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$168K (2025)
Landon Baines
Vice Chair & Chair
Board Member → Director, 2024
Director → Vice Chair & Chair, 2025
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Loraine Binion-Hardy
Chair & Director
Vice Chair → Chair & Director, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Priya Jagannathan
Director, Oakland Starting Smart & Strong
Executive Director - Oakland Starting Smart & Strong → Oakland Starting Small & Strong - Executive Director, 2023
Oakland Starting Small & Strong - Executive Director → Director, Oakland Starting Smart & Strong, 2024
On filings since 2022
40 hrs/week
$122K (2022) → $149K (2025)
Alicia Parise
Director of Programs
New on the 2025 filing
40 hrs/week
$131K (2025)
John Palmer
Director
Board Vice Chair → Secretary, 2022
Secretary → Director, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Johnson
Director & Vice Chair
Director → Director & Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Tiffany Wood
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Travis Kauzer
Director
On filings since 2024
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Calvin Guinn
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gunther Stein
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John Bliss
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Sofia Navarro
Director & Secretary
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Reynold Samoranos
Fractional CFO
Interim CFO Start → Chief Financial Officer, 2023
Chief Financial Officer → Fractional CFO, 2024
On filings since 2021
25 hrs/week
$96K (2022) → $241K (2025)
Lucretia Cotton
Controller
On filings since 2023
40 hrs/week
$125K (2023) → $152K (2025)
Patrick Messac
Oakland Undivided Project Manager
Project Manager & #oaklandundivided → Oakland Undivided Project Manager, 2025
On filings since 2024
40 hrs/week
$151K (2024) → $129K (2025)
Rupa Chandra Gupta
Secretary
Board Member → Director, 2024
Director → Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wilbur Hobbs Jr.
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (25)
- Former: Helen Bulwik (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Marjorie Goux (2020–2024) — Chair
- Former: Cari Jacobs-Crovetto (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Dawn Taketa Riordan (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Thais Rezende (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: Allyson Dela Cruz (2024) — Director of Development
- Former: Cinthia Diaz (2024) — Director of Committee Impact & #oaklandundivided
- Former: Kyra Mungia (2020–2023) — City Educ Transition - Proj Manager & Educa
- Former: Loraine Binion (2020–2023) — Vice Chair
- Former: Patrice Berry (2022–2023) — Assisthub - Executive Director
- Former: Amy Himes (2023) — Tech Exchange - Director of Development
- Former: Betsy Beros (2020–2022) — Board Member
- Former: Raj Dhawan (2021–2022) — CFO
- Former: Jessica De Anda (2022) — Board Member
- Former: Seth Hubbert (2022) — Executive Director - Tech Exchange
- Former: Betsy Merzenich (2020–2021) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Jennifer Quinn (2020–2021) — CFO
- Former: Jonathan Osler (2020–2021) — Senior Director of Schools, Progs & Learning
- Former: Tom Low (2020–2021) — Secretary
- Former: Rayna Suell (2021) — Aaf Support & Mentorship
- Former: Cari Jacobs (2020) — Member-At-Large
- Former: Delida Costin (2020) — Secretary
- Former: Jayo Miko Macasaquit (2020) — Director of Hr & Operations
- Former: Jim Wiggett (2020) — Board Chair
- Former: Joel Mackey (2020) — Executive Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
The highest reported compensation on the 2025 filing was $242K, to Alexandria Medina (Executive Director). 7 officers or directors reported compensation on that filing.
Frequently asked questions about The Oakland Public Education Fund
How much does The Oakland Public Education Fund give each year?
The Oakland Public Education Fund gave $5.1M across 28 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $8.0M across 22 grants.
What is The Oakland Public Education Fund's typical grant size?
The Oakland Public Education Fund's median grant in 2025 was $8,000, and its average grant was $182,849, across 28 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from The Oakland Public Education Fund that year got $44K on average.
Where does The Oakland Public Education Fund give grants?
The Oakland Public Education Fund gives mostly in California: 100% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Oakland, CA (23 grants).
Does The Oakland Public Education Fund give general operating support?
Yes: 100% of The Oakland Public Education Fund's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (28 of 28) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990.
Who are The Oakland Public Education Fund's largest grantees?
The Oakland Public Education Fund's largest 2025 grantees include Oakland Unified School District ($3,853,313), The Freedom School LLC ($335,000) and Oakland Tech Exchange ($231,340), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. Together they received 86% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is The Oakland Public Education Fund?
The Oakland Public Education Fund reported $24.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $20.7M.
What does The Oakland Public Education Fund fund?
The organization’s mission is to lead the development and investment of community resources in Oakland public schools so all students can learn, grow, and thrive. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from The Oakland Public Education Fund?
The Oakland Public Education Fund has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check oaklandedfund.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is The Oakland Public Education Fund's EIN?
The Oakland Public Education Fund's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 43-2014630. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 14, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS September 18, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 13, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS April 29, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2024
Live grants for the work The Oakland Public Education Fund funds
Education Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in The Oakland Public Education Fund's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). The Oakland Public Education Fund funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 23, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/the-oakland-public-education-fund-morg_de69c28e616b476495a3c8a00ac16425
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_432014630_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{The Oakland Public Education Fund funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/the-oakland-public-education-fund-morg_de69c28e616b476495a3c8a00ac16425},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-23. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from The Oakland Public Education Fund's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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