by Kevin Epps
San Francisco — In an era where efforts to roll back racial justice are accelerating, the San Francisco Bay View Foundation’s Third Annual Nonprofit Boot Camp returns as a sanctuary and strategy space for Black-led change. Held on Saturday, June 28, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Bayview Opera House (4705 Third St.), this year’s theme — “Black and Proud: Standing Firm in the Face of Opposition” — is both a rallying cry and a roadmap.
This Boot Camp is more than a professional gathering; it’s a power-building space for nonprofit leaders on the front lines of advocacy, healing and transformation. Attendees will engage in hands-on workshops focused on fundraising, governance, organizing and sustainability — tools necessary to not only survive but lead.
This year’s keynote speaker is Carolyn “CJ” Johnson, CEO of the Black Cultural Zone and architect of Oakland’s $100 million Rise East initiative.
“In this pivotal moment, where the forces working to undermine decades of progress toward racial justice are relentless, the Third Annual San Francisco Bay View Foundation Nonprofit Boot Camp is a vital platform for strengthening Black-led and Black-serving nonprofits,” Johnson said.
Joining Johnson is a dynamic lineup of visionary leaders shaping the future of equity and innovation in the Bay Area:
• Trevor Parham, founder and director of Oakstop, a social enterprise leveraging commercial real estate to drive community empowerment and economic development.
• Dr. Gina Fromer, president and CEO of GLIDE Foundation, who has dedicated her life’s work to uplifting San Francisco’s most disadvantaged and building a more just city for all.
• Theo Ellington, executive director of the Ruth Williams Opera House and founder of Black Citizen, a social impact firm providing strategic advisory services to foundations and grantmakers focused on racial equity.
“The Black Cultural Zone is unapologetically committed to centering Black arts, culture and economics as we collectively design, resource, transform and build collective power for our communities,” Johnson added. “This conference provides a crucial space to reinforce our collective power and advance community-rooted visions of justice, equity and liberation in East Oakland and beyond.”
Kevin Epps, founder and organizer of the Boot Camp, underscored the importance of this gathering:
“We’re not here to retreat — we’re here to rise. This isn’t about charity — it’s about building movements with staying power.”
The day concludes with live music, celebration and a renewed commitment to solidarity.
Free registration is available now:
Workshops. Strategy. Power. Community. This is not just an event — it’s a movement. Join us. Black and proud, we’re just getting started.
The Bay View’s executive editor and Hunters Point’s favorite son, filmmaker Kevin Epps, is best known for the game-changing “Straight Outta Hunters Point” and for “Black Rock,” “Rap Dreams,” “Fam Bam” and more. He was awarded an artist fellowship by the world renowned de Young Museum. His passion for advocacy for his community is legendary. He can be reached at kevin@sfbayview.com.
