I am moved by the outpouring of compassion demonstrated by the donors of the Orange County Community Foundation in the wake of the devastating magnitude 7.0 earthquake that took place in Haiti on Tuesday, January 12 and the magnitude 6.1 aftershock that followed one week later. I am overjoyed to announce that OCCF donors have responded phenomenally in this time of great need by directing a total of $123,700 to date to organizations providing immediate aid to victims of the disaster. Thank you to our partners in philanthropy for your heartfelt generosity to the thousands who have been left injured and homeless after the worst earthquake to hit Haiti in 200 years.

If you are interested in learning more about recommended agencies doing work on the ground, please visit the Orange County Community Foundation's homepage, www.oc-cf.org, for a list of excellent nonprofit organizations providing relief to those affected by this tragic natural disaster.

Image courtesy of UNICEF.

You have been directed to the Shelley Shares blog while the Orange County Community Foundation’s web site, www.oc-cf.org, is temporarily down for scheduled maintenance this afternoon. The site will be down for approximately two hours. We appreciate your patience as we work to ensure that our web site is as efficient as possible in serving your philanthropic goals.

Please feel free to browse the blog postings as well as the Orange County Community Foundation’s Facebook Fan Page and Twitter Profile for the latest OCCF news, events, and resources.

Happy New Year from the Orange County Community Foundation! We hope 2010 finds you and your family happy and healthy. What better way to start off a new decade than with news of the thoughtful and generous granting by the Foundation’s 2009 Next Generation Philanthropy Group?

Comprised of emerging leaders in their 20s to 40s with an interest in philanthropy, the Orange County Community Foundation’s Next Generation Philanthropy Group focused their yearlong program on seeing the work of local nonprofits first-hand. The group took quarterly site visits to local nonprofits to learn about our community’s most pressing needs. As their exploration came to an end in December, the group decided to award $6,000 in grants to four local nonprofits providing critical support for vulnerable families impacted by the economic crisis, older adults, education and domestic violence. Grants of $1,500 were extended to each of the following agencies: Share Our Selves, Age Well Senior Services, Human Options and El Sol Science and Arts Academy.

I thank the Class of 2009 for sharing their knowledge and participating in productive discussions, and I congratulate them for making exciting philanthropic strides!

For more information on OCCF’s 2010 Next Generation Philanthropy class, please contact Jeff Swanson, vice president of development and gift planning, at 949.553.4202, ext. 39 or via email at jswanson@oc-cf.org.