2026 marks 20 years of Orange County Grantmakers bringing funders and partners together to strengthen our community and launching a new chapter focused on deeper collaboration, insight, and impact across Orange County.
For two decades, Orange County Grantmakers has brought together leaders, funders, and communities to advance equity and drive meaningful change across the region. OC Grantmakers is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
Orange County Grantmakers envisions a thriving Orange County community built on collaborative relationships among the philanthropic, nonprofit and public sectors.
Orange County Grantmakers empowers collaboration among philanthropy, nonprofits and the public sector to support a more equitable Orange County.
Timeline Events
OC Grantmakers’ 20th Anniversary
Orange County Grantmakers marks 20 years of advancing equity, strengthening partnerships, and supporting communities across the region. This milestone reflects two decades of collaboration, learning, and collective impact, bringing together funders, nonprofits, and leaders to drive meaningful change.
Equity Profile Update
Orange County Grantmakers released the 2025 Equity Profile, an updated version of the 2019 Equity Profile of Orange County developed in partnership with the USC Equity Research Institute. The report highlights key demographic shifts and equity indicators across the region, including race, income, education, housing, and health outcomes. It provides data-driven insights to help guide collective action toward reducing disparities and advancing racial and economic equity across Orange County.
Independent 501(c)(3) Status Achieved
Orange County Grantmakers became a fully independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, transitioning from fiscal sponsorship under Charitable Ventures. This milestone marked a significant step forward in strengthening the organization’s capacity, sustainability, and leadership in advancing equity across Orange County. Readmore
5-Year Strategic Planning Process
In 2021, OCG underwent its first formal strategic planning process, working with an outside consultant to develop a 5-year equity focused roadmap for the future
Beginning our Equity Journey
Kicking off the on-going equity journey, OCG released the OC Equity Profile, a comprehensive report identifying 10+ equity indicators to support a more equitable Orange County
A New Name and Structure
In 2018, OCFR brought on their executive administrator to serve as their first full-time executive director. Later that year the group officially rebranded, becoming Orange County Grantmakers
A Change in Support
In 2017 OCFR moved to Charitable Ventures for fiscal sponsorship.
First Opportunity for Pooled Funding
The Workforce Development Committee of OCFR was convened to collaboratively support a pilot program focused on workforce development issues in OC.
The first summit is held!
In response to overwhelming need from the nonprofit community, the OC Funders Roundtable hosted their first ever summit for nonprofit leaders. Conference content focused on how to manage and maintain nonprofits in hard times.
Initial Structures are Created
After three successful years of meetings, the members underwent a strategic planning process, determining a mission and vision for the organization and hiring a part-time Executive Administrator to support the group.
Formation of Initial OC Funders Roundtable
As the collaboration grew, members were ready to move beyond a peer networking group to become a formalized membership assocation. With the support of OneOC as our fiscal sponsor, the OC Funders Roundtable was born
Meeting of the Minds
A small group of Grantmakers met to discuss the idea of forming a local, peer-based funding collaborative to strengthen philanthropy as a whole in Orange County and leverage common resources.
5-Year Strategic Planning Process
Beginning our Equity Journey
A New Name and Structure
First Opportunity for Pooled Funding
The first summit is held!
Initial Structures are Created
Formation of Initial OC Funders Roundtable
Meeting of the Minds
2006-2007
In 2006 a small group of Grantmakers including the Pacific Life Foundation, Orange County Children and Families Commission, Orange County Community Foundation, Irvine Health Foundation and Change a Life Foundation met to discuss the idea of forming a local, peer-based funding collaborative. In response to a study funded by the Weingart Foundation and conducted by the UCLA Center for Civil Society, which highlighted the difficulty the regional sector had in accessing philanthropic support, foundations came together looking for ways to strengthen philanthropy as a whole in Orange County and leverage common resources. Initial funding was provided by the Weingart Foundation. Orange County Community Foundation and Children and Families Commission.
