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Akonadi Foundation

Annual Giving
$3.7M
Grant Range
$10K - $0.1M
Decision Time
1w

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $3,700,000 (approximately)
  • Success Rate: Not publicly disclosed
  • Decision Time: Varies by program; historically 7-10 days for some programs
  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $100,000+ (varies by program)
  • Geographic Focus: Oakland, CA (primarily place-based)

Contact Details

Address: 436 14th St Ste 1417, Oakland, CA 94612-2716

Phone: 510-663-3867

Email: info@akonadi.org

Website: https://akonadi.org

Newsletter: Sign up on website for funding opportunity announcements

Overview

Founded in 2000 by Quinn Delaney and Wayne Jordan, the Akonadi Foundation is a place-based family foundation dedicated to eliminating structural and institutional racism. Named after the Ghanaian goddess of justice, Akonadi has distributed over $61 million to nonprofit organizations over its 25-year history, primarily in Oakland, California. The foundation averages approximately $3.7 million in annual grantmaking and focuses on supporting Black, Indigenous, and people of color-led organizations working on racial justice organizing, policy advocacy, arts and culture, healing justice, and movement building. Under the leadership of President Raymond Colmenar (appointed 2022), the foundation has evolved its strategy to emphasize co-governance, supporting grassroots organizations to partner directly with policymakers, and implementing policy victories to create lasting systems change.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

So Love Can Win Fund

  • Grant Range: $10,000 - $30,000 (general operations); occasional larger grants for special projects
  • Description: Provides general support to Oakland's organizers, storytellers, culture bearers, and healers
  • Application: Rolling applications accepted online at specified times
  • Recent Awards: $400,000 across 23 initiatives in 2025; $500,000 to 49 projects in 2024

All in For Oakland Fund (formerly Oakland for All)

  • Total Investment: $12.5 million over five years (launched 2020)
  • Focus: Ending criminalization of Black youth and youth of color in Oakland
  • Recent Awards: $2.23 million to 15 organizations
  • Application: Currently by invitation only

Belonging in Oakland: A Just City Cultural Fund

  • Partnership: Akonadi Foundation, City of Oakland, and East Bay Community Foundation
  • Grant Amount: $100,000 per year for three years, plus $12,000 annual stipend
  • Focus: Supports Oakland-based BIPOC artists/cultural practitioners
  • Application: Through East Bay Community Foundation

California Black Freedom Fund

  • Total Investment: $100 million over five years (partnership)
  • Focus: Supporting Black power-building and movement-based organizations statewide
  • Note: Now an independent institution; Akonadi is a founding partner

Arc Toward Justice Fund (ATJ)

  • Description: Multi-year general operating support for core grantee partners
  • Application: By invitation only

Priority Areas

  • Racial justice organizing and base-building: Mobilizing and building power with community members
  • Arts and culture: Using culture as a tool for racial justice movement building
  • Healing justice: Accessible healing and wellness practices with anti-racist political frameworks
  • Movement journalism and narrative change: Storytelling that advances racial justice
  • Youth justice: Ending criminalization and reimagining public safety for Black youth and youth of color
  • Leadership development: Advancing leadership of women, trans, queer, nonbinary, immigrant, and undocumented communities

What They Don't Fund

  • Organizations without a physical address in Oakland or whose primary work is not in Oakland (with rare exceptions for programs deeply embedded in Oakland)
  • Organizations without 501(c)(3) status or fiscal sponsorship
  • Work outside of racial justice organizing and related strategies
  • Organizations not led by or accountable to Black, Indigenous, or people of color communities

Governance and Leadership

Founders and Board Members:

  • Quinn Delaney (Co-founder, Board Chair): Progressive donor, campaign activist, and civil rights advocate who established the foundation as an expression of commitment to racial justice
  • Wayne Jordan (Co-founder, Secretary-Treasurer): Co-established the foundation in 2000; emphasizes multi-year funding commitments
  • Lateefah Simon (Board Member): Former President (2016-2022), former grantee; now third board member in foundation's history

Current Leadership:

  • Raymond Colmenar (President, appointed 2022): Akonadi's first AAPI president; previously Managing Director at The California Endowment, managing nearly $20 million in annual grantmaking

Leadership Quotes:

Raymond Colmenar: "I have long been an admirer of Akonadi's commitment to supporting and following the lead of social movements doing the necessary work to dismantle structural racism in our communities...The evolution of the work in the field in advancing racial and economic justice is really this idea of co-governance and supporting grassroots organizations to be in direct partnership with policymakers."

