Bay Area

Grants Focus on Key Barriers to Parks: Parks Equity Roundtable identifies barriers local organizations can focus on

Over the next few months, up to $200,000 will be awarded to Marin County community-based organizations to help overcome barriers and connect communities to parks. The maximum grant is $8,000 per applicant. Over the next few months, up to $200,000 will be awarded to Marin County community-based organizations to help overcome barriers and connect communities to parks. The maximum grant is $8,000 per applicant.

Published

3 years ago

April 14, 2023

Oakland Post

Eliminating those barriers is a longstanding commitment for Marin County Parks. In 2021, its representatives joined Marin’s leaders and local partnering organizations to work toward equitable park access through a new Parks Equity Roundtable.

San Rafael, CA – Over the next few months, up to $200,000 will be awarded to Marin County community-based organizations to help overcome barriers and connect communities to parks. The maximum grant is $8,000 per applicant.

Marin County Parks is collaborating to overcome structural barriers that sometimes prevent Marin’s communities of color and other groups from enjoying parks and recreational opportunities.

Eliminating those barriers is a longstanding commitment for Marin County Parks. In 2021, its representatives joined Marin’s leaders and local partnering organizations to work toward equitable park access through a new Parks Equity Roundtable. Over the past year, the group has convened to build community, share resources, and overcome structural barriers preventing Marin’s communities of color and other groups from enjoying parks and recreational opportunities.

Most recently the roundtable members met to discuss barriers caused by and changes to county park fees and reservations policies. Conversations reinforced the value of Parks’ community grant program and its combined approach of providing free access with engaging programming through trusted relationships.

Data from a 2017 Parks visitor survey and 2021 Parks youth survey showed that County of Marin-owned regional parks attract significantly more racial diversity compared to open spaces that feature trails but fewer facilities. The parks best accommodate social gatherings of family and friends, a priority of many underserved groups including youths aged 13 to 24 and people of color according to the survey data. Roundtable leaders expressed that an approach that combines fee policy changes with expanded community-based organization and school partnerships would help maximize positive impacts for underserved Marin residents.

Even if not seeking the grant funding, Marin organizations working to improve social equity and remove barriers to parks can apply for limited free access to picnic areas and group sites to bring their programs outdoors. A form is available on the Community Grants webpage.

The roundtable specifically urged Marin County Parks and grant applicants this year to focus on empowering youth ambassadors to build relationships between their peers and parks; connecting across schools and other organizations to work on new program development, outreach, and engagement; providing engaging, culturally relevant art, music, health, and other culturally and linguistically appropriate events for all ages, with BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color) and/or bilingual staff; shuttle services to park outings; and fostering cultural relevance and centering communities of color in decision making.

Established in 2014, Parks’ Breathe (Respira in Spanish) Community Grant Program invites local community organizations to complete an online form and apply for the competitive grants that facilitate more visits to local parks, introduces new residents to recreation via public outreach, and provides bridges to enjoying the outdoors. All qualifying criteria and funding restrictions, along with detailed information about the program and grant decision-making process, are available on the Breathe/Respira overview.

Parks will consider funding projects or programs that support an underserved community as long as that community is adequately described in relation to the Breathe/Respira program. Proposals will be reviewed after the June 2 application deadline, and grants will be recommended in July in partnership with the Parks and Open Space Commission. They will be announced in August following approval of grant agreements by the Board of Supervisors.

Breathe/Respira is funded by Parks Measure A, a countywide quarter-cent sales tax otherwise known as the Marin Parks, Open Space, and Sustainable Agriculture Transactions and Use Tax Ordinance of 2022. Parks and open space preserves across Marin are being cared for like never before thanks to Measure A. To find out more about the range of benefits this tax measure is bringing to your favorite outdoor places, check out the most recent Parks annual report.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

3 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.