MAYOR LEE & CRANKSTART ANNOUNCE HISTORIC $9.2M INVESTMENT

Published on June 11, 2026

OAKLAND, CA — Mayor Barbara Lee today announced a landmark $9.2 million, three-year public-private partnership with Crankstart, a Bay Area-based family foundation, to fund a comprehensive citywide strategy that will break the cycle of illegal dumping across Oakland and advance the city on a trajectory toward clean streets. This represents the largest philanthropic investment in illegal dumping prevention in Oakland's modern-day history.

The announcement reflects Mayor Lee's commitment to developing creative partnerships that deliver results for Oakland residents — meeting the city's most pressing challenges head-on at a moment when every public dollar must be stretched further. The Mayor has made leveraging philanthropy a cornerstone of her administration, and this partnership stands as a powerful example of that vision in action.

"Our residents deserve clean streets, and they deserve a city that fights for them with every tool available," said Mayor Barbara Lee. "This partnership with Crankstart shows what is possible when we refuse to accept the status quo and instead bring together the public and private sectors to build the Oakland our communities deserve. We are not waiting for someone else to solve this. We are doing it now."

The investment builds on Oakland's Illegal Dumping Expenditures Action Plan, recently adopted by the City Council, which establishes a comprehensive strategy to reduce illegal dumping through enforcement, eradication, and education. By making early public investments in pilot projects and adopting a clear implementation framework, the City has positioned itself to successfully attract and leverage private philanthropic support. The Crankstart grant will accelerate and expand the City's adopted strategy, enabling Oakland to scale proven interventions, test innovative approaches, and strengthen accountability measures to deliver cleaner neighborhoods and more visible results for residents.

"Illegal dumping is one of those issues that touches everything: public health, economic opportunity, neighborhood pride, and environmental justice," said Missy Narula, CEO, Crankstart. "We are proud to partner with Mayor Lee and the City of Oakland on a strategy that pairs accountability with compassion, technology with community, and a commitment to measurable results."

What This Investment Will Enable

The investments fund a comprehensive three-year strategy prioritizing neighborhoods disproportionately affected by illegal dumping, pairing stronger accountability with expanded legal disposal options, and emphasizing measurable outcomes to ensure public and philanthropic dollars are delivering meaningful results for Oakland residents. These investments will enable:

Delivering better enforcement in neighborhoods most affected by illegal dumping through expansion of the City’s illegal dumping camera network — growing from 35 to 85 total deployable cameras, including solar-powered units, for greater flexibility. In addition, the investment strengthens the City’s ability to deter and investigate dumping hot spots, adds enforcement tools and staffing to respond more effectively to illegal dumping across the city, and improves coordination with the Oakland Police Department and Alameda County District Attorney. Camera-equipped enforcement has already proven its impact. With the addition of the License Plate Reader technology, it is now four-times more likely that an illegal dumper caught on camera will be identified and cited, demonstrating that targeted technology investments directly increase enforcement certainty.
Deploying AI-assisted aerial imaging technology to more comprehensively identify illegal dumping hotspots, reduce reliance on complaint-based reporting, and improve the City’s ability to more quickly and equitably direct resources where they are needed most.
Piloting an increase in residential disposal capacity through a targeted container upsizing project which can reduce illegal dumping, litter, and overflow conditions in surrounding neighborhoods. This comes at no additional cost for residents.
Expanding public education and outreach efforts to increase awareness and utilization of free bulky pickup, legal disposal options, and other waste reduction services that are currently underutilized.
Supporting independent third-party evaluation and performance measurement to assess program effectiveness, identify lessons learned, and inform long-term sustainability.

"When we invest in cleaner streets, we invest in people," said Council President Kevin Jenkins. "This effort is about creating safer, healthier neighborhoods and showing residents that their quality-of-life matters. I’m thankful to Mayor Lee for her partnership and leadership in bringing this investment to Oakland communities that deserve to be seen, heard, and supported."

“Illegal dumping has disproportionately impacted our underserved neighborhoods for far too long. With this new funding, Oakland is taking another significant step forward in how we tackle illegal dumping," said Liam Garland, Director, Oakland Public Works. “This investment in Oakland will give us the tools to continue our momentum under Mayor Lee.”

“Our communities have been organizing on this issue for years because illegal dumping is a symptom of systemic neglect," said Barbara Lafitte-Oluwole, Faith in Action East Bay. "We are excited to continue partnering with Mayor Lee and the City of Oakland through this partnership. We will continue to hold the City accountable for delivering the results that Oakland's hardest-hit residents deserve, and we look forward to being partners in this work."

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