On September 21, Newport Beach-based Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF) will host Igniting Potential, a collaborative online Giving Day which aims to raise $300,000 for 18 local nonprofits serving Orange County youth.
According to OCCF, a study just released by the National Center for Education Statistics shows that over the past two school years, nine-year-olds lost significant ground in math, and reading scores fell by the largest margin in more than 30 years. While students in the 90th percentile dropped three points in math, those in the bottom 10th percentile dropped by 12 points, compounding the impact for students already at greater risk.
Additional research showed that the effect of school closures on Black and Hispanic students was consistent with the 27th Annual Conditions of Children in Orange County, showing Hispanic third graders had the lowest rates of meeting or exceeding math standards while Black students had the third-lowest rates.
These results reveal the pandemic’s devastating impact on K-12 students, hitting students of color and those already most vulnerable especially hard.
OCCF’s Igniting Potential Giving Day will raise funds for nonprofits to ensure all youth have equitable access to resources that elevate their academic and emotional success. Giving Day participants include Newport Beach-based The Literacy Project, Assistance League of Irvine, Child Creativity Lab, Common Ground, Dreams For Schools, Giving Children Hope, Helping Others Prepare for Eternity, Hispanic Educations Endowment Fund, Irvine Public Schools Foundation, Kidworks Community Development Corporation, Lions Hearts Teen Volunteers and Leaders, MOMS Orange County, Parentis Foundation | ONE KIND WORD, Pretend City, The Children’s Museum of Orange County, Scholar’s Hope Foundation, The Prentice School, The Youth Center, and Unidos South OC.
“The new data confirming the enormous impact of the pandemic on our most vulnerable students is a clarion call to us all,” said Shelley Hoss, president and CEO of the Orange County Community Foundation. “We cannot think of a more important effort than to ignite the promise and potential of all of Orange County’s youth, and we are proud to support this collaborative fundraising effort to bring resources to this crucial need.”
Igniting Potential is part of OCCF’s 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 nearly $18 million for Orange County nonprofits.
To donate during the Igniting Potential Giving Day and give back to the local youth, please visit: https://igniting-potential-giving-day.ocnonprofitcentral.org.
Founded in 1989, the Orange County Community Foundation 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.
