Message from the Board President
When I joined The Crucible’s board in early 2023, I did not know we were about to spend two years holding on. The challenges that defined 2023 and 2024 are well documented. What matters is that the organization made it through, and that we did so without losing what makes The Crucible so special.
The turning point came mid-2025, when long-delayed federal tax credit funds finally arrived. We had a choice: we could use the money to extend life support, or we could lean in and rebuild. We chose to rebuild, and this report shows what we’ve already been able to accomplish on that path.
We reconnected with longtime contributors and sharpened how we communicate with our 40,000 constituents about classes and giving. We filled every senior staff vacancy. We recognized AFSCME as the union representing our employees. The Board welcomed new members and launched an active Marketing Committee, with Facilities, Programs, and Development committees slated to follow.
That work was reflected throughout our programs. We were named Best Summer Camp in the East Bay for the second consecutive year and fulfilled grant-funded initiatives that brought more youth into the arts while expanding community bike services. Donor support helped fund upgrades to our glass shop, cold shop, and smithy, and laid the groundwork for a new digital fabrication studio. We also strengthened partnerships with the City of Oakland, the Oakland Ballers, and the 7th Street associations that help our neighborhood thrive.
In November we met a five-digit challenge match that encouraged new contributors to step up. By the end of the year, we were in discussions with two key foundations, about a six-digit challenge match that launched in January 2026, and another six-digit investment to restore staff capacity. Hopefully you heard about and participated in those earlier this year.
Even with the huge progress in 2025, we still have a lot of work ahead. The Crucible’s purpose — in Oakland, for our students, and for the industrial arts community worldwide — is bigger than any single year of recovery. But for the first time in a long time, we are back on our front foot.
None of this works without you taking classes, giving, volunteering, bringing your teams in for a project, and telling your friends — that’s what sustains the industrial arts in this community. Thank you.
—B Astrella, President of the Board
