Oakland Rising and our statewide partners

What Oakland Rising and our statewide partners does

Oakland Rising is a nonprofit civic engagement organization founded in 2009 and fiscally sponsored by the Center for Empowered Politics Education Fund. It coordinates voter education, civic engagement, and advocacy programs targeting BIPOC, working-class, immigrant, and formerly incarcerated communities across Oakland and the broader East Bay. Core programs include the Daily Team paid canvassing program (which also serves as a re-entry employment pipeline), Core Leaders training, multilingual voter guides, and civic education workshops such as multilingual District Attorney education campaigns.

The organization's underlying operating model is community-led organizing: door-to-door canvassing, phone outreach, and grassroots volunteer mobilization coordinated with a coalition that includes APEN, EBASE, Ella Baker Center, and Causa Justa, plus the statewide California Calls alliance of 32 partner organizations. Its business model is a nonprofit funding mix combining individual donations processed through ActBlue, foundation grants (including from Mitchell Kapor), government contracts (notably a $54,659 City of Oakland Ranked Choice Voting education contract routed via Just Cause Oakland), and fiscal sponsorship arrangements. A 501(c)(4) sister organization, the Oakland Rising Action Fund, extends the entity's capacity into independent political expenditure work.

Name

Oakland Rising and our statewide partners

Legal name

Oakland Rising

Website

https://oaklandrising.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Oakland Rising is a 501(c)(3) civic engagement organization coordinating voter education and advocacy for BIPOC, working-class, immigrant, and formerly incarcerated communities in Oakland and the East Bay through canvassing, training, and multilingual voter guides.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Engagement Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAFAJ

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Civil Rights, Advocacy & Public Policy Organizations

SECONDARYEDAAADAL

Civic Participation & Leadership Development (Voting, Advocacy, Community Leadership)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Citizenship & Immigrant Integration Education

SECONDARYEDAAAAAH

Civic Literacy (Voting, Rights, Community Participation)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Adult Basic Education (ABE) & Literacy

Keywords

• Civic engagement services
• Voter education programs
• Community advocacy training
• Grassroots organizing
• Voter mobilization

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Grassroots donor base donations through ActBlue platform and direct contributions
2. Government Contracts: City of Oakland public service contracts for voter education programs (e.g., $54,659 RCV education contract through Just Cause Oakland)
3. Foundation Grants: Support from foundations including Mitchell Kapor Foundation for organizational programs and campaigns
4. Fiscal Sponsorship: Fiscally sponsored by Center for Empowered Politics Education Fund (previously Movement Strategy Center)

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Oakland Rising is a nonprofit civic engagement organization that runs voter registration, voter education, leadership development, and policy advocacy programs for BIPOC, working-class, immigrant, and formerly incarcerated communities in East and West Oakland. Its core deliverable is grassroots political mobilization through paid canvassing teams, community workshops, multilingual voter guides, and coalition-based advocacy campaigns such as Ranked Choice Voting implementation and Millionaire's Tax (Prop 30).

