Nearly 750 philanthropists and business and community leaders gathered for the Newport Beach-based Orange County Community Foundation’s 30th Anniversary Annual Meeting on Nov. 20, according to a recent press release.
While addressing the sold-out audience at Hotel Irvine, OCCF President and CEO Shelley Hoss announced the Foundation’s commitment to reach $1 billion in cumulative granting by their 35th anniversary in 2024.
OCCF has distinguished itself among its peers by awarding $630 million in grants and scholarships since its inception, officials noted in the message. Attaining the $1 billion mark will make OCCF one of only three community foundations founded in the last 30 years to reach this milestone, and one of only 35 U.S. community foundations ever to have accomplished it.
“Of all the metrics of growth and accomplishment that we could celebrate at our 30th anniversary, nothing is more meaningful than the philanthropic impact we have achieved,” Hoss said in a statement. “As we build on 30 years of leadership in the Orange County community, we renew our commitment to unleash the philanthropic potential of our donors and partners, to pioneer solutions to our region’s most pressing challenges and to channel our expertise into meaningful impact, now and for generations to come.”
— Photo by Kait McKay Photography ©
According to the press release, at the close of the fiscal year on June 30, OCCF’s assets had grown to $405 million — placing the foundation in the top seven percent in assets among more than 780 U.S. community foundations. Officials reported that OCCF awarded $69 million in grants and scholarships in their 2019 fiscal year, positioning it in the top one percent in grantmaking activity among U.S. community foundations.
The event kicked off with special performances by students from Orange County School of the Arts and OC Music & Dance, according to the press release. OCCF’s Board officers transitioned as Board Chair Keith Swayne passed the gavel to incoming Chair Reshma Block. In addition, the Swayne Family presented the Judith Swayne Leadership Award to Anne Olin, founder of Charitable Ventures, for her tireless service and generous giving of herself for the greater good of the regional nonprofit sector.
The keynote presentation included a trio of personal stories of impact from Reshma Block, reflecting on the transformative power of giving to receive; Ranney Draper, who with his son Ranney Blake Draper, explored the rewards of family engagement in strategic giving; and Ambassador Gaddi Vasquez, who addressed the power of education to transform our future.
For more information, visit oc-cf.org.
