On November 2, the Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF) hosted Preserving Dignity, a collaborative online Giving Day to support older adults in need.
OCCF announced that 238 donors contributed $142,226 to participating nonprofits in support of their vital missions to help Orange County’s growing aging population.
Recently released studies show that a demographic shift is accelerating in Southern California, leading to the need for additional resources for one of the most vulnerable populations: older adults.
According to population projections by the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of Americans aged 65 or older will outnumber adolescents under 18 by 2034. By 2060, it is expected that roughly 1 in 4 Americans will be what is currently considered retirement age, and the 65+ population in Orange County will nearly double from 17 percent to 29 percent.
Participating organizations in OCCF’s Preserving Dignity Giving Day will utilize their funds to ensure older adults have essential access to proper care and resources to ensure that they live as vital and healthy lives as possible as they age.
Giving Day participants included Alzheimer’s Orange County, Council on Aging – Southern California, SoulRapha, Southern California Hospice Foundation, and St. Francis Home of the Franciscan Missionary Sister of the I C Inc.
“We thank the Orange County community for their support of nonprofits who value one of our most vulnerable and rapidly growing populations,” said Shelley Hoss, president and CEO of the Orange County Community Foundation. “This collaborative effort will prioritize the health and well-being of our older residents who have made significant contributions to our community throughout their lifetimes.”
Preserving Dignity was the final effort of OCCF’s 2022 iheartOC Collaborative Giving Days, an annual initiative that designates cause-specific giving days focused on critical community issues.
The online giving model matches OC nonprofits with shared missions – from homelessness and workforce development to preserving ecosystems and supporting local veterans – to create momentum on one shared day and leverage a combined outreach effort for collective success.
In 2021, the 10 days secured support from 8,485 donors and raised a record $4.5 million for 112 local nonprofits. Since its start in 2015, OCCF’s Collaborative Giving Days have raised more than $19 million for Orange County nonprofits.
Founded in 1989, the Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF) works with donors, strengthens the local nonprofit sector and works to find solutions to community needs. Since its inception, OCCF has awarded $900 million in grants and scholarships, ranking the organization as the 3rd most active grantmaker among all U.S. community foundations.
For more information, visit www.oc-cf.org.
