Life Enrichment Committee
November 18, 2025
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Jestin D. Johnson FROM: Sofia Navarro
City Administrator Interim Human Services
Dept. Director
SUBJECT: City of Oakland’s Annual
Contributions to the Youth
Ventures Joint Powers Authority
(YVJPA)
DATE: October 20, 2025
City Administrator Approval Date:
RECOMMENDATION
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt:
Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To Enter Into An Agreement With The Youth Ventures Joint Powers Authority (Y VJPA), Through Its Fiscal Sponsor Philant hropic Ventures Foundation, In The Amount Of $150,000 Per Year For Fiscal Years 2025 -26 And 2026-27, For The City Of Oakland’s Annual Contributions To The YVJPA
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The City of Oakland has been a charter member of the Youth Ventures Joint Powers Authority (YVJPA) since its creation in 2006. As a charter member, the City must contribute $150,000 annually in dues.
On June 11, 2025, the Oakland City Council voted to adopt a 2025-2027 biennial budget, which includes the City’s annual contribution of $150,000 to YVYPA for FY 25-26 and $150,000 for FY 26-27.
This proposed resolution authorizes an agreement with the YVJPA, through its fiscal agent , Philanthropic Ventures Foundation (PVF), in the amount of $150,000 per year for FY 2025-2026, FY 2026-2027, for the City’s annual contribution, totaling $300,000.
BACKGROUND / LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
In July 2006, the City Council approved Resolution 80089 C.M.S., authorizing the creation of the YVJPA to improve outcomes for children, youth issues among the City of Oakland, the Alameda County, the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD and the East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF.) This joint public entity serves as the collective impact backbone agency to improve Jestin Johnson (Nov 3, 2025 22:12:28 PST)
11/03/2025
Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: City of Oakland’s Annual Contributions to the Youth Ventures Joint Powers Authority (YVJPA)
Date: October 20, 2025 Page 2
Life Enrichment Committee
November 18, 2025
outcomes for Oakland’s children, youth, and families and close the racial disparities. After the formation of the YVJPA, EBCF elected not to continue to participate as a voting member but provided fiscal sponsorship for the YVJPA until the relationship was dissolved in FY 2013-2014.
In 2016, First 5 Alameda County, the Peralta Community College District, and the Alameda County Office of Education were added to the YVJPA.
The City, the County, and OUSD each agreed to contribute $150,000 annually toward staffing the initiative. The City allocates these funds in the adopted biennial budget every two years.
ANALYSIS AND POLICY ALTERNATIVES
Oakland Thrives is a public/private partnership working to ensure that children, families, and communities in Oakland are the healthiest in the nation. The City, County, and OUSD recognize the need to work collaboratively to build, research, and develop capacity to ensure that public dollars are invested in programs and services based on proven best practices and produce meaningful outcomes for children, youth, and families. The citywide priorities of housing, economic and cultural security , and holistic community safety are advanced by this recommendation through the work the YVJPA is doing with its member agencies: the City of Oakland, County of Alameda, OUSD, Alameda County Office of Education, First 5 Alameda County and Peralta Community College District to improve outcomes for broadly challenged families, children, and youth.
The Youth Ventures Joint Powers Authority (YVJPA) is a long-standing public sector table at the heart of Oakland Thrives. The YVJPA is anchored by three primary trustees: the City of Oakland, Alameda County, and Oakland Unified School District. Three additional public sector trustees completed the YVJPA: First 5 Alameda County, Alameda County Office of Education, and Peralta Community College District. The complementary Leadership Council is a group of influential leaders in Oakland’s communities, and positional leaders in the public and private sector institutions that hold opportunities and resources dedicated to the City’s well -being. The Leadership Council provides essential wisdom and insight to practitioners and opens the door for collaboration and innovation across systems, institutions, and communities.
Oakland Thrives staff engage policy, program, context, and technical experts within public systems, private sector organizations, and Oakland's neighborhoods to develop rigorous strategic, evidence-based solutions that address the needs of communities farthest from equity and well -being and to remove systemic barriers to the broad application of these solutions.
Oakland Thrives staff provide the organizational backbone to get work done across institutional lines, using the techniques of collective impact and results-based accountability to achieve city- wide results in the areas of health, wealth, education, safety, and housing.
The YVJPA membership includes elected officials and department head level staff from all three public entities sitting on the Board and affiliated entities such as Alameda County First Five and Alameda County Office of Education.
The YVJPA originally organized its work through Impact Tables in four (4) critical areas: Housing, Education, Health, and Wealth. A Safety table was also added. The work of the Impact Tables was informed by a collective impact planning effort undertaken with FSG Consulting, the national Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: City of Oakland’s Annual Contributions to the Youth Ventures Joint Powers Authority (YVJPA)
Date: October 20, 2025 Page 3
Life Enrichment Committee
November 18, 2025
expert on collective impact. Through that effort, goals and critical metrics were identified for tracking to determine the impact of the work being undertaken.