Product overview

Oakland Rising operates as a civic engagement and voter education organization that functions as a collaborative of social justice organizations. Rather than a technology platform with modular products, the organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs including voter registration drives, civic education workshops, leadership development programs (Core Leaders Program), paid canvassing (Daily Team), voter guides, and the Arts, Culture & Democracy Project. These programs work together to build political power for BIPOC, working-class, immigrant, and formerly incarcerated communities through grassroots organizing, advocacy training, and policy change initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Civic Engagement and Political Education Workshops
• Voter Registration Drives
• Community Advocacy Training
• Daily Team Canvassing Program
• Voter Guides Multilingual educational voter guides covering local and state ballot measures, candidates, and voting rights information for Alameda County and Oakland elections, available in English, Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and Arabic.
• Core Leaders Program
• Arts, Culture and Democracy Project
• Values-Based Leadership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.8% valid RCV ballot rate in 2010 election
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• California CallscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide alliance of 32 organizations focused on changing the face of California electorate and re-shaping state politics toward progressive vision. Oakland Rising participates in joint campaigns, Camp Calls training events, and statewide mobilization efforts targeting low-income, immigrant, and communities of color.
• Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore partner organization in Oakland Rising collaborative. Contributed speakers for RCV implementation advocacy and participates in joint field campaigns.
• East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore partner organization in Oakland Rising collaborative. Joint advocacy on budget and policy issues affecting working-class communities.
• Ella Baker Center for Human RightscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore partner organization and founding member of Oakland Rising. Collaborates on campaigns, budget advocacy, and joint leadership on progressive electoral work. ED Jakada Imani served on Mayor Quan's Transition Advisory Committee.
• Causa Justa::Just CausecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCore partner organization in Oakland Rising collaborative. Served as lead on city RCV education contract ($54,659) with Oakland Rising as subcontractor.
• Just Cause OaklandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead organization on city RCV education contract awarded August 2010. Subcontracted Oakland Rising, APEN, and CJJC for voter outreach.
• FairVoteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Center for Voting and Democracy provided analysis of RCV implementation showing 99.8% valid ballot rate and 72% of voters ranking three candidates.
• League of Women VotersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in May 2010 panel discussion on campaigning with Ranked Choice Voting, co-hosted with New America Foundation.
• New America FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGood-government organization co-hosting panel on RCV campaigning with Oakland Rising and League of Women Voters.
• Center for Empowered Politics Education FundcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCurrent fiscal sponsor of Oakland Rising, providing administrative and financial infrastructure support.
• Movement Strategy CentercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFormer fiscal sponsor of Oakland Rising, providing administrative and financial infrastructure during early organizational years.
• Oakland Rising Action FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner501c4 sister organization of Oakland Rising. Conducted independent expenditure campaign supporting Jean Quan for Mayor, turned out 3,000 voters pivotal in election outcome.
• Center for Third World Organizing (CTWO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlack Organizing Project affiliate. Andre Rawlins, Daily Team member, graduated from CTWO's Movement Activist Apprenticeship Program in 2010 and volunteered as trainer.
• Chinese Progressive AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Francisco Rising partner organization. Organizer Ken Wang participated in Camp Calls training with Oakland Rising.
• Working Partnerships USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSan Francisco Rising coalition member joining Oakland Rising and St. Mary's Center for Bay Area Camp Calls training.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• FairVote: National voting reform advocacy organization that partnered with Oakland Rising on RCV implementation analysis; partial overlap on Ranked Choice Voting education and reform advocacy but operates at national scale rather than grassroots community organizing.

Direct peers

• San Francisco Rising: Sister organization running the same community-led civic engagement model in San Francisco, with shared California Calls participation and overlapping partner organizations (e.g., Chinese Progressive Association, Working Partnerships USA), making it the most directly comparable peer.
• Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN): Core Oakland Rising partner organization advancing civic engagement and environmental justice for AAPI and working-class communities in Oakland and statewide; comparable mission, geography, and target demographics.
• California Calls: Statewide alliance of 32 organizations including Oakland Rising that coordinates civic engagement campaigns; a peer coalition lead that shares funding sources, mobilization campaigns, and capacity-building programs with Oakland Rising.
• Chinese Progressive Association: San Francisco Rising partner organization conducting voter mobilization and civic engagement in Cantonese and Mandarin communities; comparable multilingual voter outreach model and California Calls membership.
• Ella Baker Center for Human Rights: Founding member of Oakland Rising that combines civic engagement, reentry support, and racial justice advocacy; directly comparable in target population (formerly incarcerated, BIPOC) and Oakland-centric geography.
• East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy (EBASE): Core Oakland Rising partner organization focused on low-wage worker organizing, civic engagement, and policy advocacy in the East Bay; directly comparable mission and overlapping constituencies.
• Working Partnerships USA: San Francisco Rising coalition partner and California Calls member focused on worker organizing and civic engagement in Silicon Valley; comparable nonprofit civic engagement structure and Bay Area footprint.
• Causa Justa::Just Cause: Core Oakland Rising partner organization running tenant rights, immigrant rights, and civic engagement work in Oakland; lead contractor on the $54,659 RCV education contract that subcontracted Oakland Rising, making it both a peer and a direct collaborator.

Others

• Movement Strategy Center: Former fiscal sponsor of Oakland Rising and capacity-building intermediary for social justice organizations; not a direct competitor but an adjacent infrastructure provider in the same ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/OaklandRising
• Facebookfacebook.com/Oakland-Rising-219577372655
• Instagraminstagram.com/oakland.rising
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oakland-rising

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oakland Rising and our statewide partners