Quinn Delaney: "It is vital that we inspire our communities to get involved in choosing their leaders. Philanthropy must show up for our communities by making voter engagement and building power a visible and high priority."

Wayne Jordan: "You have to make a commitment so that they can do their work and know that the funding will be there year after year. When you make that commitment, it actually helps them to focus on what they're trying to be effective at and not just always focusing on raising money every year."

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

For So Love Can Win Fund:

  • Applications accepted only through Akonadi Foundation's online grants system during open periods
  • Grant applicants receive email from Akonadi with registration instructions to create an account
  • Sign up for the foundation's newsletter to receive announcements about application windows
  • Contact: info@akonadi.org

For Other Programs:

  • Limited grantmaking is mostly by invitation only
  • All in For Oakland Fund: Currently not accepting unsolicited applications
  • Arc Toward Justice Fund: By invitation only for multi-year general operating support
  • Interested organizations should contact the foundation or sign up for email updates about future opportunities

For A Just City Cultural Fund:

  • Apply through East Bay Community Foundation portal
  • Visit EBCF website for eligibility and application instructions

Decision Timeline

  • Historical data suggests approximately 7-10 days from proposal due date to notification for some programs
  • Timeline varies by program
  • Letters of Inquiry (LOI) reviewed by staff to determine invitation to submit full proposal

Success Rates

Success rates are not publicly disclosed. The foundation is highly competitive given its place-based focus and invitation-only approach for most programs.

Recent Award Statistics:

  • So Love Can Win 2025: 23 grantees funded
  • So Love Can Win 2024: 49 projects funded
  • All in For Oakland: 15 organizations funded in recent round

Reapplication Policy

Organizations can reapply during open application periods. The foundation has a track record of providing multi-year support to grantee partners, with some relationships spanning 15+ years.

Application Success Factors

What Akonadi Looks For (Based on Foundation Statements):

  1. Deep community grounding: Quinn Delaney states that Akonadi prioritizes organizations "truly grounded in the community it claims to be working for"

  2. Leadership by communities of color: The foundation prioritizes organizations "led by Black, Indigenous or people of color" that "advanced the leadership of women, trans, queer and nonbinary communities, and immigrant and undocumented communities"

  3. Power-building approach: The importance of "building power, investing in the leaders and communities, particularly those who were most affected by systemic racism"

  4. Place-based commitment: Strong connection to Oakland as home base and primary service area

  5. Movement-oriented work: Organizations that contribute to broader social change movements rather than solely service provision

  6. Integration of priority strategies: Work that employs organizing, arts and culture, healing, or narrative change strategies

Examples of Funded Organizations:

  • Black Organizing Project (BOP): 15+ year partnership; removed police from Oakland schools and reimagined public safety through Black power building
  • Ella Baker Center for Human Rights: Shifts resources away from prisons toward opportunities that make communities safe, healthy, and strong
  • Oakland Voices: Received $10,000 for movement journalism focused on local organizing
  • Bay Area Women Against Rape: Community-based advocacy and healing
  • Oscar Grant Foundation: Youth justice and community organizing

Implementation Focus: President Ray Colmenar emphasized that Akonadi's grantees have been "successful in getting public policies enacted" and believes the "new frontier" is implementing these policy victories to create lasting systems change. Applications should demonstrate capacity for both advocacy and implementation.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Place matters deeply: Akonadi is strict about Oakland-based work; ensure your organization has a physical Oakland address and primary operations there
  • Multi-year relationships are the norm: The foundation values long-term partnerships (Wayne Jordan: "funding will be there year after year"); position your organization for sustained engagement
  • Leadership composition is critical: Organizations must be led by and accountable to Black, Indigenous, or people of color communities
  • Power-building over service delivery: Emphasize organizing, base-building, and movement work rather than direct services alone
  • Policy to practice: Demonstrate not just policy advocacy success but capacity to implement and create systems change
  • Watch for open windows: Most funding is by invitation; sign up for newsletter and maintain relationship with foundation staff to learn about opportunities
  • Consider partnerships: Several of Akonadi's largest initiatives are collaborative funds; explore partnership opportunities with allied organizations

References

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