OK, so I’m officially succumbing to the 21st century and launching a new endeavor in honor of the New Year: blogging. Many of my community foundation colleagues are using blogs as a way to communicate with their constituents, and I’m going to try my hand by introducing “Shelley Shares.” The purpose of this blog will be to provide an insider’s look at the work of the
Orange County Community Foundation, as well as perspectives on local philanthropy and trends and issues that are affecting our community. And in each post, I will include some
Fast Facts about OCCF that you can feel free to dazzle your friends with at your next cocktail party.
Let me start be sharing some exciting news about our work in 2008. The generosity of donors and community supporters made 2008 the most successful year in the history of Orange County Community Foundation. For the fiscal year ended June 30, 2008,
we awarded $20.3 million in grants to a wide range of local nonprofit organizations, and received a record-setting $36.2 million in contributions (putting us as #2 on the
Orange County Business Journal’s list of the Top 50 nonprofits in Orange County for the second year in a row).
As we emerge from one of OCCF’s best years, we are also preparing for a prolonged period of challenge for our community. It is clear that local nonprofits -- especially those serving people in greatest need -- are already being confronted with dramatically increasing needs coupled with diminished resources with which to meet them. Each month, we continue to receive dozens of calls from local nonprofits seeking our assistance for both current needs and strategizing their long-term viability. OCCF is planning a community-wide response to the economic crisis, which I’ll share on this blog next week, so stay tuned.
I challenge you to consider the increased role that you can play to
support our local community -- whether as a volunteer on a nonprofit board, a donor, or sharing your business expertise with nonprofits. If you are looking for ways to get involved, please email me at
shoss@oc-cf.org. We are always happy to help make meaningful connections between those who care and those working to make a difference.
While it was a challenging year for many and there are certainly more challenges to come, it is the generosity of the people of
Orange County that we celebrate and that gives us hope in 2009.
Shelley