cultural impact fund / oakland, ca

HOUSING IN THE ARTIST’S HANDS

cultural-impact.org

The Cultural Impact Fund was created as a direct result of a successful purchase and preservation campaign I assisted with for Shadetree, the historical live/work community where I live. I was a story designer and creative strategist for this impact investment fund which uses Opportunity Zone legislation to attract socially conscious investment to low income communities. Founded by Donna Smithey, a housing rights advocate and activist from Oakland, the Cultural Impact Fund focuses its fundraising and investment efforts on cultural preservation and the creation of true affordable housing, particularly through resident ownership models. I wrote the website copy, sourced photography, crafted outreach letters, talks and pitch decks, advised on marketing strategies, curated design processes and conceived the fund’s weaving logo concept.

The task was to create a logo that represented culture itself. I chose a weaving motif since textile weaving is a central, foundational art for nearly every culture on Earth. Oakland’s 510Media created the final design and gave us our imagery and brand colors. Website created by RSN8 Design.