Oaklandish Community

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Our t-shirts might be the most visible aspect of Oaklandish, but our community work is an equally important part of what we do. It’s our way of giving back to the city that gives so much to the world, and it informs every decision we make.

Oakland has historically been a hotbed of renegade activity, where boundaries are redefined and trends are created rather than followed. To help encourage the continuation of this "trailblazers' legacy," Oaklandish donates at least 10% of all gear proceeds to programs and individuals who are doing pioneering work in our community. Here’s where those proceeds go.

Oakland Innovators Award
Our annual Oaklandish Innovators grants recognize local programs that exemplify the values of innovation and progress in all areas of civic life. It’s a year-round partnership that doesn’t just end with writing a check. Along with financial support, we also pitch in to help our Innovators with events, collaborative designs, and awareness campaigns. Click here to read about past Innovators.

Donations and Sponsorships
In addition to the Innovators grants, we also give one-time donations to local nonprofits, community groups, and artists. These donations come in the form of event sponsorships, auction donations, free screen printing jobs, and more. Past recipients have included East Bay Bike Coalition, Oakland Firefighters Random Acts, the Oakland Indie Awards, McClymonds High School, and more.

Made in Oaklandish
We also partner with other local businesses on projects that promote civic pride and celebrate Oakland spirit. Over the years, we’ve worked on everything from logo design to art contests and campaigns. Some of our partners include Brown Sugar Kitchen, Chop Bar, Eat Real, Oakland International Airport, the Oakland Underground Film Festival, and many more amazing East Bay institutions.

We offer this support in the spirit of those Oakland legends who have had a direct influence on global culture; Architect Julia Morgan, Martial Artist Bruce Lee, Musician Larry Graham, Dancer Isadora Duncan, Aviator Joe Fong Guey, Artist Mike "Dream" Francisco, and Director Russ Myer, among many many others.

For more information about our community work, email community@oaklandish.com or fill out our partnership form.

2012 OAKLAND INNOVATORS AWARD WINNERS

	KHADAFY WASHINGTON FOUNDATION In 2000, Marilyn Harris's son Khadafy was shot and killed while riding his bike West Oakland. The crime remains unsolved, but Harris's experience inspired her to provide support to other grieving families. In the aftermath of a homicide, people can turn to the Khadafy Foundation for help with everything from funeral expenses to grief counseling, food, and child care. Since 2003, the program has served over 800 local families. In addition, they work tirelessly to stop the cycle of violence by preventing crimes and retaliation. khadafyfoundation.org
	TOWN PARK Town Park was created in 2007 by local artist and arts educator Keith “K-Dub” Williams with the help of the local skateboard community at historic De Fremery Park in West Oakland. The goal was to create a facility that would allow youth to stay in their own community instead of traveling to neighboring city skateparks. The site has become a destination park for many local youth and adults of all ages, skill levels, and backgrounds, and has become a hub where everyone can come together to learn and showcase their skills. The grant will go fund program that help local youth to build, paint and skate a permanent, all-weather skate park. Welcome to Town Park.
	CAUGHT IN THE CROSSFIRE Caught in the Crossfire is a hospital-based intervention program that hires young adults who have overcome violence in their own lives to work with youth who are recovering from violent injuries. These highly-trained Intervention Specialists offer long-term case management, links to community services, home visits, and follow-up assistance to violently injured youth. The purpose is to promote positive alternatives to violence and to reduce retaliation, re-injury, and arrest. This program was the first of its kind in the nation, and led to the founding of the National Network of Hospital-based Violence Intervention Programs. youthalive.org/programs
	25th STREET COLLECTIVE 25th Street Collective, a sustainable business incubator, is bringing local industry back to Oakland. Their Innovators grant will fund a pilot program that brings high-tech garment manufacturing to our city. The program will focus on producing custom-made, sustainably-sourced garments, while educating local youth about sustainable business practices. The first pieces from the collection will be a t-shirt and a yoga pant. The goal of the program is to create quality inner-city work opportunities, while introducing Oaklanders to local, made-to-order clothing. 25thstreetcollective.com

Read about previous Oaklandish Innovators Award winners...