Kaiser Permanente Scholarship Grantee Map

Helping small, diverse Oakland businesses grow.

Oakland Latino Chamber (OLCC) received $400,000 to help the Oakland Latino-Owned Small Business Community. Inquire about an OLCC $500 Scholarship Grant today. The scholarship grant provides access to technical assistance, training and networking opportunities, subsidized membership fees and sales and marketing opportunities.

For complete information about the grant program, contact admin@oaklandlatinochamber.com.

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Grantees identified with green map pin. Beneficiarios identificados con un marcador de mapa verde.

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About The Oakland Small Business Resiliency Fund

In 2024, Kaiser Permanente donated $15 million in grants to 11 organizations in Oakland to strengthen small businesses and help stimulate economic recovery after the Covid Pandemic. The grants are issued over three years and accessible through low-interest loans, grants, technical assistance, training, and networking opportunities.

The grants were made through a Kaiser Permanente fund and new East Bay Community Foundation initiative called Oakland Small Business Resiliency Fund. The new initiative’s mission is to help local businesses withstand economic pressures, create stability and build pathways to growth. The launch was in support of Kaiser Permanente’s long-term commitment to improve health and vitality in the city of Oakland, home to our national headquarters.

Many of Oakland’s small businesses are struggling with significant challenges including crime, a slow post-pandemic economic recovery, and lack of access to low-cost capital. Entrepreneurs of color, women, and LGBTQ-owned businesses face additional barriers including inequitable access to mentors and networking opportunities, technical assistance, and resources in their primary language.

Kaiser Permanente recognizes that economic opportunity and health outcomes are closely linked, and the success of small businesses is key to a thriving local economy. Kaiser Permanente held listening sessions with community partners including chambers of commerce before developing the package of grants that address Oakland’s most pressing small business needs.

“We learned about the numerous needs that small businesses have in order to survive and thrive including low-cost capital, technical assistance and training, networking opportunities, and much more,” said Yvette Radford, vice president, External and Community Affairs, Kaiser Permanente Northern California. “We’re proud to fund the organizations that will provide these resources and supports that Oakland’s resilient, diverse small businesses need to succeed.”

“Oakland’s small businesses are the backbone of our local economy, creating jobs, ownership opportunities and helping build stability and wealth in our communities,” said Brandi Howard, CEO of East Bay Community Foundation. “They provide gathering spaces, increase foot traffic and community-building opportunities, and create a sense of belonging, contributing to the culture and health of Oakland’s diverse neighborhoods. But they also face significant challenges that limit their growth and threaten their survival. This new fund will help small businesses in Oakland not just survive, but thrive, building a stronger and more vibrant Oakland as they do.”

About Kaiser Permanente 

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve nearly 12.6 million members in 8 states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal Permanente Medical Group physicians, specialists, and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery, and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education, and the support of community health. For more information, go to about.kp.org. 

About East Bay Community Foundation

Founded in 1928, EBCF was one of the nation’s first community foundations, now serving people across Alameda and Contra Costa counties. We partner with donors, fund advisors, social movements, and the wider community to eliminate structural barriers, advance racial equity, and transform political, social, and economic outcomes for all East Bay residents.

Over the past several years, the Foundation has started implementing new ways of partnering with donors, social movements, and the community at large. In addition to our grantmaking, we engage in advocacy within allowable limits to advance racial justice. We work closely with our donors as partners and leaders in this journey.