2008
As the strength of the collaboration grew the members were ready to move beyond a simple peer networking group to a formalized membership association. It was determined that fiscal sponsorship was preferable to actual incorporation as a 501(c)3, and OneOC became the fiscal sponsor of the new organization – the Orange County Funders Roundtable.
Capacity Building pilot program
With the 2008 recession hitting many Orange County non-profits hard, OCFR members adopted an initiative focusing on building capacity for several nonprofits identified as critical to the health of the regional social sector. This targeted effort for nine critical nonprofits in Orange County allowed seven participating funders to support identified nonprofits with strategic planning, staff expansion, and long-term operations planning. Executed over a three year period the funding program provided a clear assessment of each participating agency as well as recommendations for implementation of the resultant project.
Homeless Committee
In May 2008 the OC Funders Roundtable established a homeless committee to explore ways in which funders could work together to address the increase in homeless families with children in Orange County. The group began meeting regularly, focusing on data trends to understand the scope of the problem. Informing their work was the Orange County Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness.
Through available data and research the OCFR Homeless Committee recommended the OC Funders Roundtable focus on four main issues: Adequate emergency shelter resources, effective leadership on homeless issues, coordinated homeless prevention efforts and a robust homeless information system.
Recognizing the issue of homelessness must have broad ranging leadership, the Homeless Committee recommended the Roundtable be represented on the County’s Ten-Year Plan Governing Board, supporting the County’s efforts and insights and providing leadership.
2009
After three successful years the OC Funders Roundtable had grown substantially in size and agenda. A strategic planning process was launched in June of 2009 to support strategic direction. A mission for the group was established, as well as membership criteria, meeting structures, working groups, and a steering committee to make organization wide decisions. A formal position of Executive Administrator was created to support the growing membership.
2010
Launch of Annual Summit
In response to the continued impact of the recession on the non-profit industry the OC Funders Roundtable hosted its first ever Summit for nonprofit leaders on January 27, 2010. Hosted in one day, and planned for in the previous year by the members themselves, conference content for the non-profit attendees focused on how to manage and sustain their organizations in hard times. To learn more, visit the Summit Page.
2012
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CAPACITY BUILDING
In 2012 the Workforce Development Committee of the OCFR convened to collaboratively support a pilot program that focused on workforce development issues in Orange County, with specific attention to a lack of services and barriers to job placement for low-income residents. The committee sought programs whose objectives include job placements in the growing industries of healthcare and information technology. Funded projects were executed over the course of a year. To learn more, visit our OC Collaborations Page.
2013
ORANGE COUNTY VETERANS AND MILITARY FAMILIES COLLABORATIVE
In collaboration with individual service providers, OCFR members joined with other philanthropists around Orange County to identify how existing providers can work together to support armed forces and veterans in Orange County. Through surveys, dialogue and needs assessments the OC Veterans and Military Families Collaborative looked at how to fill current gaps in services for veterans where additional capacity building is needed.
To learn more about the continued work of the OC Veterans and Military Families Collaborative, visit http://ocvmfc.info/
2014-2016
The OC Funders Roundtable continued to expand and grow, increasing its membership to over 30 funders and supporting a wide variety of projects and impact areas. Through partners, the OCFR maintained a seat on the Orange County Commission to End Homelessness and hosted quarterly meetings throughout the year to learn about developing issues in the philanthropic space in Orange County. In addition to hosting regular training opportunities for members the Annual Summit continued every 18 months with an ever expanding audience.
2017-2018
The OC Funders Roundtable moved fiscal sponsorship to Charitable Ventures of Orange County.
In 2018 the Orange County Funders Roundtable brought their Executive Administrator on full time as their first official full-time Executive Director and sole staff member. In line with this greater formalization and expansion of the organization, the Steering Committee moved to a Board of Directors.
In August 2018, the OC Funders Roundtable officially rebranded, becoming Orange County Grantmakers in line with the other regional philanthropic supporting organizations in California and across the country.
