I’m so proud of the work we did in 2023 – and we couldn’t have done it without you. Growing our team allowed us to organize with more than 1,000 residents and supporters, win an unprecedented $22M in new funding for under-resourced populations, and expand the visionary healing work that has built so much trust within our community. That trust isn’t just a feel-good outcome of our organizing model – that trust is how we win.

Since opening our doors in 2019 we’ve kept healing at the very center of our work, winning trust among the neighbors who have relied on us to transform conflicts and heal trauma without involving the police. In a moment when media outlets boost ratings by promoting fear in our neighborhoods, that trust brought hundreds of residents to our weekly circles focused on Healing, Organizing, and Political Education (HOPE).

Our years-long work to secure resources for community needs – instead of expanded budgets for the Alameda County Sheriff and Santa Rita Jail – earned trust with the families most impacted by incarceration. In a moment when law enforcement agencies lobby for additional funds to criminalize unhoused people, that trust gave us the people power to win nearly $20M in new funding for mental health and housing services.

For years we’ve built trust with local small businesses by providing access to capital and investing in the Fruitvale. In a moment when huge corporations wield their influence to resurrect a failed “tough on crime” agenda in the Bay Area, that trust allowed us to organize with local entrepreneurs to advance community safety without policing and prisons.

I’m thrilled to be able to share this 2023 Impact Report with you. Your support has allowed us to play the long game, cultivating deep and resilient trust with stakeholders in our community. Instead of short-term mobilizing just before an election, Restore Oakland, Inc. organizes year-round. I hope we can count on your continued support as we continue building on this year’s wins.