OAKLAND: A CITY THAT HAS PASSED 6 MEASURES FOR KIDS HAS MUCH TO TEACH US ALL.
Click here for our new booklet on Oakland - chocked full of ideas and lessons.
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There is no place in the country that has passed as many and more different ballot measures to generate funding for young people than Oakland, California.
To generate revenue, Oakland has used four different kinds of local taxes including sales, parcel (three times), excise tax per ounce sweetened beverage, and a parking garage surcharge; as well as a set-aside of the City’s General Purpose Fund (a reallocation of existing dollars). Together, they generate over $135M annually.
Uneven paths to victory - Some of Oakland’s measures passed the first time on the ballot; one not only took two attempts but also turning it into a voter initiative; and another took three attempts to get the right balance of funding between law enforcement and prevention. In one case, a measure was reauthorized to generate higher revenues and then replaced with a lower amount in the next election to balance the impact on the City’s General Purpose Fund.
Diversity of campaign leadership - Some of the campaigns were led by grassroots groups that stayed active in multiple campaigns; one was led by the Mayor and a member of Congress; one by a city council member and health advocates; one featured a parent-led group advocating for childcare; one was a unique collaboration between the school district and community; and another a winning combination of partners, including a hospital and a labor union.
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The measures create funding for a large range of services – from preschool to summer learning to youth development to preventing gun violence. And all the funds contain the major benefits we attribute to local measures: a focus on prevention, collaboration among service providers, inter-jurisdictional partnerships, innovation, accountability, leveraging of other funding, and a tremendous sense of ownership and pride in the community.
What we learn from Oakland:
Oakland has shown us that there are many ways to succeed, that flexibility is needed as circumstances change, and that the benefits of various funds are cumulative. There is no “right” way of doing this work.
Oakland has also taught us that a single fund and a single winning campaign are not the final answer to securing adequate funding. Ongoing efforts are not only needed, but actually possible.
Creativity and persistence are the secret ingredients to ultimately winning.
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OVERVIEW OF OAKLAND'S MEASURES
Voter willingness to dedicate funding for children and youth in Oakland goes back to the mid-nineties.
The Measure K Kids First! Initiative to establish the Oakland Fund for Children and Youth (OFCY) was approved in 1996 after a community-driven campaign and signature drive, replicating the strategy originated in San Francisco in 1991 which passed the first dedicated children's fund in the state. It was reauthorized by voters in 2008 and 2009, and reauthorized by a City Council vote in 2020. The Kids First! measure set aside a portion of the City's General Purpose Fund to address the well-being of children and youth with the highest need from birth through age 21.
LESSON - Setting aside existing dollars for kids is a popular political strategy. The arguments are that there are no new taxes and that this is a way to ensure that children and youth get their fair share of a city's resources.
The City’s Measure Y Violence Prevention and Public Safety Act first passed in 2004 on the third try after finding the right balance between funding prevention and law enforcement. It was easily reauthorized by voters as Measure Z in 2014. The measure provides intervention and restorative services for youth and young adults at high risk for involvement in violence. It combines a parcel tax and a parking garage tax to generate revenue.
LESSON - A measure that balances law enforcement and health-centered intervention for youth can result in a powerful coalition of support and avoid the usual political challenges of one pitted against the other.
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The Oakland College and Career Readiness for All Act was a parcel tax put on the ballot in 2014 by the Oakland Unified School District. The measure was developed through a community coalition in order to reduce racial disparities by increasing school attendance, graduation rates and access to post graduation pathways. It funds career-based linked learning opportunities for every high school student, as well as intensive support for students in danger of dropping out. After 8 years its success was remarkable, increasing graduation rates from 61% to 72% and students eligible for admission to California's state universities from 28% to 42%. The measure was reauthorized with an 82% vote - no surprise.
LESSON - In California, a school district-initiated parcel tax is rarely used, particularly for services outside the classroom. However, it can be an effective way to fund education-related and school-based services such as preschool, afterschool, wellness centers and career preparation.
The Sugar Sweetened Beverage Distribution Tax Ordinance was approved as Measure HH on its first attempt in November 2016. It won, with strong support of health advocates, despite the vigorous and well-funded opposition of the beverage industry. The Ordinance emphasizes the impact of sugar sweetened beverages on child and community health particularly where consumption and chronic disease is highest.
LESSON - Framing a measure as "Healthy/Kids vs. Big Soda" is a powerful way to stand up to the overwhelming amount of money that the soda industry (or any other corporate behemoth) will put into a campaign. Such a campaign is winnable!
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The Oakland Children’s Initiative of 2018 (Measure AA), a parcel tax placed on the ballot as a citizen initiative, was affirmed by the courts in 2022. It will expand preschool and college access, college savings accounts, scholarships and cradle to college supports for public school students.
