A new report reveals who funded the $180,000 slate of events welcoming Oakland’s new mayor in June.
by Natalie Orenstein Aug. 18, 2025 (Oaklandsidel.org)
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Following Mayor Barbara Lee’s election in April, an independent committee threw her an inaugural bash featuring a string quartet, spoken word, traditional lion dance, and speeches from prominent politicos.
The committee sought small and large donations to support this effort. The organizers said they would eventually release a list of contributors, promising an inaugural weekend guided by “transparency, equity, and community.” A new report from the committee and additional details provided to The Oaklandside show that some of Oakland’s largest companies and dozens of individuals bankrolled the events.
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The Oakland Inaugural Committee is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit set up this spring and run by volunteers Yvonne Hudson-Harmon, Dr. John Maa, and Dr. Glenda Newell-Harris. The committee operated independently from Lee and her campaign.
In their report, the organizers said they designed a weekend that “celebrated not only the inauguration of Barbara Lee as Oakland’s first Black female mayor, but also the enduring strength of our community, its people, and the spirit of collective action that defines The Town.”
Businesspeople and community members often establish such committees to usher in newly elected officials. These nonprofits don’t face many of the restrictions that apply to campaign committees, such as limits on contributions and disclosure requirements. This can attract donors who want to support an elected official at a larger level or curry favor with them under the radar.
Lee’s inaugural committee raised $290,052 and spent $176,453 on the weekend’s events, which included the 3,000-person ceremony at Jack London Square on June 8, as well as a smaller Black Cultural Zone event and a citywide “day of service” with street clean-ups.
“Thousands of Oaklanders, representing the city’s amazing tapestry, participated in neighborhood cleanups, celebrated local culture, and gathered in joy,” the committee wrote in its report.
The report released by this committee included the names of all contributors but not the exact amounts they gave; that information was provided to The Oaklandside when we asked for it.
Kaiser Permanente and the California Nurses Association contributed the largest amounts, at $50,000 each. Tech company Block, Sutter Health, and PG&E each spent $25,000.
At the $10,000 level: Blue Shield of California, businessman and former Port of Oakland commissioner Ces Butner, Comcast, attorney Gordon Greenwood, the Meadow Fund, and an anonymous donor.
At these high tiers, contributors received perks like reserved inauguration seating (the event was otherwise free, open to the public, and live-streamed) and invitations to a private reception. The report also includes the names of about 60 individuals and organizations that gave amounts under $5,000.
In 2015, developer John Protopappas established a committee for Libby Schaaf’s inauguration. That group, which raised $88,000, refused to disclose its supporters. There was no inauguration committee established to support Mayor Sheng Thao; there does not appear to have been special events beyond the city-run swearing-in ceremony at the Paramount Theatre for Thao and new councilmembers.
The Lee committee said it will donate the fund’s remaining balance of over $100,000 to nonprofits “serving the Oakland community and Oakland youth.” It did not specify which nonprofits.
In addition to contributing to campaign and inaugural committees, people and corporations looking to support elected officials can give money to their officeholder accounts. Last month, councilmembers filed reports detailing how they’ve spent those contributions so far this year.
NATALIE ORENSTEIN
Natalie Orenstein is a senior reporter covering City Hall, housing and homelessness for The Oaklandside. Her reporting on a flood of eviction cases following the end of the Alameda County pandemic moratorium won recognition from the Society of Professional Reporters NorCal in 2024. Natalie was previously on staff at Berkeleyside, where she covered education, including extensive, award-winning reporting on the legacy of school desegregation in Berkeley Unified. Natalie lives in Oakland, grew up in Berkeley, and has only left her beloved East Bay once, to attend Pomona College.More by Natalie Orenstein
