We are very fortunate to have been able to grow a successful small business here at OM, and we believe in sharing our success with worthy, mostly smaller organizations that can use our support. That is why we have started the OM Charitable Gift Matching program.  We selected these organizations because each of them is doing work that we think is essential to improving the current and future lives of those locally and around the globe. Please review the descriptions and websites below, and if you are able to make a donation to any one of these organizations, please send us a copy of your receipt and we will Match your donation up to $5,000. Even if you can’t give at this time, we have guaranteed each of these organizations an annual donation of at least $5,000 on behalf of OM and our clients!

Operation Mend – Operation Mend heals our nation’s post 9/11 military, veterans, and family members by providing innovative, comprehensive, world-class care for the physical and psychological wounds of war. We were inspired to give to this organization by my son, Seppi, who is a 2LT currently on active duty as a combat engineer in the 10^th Mountain Division, and by one of my former middle school students, Captain Josh Hunsucker, an Army Ranger and Bronze Star recipient who led over 400 missions while deployed to Baghdad and is currently an attorney in the Sacramento area.

Oakland Lacrosse – My daughter Devon is a lacrosse player and coach, and she has spent some time coaching for this fantastic organization, which supports Oakland public school students in becoming healthy, confident, and self-empowered youth who effectively navigate systems, overcome challenges, and achieve their education and life goals.

West Oakland Cultural Action Network/Black Liberation Walking Tour – WOCAN supports missions, including its award-winning Black Liberation Walking Tour, that preserve and uplift the cultural, political, economic, and social conditions of the Hoover, Clawson, and McClymonds neighborhoods of Northwest Oakland, ensuring that the rich cultural heritage of African Americans in those neighborhoods is maintained in a time of gentrification. I became a supporter of WOCAN through one of its founders, “Bleacher” Dave Peters and the Oakland Roots Soccer Team. I have taken the Black Liberation Walking Tour and highly recommend it to anyone interested in learning about and preserving Oakland history.

POW – Protect Our Winters – POW is a team of athletes and climate activists working to solve the climate crisis by supporting clean energy projects and by meeting with and holding elected officials accountable for their voting records on climate change. I encourage you to check out their website and consider joining me in supporting this great organization’s work so we can preserve our love of the mountains and winter sports for future generations.

OakLuv Foundation – Founded by my friend, Oakland native Alex Cox — aka “Knucklehead Santa” — the OakLuv Foundation spreads cheer through its’ yearlong fundraising and distribution of needed items to Oakland schools and families. Their annual Fruitvale Posada has become a staple in the community, and their Secret Santa and other programs ensure that children are provided not only with essentials for success, but also with stockings full of joy at Christmas time.

Soroptimist International of Capitola by the Sea – Soroptimist is a coined Latin phrase meaning “best for women.” The organization, founded in 1921—one year after women won the vote—in Oakland, California, is now an international volunteer service organization for women with 30,000 members in 120 countries and territories around the world. The Capitola branch is operated by 14 dynamic women who raise funds to support their “Live Your Dream” and other programs aimed at helping women and girls achieve their educational and life goals. I have been working with my birth mother, Kate McGuire, who spearheads many of the fundraising efforts for the organization, to ensure that all women and girls who would like to participate in their programs have that opportunity. These women do great work and I hope you’ll give them a look.