LESSON - Blending early care and college readiness can be a winning combination.
The Child Health and Early Education Act of Alameda County (Measure C) will generate sales tax revenues for expanded quality preschool, increased wages for childcare workers, and support for the UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland. The measure passed on a second try by having it placed on the ballot through a voter initiative, thereby requiring only a majority (rather than 2/3) to pass. Note: It is in court, but it is widely expected to be declared valid very soon.
LESSON - The Alameda County campaign put together six elements that were a winning formula:
- Comprehensive plan for expenditure of funds drafted by policy experts and based on 80 stakeholder meetings.
- Strong champion who was a longtime popular elected official.
- Leadership from a strong grassroots parent organization.
- Support from the local community foundation through donations and funneling other foundations' donation.
- Labor support (including donations) through SEIU committed to rights of childcare workers.
- Partnership with a pediatric hospital which supported the campaign.
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OUTCOMES FOR OAKLAND'S BALLOT MEASURES
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1. Expands and strengthens community-based services, particularly those focused on prevention.
As a result of these six measures, over $135M in services annually will be supported, funding hundreds of community-based organizations and childcare centers, and several public agencies. Oakland’s capacity to serve its children, youth and families will have quadrupled by the time all are fully implemented, with the continued effort from the agencies managing the various funding streams. The services funded focus on the highest need youth and children where they live, recreate, and attend childcare, preschool, and school in neighborhoods across the City. All ages are served, from birth to age 21 and increasingly to age 24. And every type of service from childcare to violence prevention to college preparation will be allocated funding. The measures allow the City to fill in many of the major gaps left by state and federal public funding, particularly in preventive services.
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2. Ensures accountability and transparency.
All six measures passed by the voters have built-in accountability with community representation on their oversight and advisory bodies. And all of these bodies have significant responsibility to oversee the implementation of the measures and the quality and impact of the programs funded. To date, all of these bodies take their mandates very seriously and fulfill the public’s expectations of their responsibilities and their required transparency. Meetings of the various advisory bodies are well-attended though at times contentious; yet disagreements reflect a healthy public discourse about what is best for children and youth by an engaged public.
3. Fosters innovation.
New resources provide incredible opportunities for innovation, partly because the City has total control over the funds. For instance, Oakland has been able to encourage community generated solutions. Funding “small” and “emerging” organizations and programs over time has helped build capacity and has contributed to the growth of many successful national models (e.g., Youth Alive and Youth Radio, etc.) and award-winning programs. The organization "Hack the Hood" combines technology and career navigation skills. It received initial institutional funding from OFCY and went on to win a $500,000 Google award.
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4. Promotes collaboration and leveraging of resources beyond revenue generated through the taxes and set-asides.
These measures promote a new type of effective public grant-making which incorporates leveraging opportunities with other funding sources. The Oakland Fund for Children and Youth’s outside evaluations document that OFCY generates up to 140% of its value in grant matching funds annually from federal, state, and private philanthropy sources. The investment in the new Department of Violence Prevention has already helped to secure a $1.8 million grant for at risk middle school students. Efforts also include co-funding many projects, which amplifies their impact. For instance, OCYF co-funds kindergarten readiness with First 5 of Alameda County, a model afterschool program at 60 schools with the school district, and summer jobs with the city's workforce agency.
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5. Builds powerful and enduring community leadership and a strong public constituency.
These measures and the campaigns that brought them into being provided tremendous opportunity for leadership, particularly youth and parent leadership, and community engagement. Because Oaklanders actually voted on these measures, many have a sense of ownership and responsibility for them. The passage of the measures is a source of great pride, and, when a measure’s implementation does not follow its (and the voters’) intention, the level of civic engagement skyrockets.
There is nothing like an election campaign to energize and focus new grassroots leadership. Some of the early leaders from the mid-90’s have gone on to elected office and leadership positions in public and private agencies. A parent movement has blossomed into a true political force as a result of the campaigns for childcare. This momentum does not stop with the passage of a measure, but instead grows and develops the power to impact ongoing change.
WHAT AN INSPIRATION! LEARN MORE.
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Funding the Next Generation has now officially merged its work with Children's Funding Project, our new fiscal sponsor and partner. We are delighted to coordinate our work and build a stronger movement to fund opportunities for children and youth, in California and nationally.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions, ideas or requests for support - no matter how big or small. With a team of some of the best experts in the country, we provide free technical assistance on everything related to local revenue measures for kids and budget advocacy with your city or county.
Margaret Brodkin, Founder Director, Funding the Next Generation
margaret@fundingthenextgeneration.org
415-794-4963
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