community outreach

The Outdoor Art Club has been a cornerstone of philanthropy in the Mill Valley community and beyond for over 120 years. Its legacy began with initiatives such as establishing safe playgrounds for children, collaborating with town trustees to maintain cleanliness in streets, hillsides, water bodies, and extending support to individuals in times of disasters and personal crises. Over the years, it has contributed to various governmental improvements, including the introduction of home postal delivery and the installation of the town flagpole. With the construction of its building, the Club became a hub for community events, further fostering cohesion among residents.

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Grants

The Outdoor Art Club’s impact extends through direct financial support in the form of grants, to non-profit organizations nominated by its members. Over the last fifty years the Club has donated over $850,000. These grants align with the OAC’s core values, particularly in the realms of environmental conservation, women’s initiative, and supporting the underserved. Additionally, the Club awards Leadership Scholarships to promising young women at Tamalpais High School and allocates Board-designated grants to address urgent needs stemming from events such as the 2017 Sonoma Complex fires and the COVID-19 pandemic.

2022 Grants

Bridge the Gap College Prep – A one-year pilot program providing intensive in-school and after-school literary support for two at-risk Marin City students.

Call of the Sea – Six middle and high school scholarships for two-day overnight sailing experiences in Drake’s Bay, including helming, navigation, oceanography, meteorology, and marine science programs. One professional compound microscope, one professional stereoscope, and one hydrophone.

Center for Domestic Peace – One month of transitional program support for 21 Marin County survivors of domestic violence to acquire skills necessary to achieve economic independence.

Chamber Music Marin – One chamber music performance and demonstration for under-served San Rafael middle school students.

The Curtain Theatre – All costume rentals for nine free-to-the-public performances of 2023 productions in Old Mill Park.

ExtraFood.org – Training for 45 gleaning team volunteers and five team leaders. Outreach and training for 10 new Marin school districts. Volunteer supplies and PPE. Food recovery vehicle supplies to recover 25,000 pounds of food, provide 20,834 meals to food insecure residents, save 735,000 gallons of water, and prevent release of 0.56 tons of CO2.

Friends of Mill Valley Children’s Garden – Plants, mulch, soil, hoses, and fencing for 600-square-foot pollinator garden.

Green Change – Six six-foot-by-three-foot “Exhibitor Booths” at the 2023 Mill Valley Earth Day Environmental Festival for youth and underserved community groups promoting climate action.

Halleck Creek Ranch – Ten one-week scholarships for children’s therapeutic horse-back riding camp.

The Hannah Project – Four “Family Night” leadership program events to increase Marin City parent engagement with schools, understanding of educational policy and advocacy for students, and competency to function as change agents.

Marin Community Clinics – On-site Women’s Health Day accessible mammograms and cervical cancer screenings for 50 women in San Rafael.

Marin Villages – Capacity building for expanded referral services for Marin County senior women to support their ability to remain in their homes.

The Mountain Play – ASL translation for hearing-impaired attendees at one 2023 Mountain Play performance. Spring 2023 concert performance of “Into the Woods” for residents of The Redwoods.

O’Hanlon Center for the Arts – Site preparation for 60 feet of slope for native and pollinator plant restoration.

Performing Stars of Marin – One year of social skills and comportment programming for 30 five-to-ten year old Marin City girls, including opportunities to practice skills in restaurants and on field trips, to optimize academic, social, and economic success.

Project Avary –Scholarships for seven Marin County children of incarcerated parents to attend intensive four-week therapeutic and leadership development summer camp.

The Redwoods – Arts materials and facilitator for expanded residents’ art program.

Trips for Kids – Six trail bikes and six helmets for use by 30 Marin County at-risk children weekly. Weekly transportation to trails for 30 Marin County at-risk children.

Vivalon – One year of food and kitchen supplies for at-home meal delivery service to 51 Marin County at-risk seniors.

Wildcare – Two three-month wildlife hospital internships for veterinary students.

Community Impact

Today, the spirit of philanthropy thrives within the Club through hands-on engagement with the community. Members actively participate in group volunteer activities such as cleaning up public spaces, organizing food and holiday drives, serving meals at shelters and crafting knitted items for donation. These endeavors not only make tangible differences within the local community but also strengthen the bonds among OAC members.

Volunteer initiatives include:

California Coastal Clean Up
Jonathan’s Place Dinners (meals for the unhoused)
Mill Valley Tree Wells Project
Holiday Giving Tree Donation Drive
Sewing and Knitting for the underserved
Blood Donation Drives
Thank You’s to Mill Valley Police and Fire Departments
Children’s Book Drive
CPR Training