November was a busy and exciting month for the Orange County Community Foundation! This fall marks the Foundation’s 20th year of encouraging, supporting and facilitating philanthropy in Orange County. We celebrated this milestone in many special ways: A beautiful Annual Report chronicling OCCF’s 20-year journey with images of some of the most breathtaking scenes in our county; a 20th Anniversary video featuring local philanthropic and nonprofit leaders, their reflections on OCCF’s history, and their hopes for its future; and our best-attended Annual Meeting to date!

One of the personal highlights of the Annual Meeting was presenting Orange County Community Foundation founder and executive director emeritus, Judy Swayne, with the 2009 Excellence in Philanthropy Lifetime Achievement Award in front of over 350 guests. If it weren’t for Judy’s vision and unwavering passion for philanthropy, the Foundation would never have come to life 20 years ago and become what it is today. Judy and her husband Keith announced at the meeting a $500,000 challenge grant contribution to the Orange County Endowment to establish permanent endowments in support of the Environment and the Arts. The board, staff, and donors of the Orange County Community Foundation and I, as well as all of our nonprofit and community friends, are grateful to Judy and Keith for leaving a legacy that will endure in Orange County forever.

To browse an electronic version of OCCF’s 2009 Annual Report, click here. To view part one of OCCF’s 20th Anniversary video “A Legacy of Leadership”, click here. The view part two “Making an Impact”, click here. To view photos from the Annual Meeting, visit OCCF’s Facebook Fan Page here.

Visit the Orange County Community Foundation web site at www.oc-cf.org.

How quickly time flies! After months of planning and preparation, the Orange County Community Foundation’s 20th Anniversary Annual Meeting is right around the corner. The celebration of our “20-year Journey: Growing the Good for Orange County Today and Tomorrow,” will commence this Wednesday, November 11, at 11:30 am at the Island Hotel in Newport Beach. We will enjoy a performance by the students of El Sol Science and Arts Academy, hear from donors and nonprofit friends in a special 20th anniversary video, and honor OCCF founder Judy Swayne. We can’t wait to celebrate with you!

We are just 43 days away from the Orange County Community Foundation’s 2009 Annual Meeting, which will celebrate our “20-year Journey: Growing the Good for Orange County Today and Tomorrow.” The celebration will take place on Wednesday, November 11, from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm at The Island Hotel in Newport Beach. We will be looking back at the foundation’s collective impact over the past two decades as well as the path ahead. We’ll also premiere a 20th anniversary video featuring some of our outstanding local philanthropic partners and those who helped chart the earliest course for OCCF’s success. We can’t wait for its debut! Visit OCCF’s Facebook Fan Page for a sneak peek at some of the video’s stars. And check back here as the annual meeting countdown continues.

Please mark your calendar for OCCF’s 2009 annual meeting!

"Celebrating a 20-year Journey: Growing the Good for Orange County Today and Tomorrow"

Wednesday, November 11
11:30 am - 1:30 pm
The Island Hotel in Newport Beach

2009 marks OCCF’s 20th anniversary! We hope you’ll join us as we celebrate 20 years of collective impact in Orange County and look together toward the path ahead. Keep an eye out for details and invitations in your mailbox soon!