The YVJPA’s FY 2023-2024 Annual Report highlights key program achievements that included an initial kick-off in June 2023 of the Rise East initiative, a bold 10-year plan to transform East Oakland and create pathways to success for youth and families. As part of the Rise East launch, several fundraising initiatives aimed at raising local match funding helped to unlock Blue Meridian’s $50M investment. Additionally, funding support from Kaiser Permanente of $1.75M, on behalf of the East Bay Community Foundation, has provided crucial operating support for Oakland Thrives, ensuring continued implementation with YVJPA’s mission.
In addition, the Rise East vision made significant progress with transforming the 40x40 Corridor.
One of the most exciting developments has been the creation of Liberation Park, a community - driven project led by Black Cultural Zone , that has created a Permanent Retail Hub, providing a permanent space from which to sell small, local vendors can sell their products. This will help foster economic independence and create opportunities for local business owners.
Lastly, the Roots Community Health Center launched a new guaranteed income pilot in 2025, in partnership with UpTogether. This program serves two groups of families: those with the highest needs will receive $1,000 per month for the first 12 months, followed by $500 per month for the remaining six months. Other families in need will receive $500 per month for 18 months.
The YVJPA also aligns its work closely and in concert with other critical Citywide and Countywide efforts such as All In, Starting Smart and Strong, Oakland Community Schools, and By All Means- Harvard Graduate School of Education , who’s collective approaches work towards focusing on developing policies and strategies that create and improve education, health, and well-being for children and families of Oakland.
The Oakland Thrives Leadership Council has been an adjunct body of the YVJPA, with overlapping membership and representation from a broader set of stakeholders, including business and nonprofit leadership, community colleges, Housing Authority, and others. Kaiser Foundation has supported the development of this table along with the YVJPA.
The YVJPA shifted fiscal sponsorship to PVF to increase cost savings and compliance with audit protocols. PVF has a decade of experience serving as a fiscal sponsor for a number of County of Alameda projects and grant programs , including Innovations in Mental Health, Innovations in Re-entry, and All In Alameda County.
FISCAL IMPACT
No new fiscal impact would be created by this action. Funding for the City’s $150,000 annual contribution for Fiscal Years 202 5-2026 and 202 6-2027 was included in the City Council’s FY2025-2027 Adopted Budget. The $300,000 needed for this action is currently budgeted in the General-Purpose Fund (1010), Citywide Activities Org anization (90591), DP900 Administrative Project (1000021), Homeless Services & Support Program (NB41) for $150,000 and the General- Purpose Fund (1010), Policy and Planning Org (78311 /78251), JPA Youth Activities Project (1005959), Childhood Youth & Services Program (YS03) for $ 300,000; Fund and Desc Project and Desc Acct and Desc Category Org Prog Sum of FY 24-25 Midcycle Ongoing (1010) – General Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: City of Oakland’s Annual Contributions to the Youth Ventures Joint Powers Authority (YVJPA)
Date: October 20, 2025 Page 4
Life Enrichment Committee
November 18, 2025
Fund: General Purpose (1005959) – (1010) JPA Youth Activities (54629) – Other Costs Services O&M OR_78311 PG_YS03 for $150,000.
PUBLIC OUTREACH / INTEREST
This item did not require any additional public outreach other than the required posting on the City of Oakland’s website. To learn more about YVJPA, visit their website at https://oaklandthrives.org/yvjpa/
COORDINATION
The Office of the City Attorney and the Budget Bureau were consulted in the preparation of this report and resolution.
SUSTAINABLE OPPORTUNITIES
Economic: The YVJPA works together to collectively improve the economic viability of children, youth, and families in Oakland and Alameda County.
Environmental: There are no direct environmental impacts associated with the City Council action requested in this agenda report.
Social Equity: The YVJPA is a collective impact table focused on improving the lives of Oakland youth and their families by achieving racially equitable outcomes in education, health, wealth building, housing, and safety for all Oakland children and their families.
ACTION REQUESTED OF THE CITY COUNCIL
Staff Recommends That The City Council Adopt:
Resolution Authorizing The City Administrator To Enter Into An Agreement With The Youth Ventures Joint Powers Authority (Y VJPA), Through Its Fiscal Sponsor Philant hropic Ventures Foundation, In The Amount Of $150,000 Per Year For Fiscal Years 2025 -26 And 2026-27, For The City Of Oakland’s Annual Contributions To The YVJPA
For questions regarding this report, please contact ROBIN LOVE, MANAGER, HUMAN SERVICES DEPT., at (510) 238-3231.
Respectfully submitted,
Jestin D, Johnson, City Administrator
Subject: City of Oakland’s Annual Contributions to the Youth Ventures Joint Powers Authority (YVJPA)
Date: October 20, 2025
Life Enrichment Committee
November 18, 2025
Respectfully submitted,
Sofia Navarro
Interim Human Services Dept. Director
Reviewed by:
Robin Love,
Manager, Children & Youth Services
Prepared by:
Cindy King
Health & Human Services Program Planner