Press Releases

ORANGE COUNTY GRANTMAKERS BECOMES AFULLY INDEPENDENT 501(C)3 ORGANIZATION

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Charitable Ventures previously served as the fiscal sponsor of the nonprofit NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (Aug. 1, 2024) – Orange County Grantmakers (OCG), a convening organization that advances equity by creating strategic alignment among regional foundations and nonprofits, is thrilled to announce it has become an independent organization effective Aug. 1,2024. Prior to obtaining its 501(c)3 […]

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Palumbo: The OC Intersection of Movements for the Rights of Migrants, Trans, and Queer People

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Credit: Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement Though you wouldn’t know it from the portrayal of Orange County in media and pop culture, our region is an epicenter in the national movement for migrant rights, with leadership from undocumented queer and trans youth whose public actions and civil disobedience ultimately led to executive actions like Deferred

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Cox Partners With OC Grantmakers to Present ‘Voices from the AANHPI Community in Orange County’ Video Series

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News Release                                   Media Contact: Charla Batey (949) 354-1787 [email protected] Cox Partners With OC Grantmakers to Present ‘Voices from the AANHPI Community in Orange County’ Video Series Series spotlights rich legacy of Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities in Orange County in time for AAPI Heritage Month in May 2022 ORANGE COUNTY  – April

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ORANGE COUNTY GRANTMAKERS (OCG) INVITES COMMUNITY TO EQUITY STRATEGIC PLAN LAUNCH

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ORANGE COUNTY, CALIF. (March 8, 2022)— Orange County Grantmakers, the regional philanthropic serving organization for Orange County, is thrilled to announce the launch of a new, equity focused strategic plan. OCG commits to advancing equity through its various spheres of influence, envisioning an Orange County where philanthropists and nonprofits work together as partners to achieve

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Orange County Grantmakers (OCG) Unveils 2021 Agenda for Effective Philanthropy

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OCG announces 2021 public policy statement and priorities ORANGE COUNTY, CALIF. (May 13, 2021)— Orange County Grantmakers is pleased to announce an unwavering commitment to public policies and initiatives that lead Orange County to a more equitable future. Through a focus on four key issue areas: health, housing & homelessness, immigration and education & workforce

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Open Letter to Orange County: A Reminder for Unity & Collective Response

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Orange County Grantmakers (OCG) and its members join with the National Asian American Community Foundation (NAACF) and Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF) in a call for unity and solidarity in response to the continued increase of xenophobic attacks and heightened discrimination faced by the Asian American community in Orange County during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

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Orange County Grantmakers (OCG) Continues Commitment to Driving Equity in the Region

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OCG announces new board of directors and unveils 2021 priorities ORANGE COUNTY, CALIF. (February 8, 2021)—In 2019, the Orange County Grantmakers, a funder collaborative, embarked on driving positive change by addressing equity in the region. With support from the St. Joseph Health Community Partnership Fund and other funders, OCG released the Orange County Equity Report.

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How do we build a compassionate and inclusive America in an age of distrust? WAJAHAT ALI knows from personal experience that when we come together to be the superheroes of our own stories, we can create honest social change. The beloved TED speaker has written for the New York Times, the Washington Post, and The Atlantic about our urgent issues—immigration, politics, parenthood—with boldness, hope, and humor. His memoir Go Back to Where You Came From, one of Amazon’s Best Books of the Year, follows his life as a Muslim Pakistani-American on a surprising, emotional, and challenging quest for the good life. Iconic journalist Katie Couric says that “we are all so fortunate to be on the receiving end of his intellect, his humanity, and his heart.”

Wajahat Ali

“With wit and charm, Ali delivers a masterful meditation on growing up brown in America...he gives us a clear-eyed affirmation of the country America could be.” — Mara Gay, New York Times

Mara Gay, New York Times

Wajahat Ali uses his platform to fight tirelessly for the social change we need in our country—and he isn’t afraid to get personal while doing it. The Daily Beast columnist and former New York Times writer, TED speaker, award-winning playwright, and Peabody-nominated producer of the documentary series The Secret Life of Muslims offers us his experiences of triumph over hardship as a beacon of hope and resilience in the face of life’s impossible situations. From his experiences of Islamophobia growing up as a Muslim Pakistani-American to his two-year-old daughter’s liver cancer diagnosis, Wajahat is living proof that when we share our authentic stories, we build the America we wish to live in.”

In his memoir Go Back to Where You Came From: And Other Helpful Recommendations on How to Become American, Wajahat teaches us how to create our own superhero origin story, invest in hope for the future of America, and enact real social change. The book was called “biting and funny and full of heart” by NPR. Representative Ilhan Omar called Wajahat’s work “hilarious” and “deeply moving”, and legendary writer Dave Eggers said it was the book he’d “been hoping Wajahat Ali would write for ten years—hilarious, stylistically fearless, deeply humane.”

Wajahat is also the author of The Domestic Crusaders—the first major play about Muslim-Americans in a post-9/11 world. He was the lead researcher and author for the Center for American Progress’s seminal report “Fear Inc., Roots of the Islamophobia Network in America,” and served as a national correspondent for Al Jazeera America, where he told stories about communities and individuals often marginalized or under-reported in mainstream media.

As Creative Director of Affinis Wajahat Labs, he worked to create social entrepreneurship initiatives to support and uplift marginalized communities. He also worked with the US State Department to design and implement the “Generation Change” leadership program to empower young social entrepreneurs. Wajahat initiated chapters in eight countries, including Pakistan and Singapore. For his work, he was honored as a “Generation Change Leader” by Sec. of State Clinton and recognized as an “Emerging Muslim American Artist” by the Muslim Public Affairs Council. 

He has given keynote speeches around the world such as TED, The Aspen Ideas Festival, Google, the United Nations, and The New Yorker Festival. His writing appears regularly in the New York Times, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and The Guardian. He’s a Senior Fellow at The Western States Center and Auburn Seminary and co-host of Al Jazeera’s The Stream.