Orange nonprofits will receive about $15 million in the Samueli Foundation’s second round of Breakaway and Build OC funding, the foundation announced Thursday, directing money toward routine but essential needs that local agencies say are difficult to fund.
What changes for residents
Most grants will pay for tangible items and repairs that keep programs running: a new roof for a meal-delivery kitchen in Anaheim, a 24-seat school bus, and outrigger canoes for veterans coping with post-traumatic stress, among other things. Foundation officials say these investments are intended to fill “hardest-to-meet, unmet needs” that smaller nonprofits cannot typically cover through conventional fundraising.
The foundation, supported by Henry and Susan Samueli, said the two programs — Breakaway Fund and Build OC Fund — will distribute roughly $15 million to 89 nonprofits. The Samueli family expects to give away about $180 million in Orange County this year, and foundation leaders framed these programs as a way to make modest amounts of money have outsized operational impact.
- Funding total: about $15 million across two programs.
- Number of nonprofits: 89 awarded in this round.
- Examples of funded items: $225,000 roof for Meals on Wheels Anaheim, a 24-seat school bus, and outrigger canoes for veteran programs.
Local impact and agency response
The foundation cited the example of a $225,000 roof that will allow Meals on Wheels in Anaheim to continue preparing and distributing what the foundation estimates will be about 1 million meals a year to seniors and other homebound residents reliant on nutrition assistance.
“For these people, this is truly their life’s work. So, even though the money isn’t necessarily huge, this is, literally, their dreams coming true,” said Lindsey Spindle, president of the Samueli Family Philanthropies. “There’s been some weeping.”
Spindle said when foundation officials called to notify grant recipients, conversations frequently turned emotional because the grants addressed operational gaps that many agencies otherwise struggle to fund.
Program growth and context
This distribution follows an earlier round announced last September, when the Samueli family used the same funds to allocate about $11 million to 138 nonprofits. Foundation leaders said the increasing scale and interest from other organizations indicate the model is gaining traction in Orange County.
While the Breakaway and Build OC grants represent a fraction of the Samueli family’s total planned giving for the year, foundation officials and local leaders highlighted the strategy’s intent: give nonprofits direct support for practical, often unglamorous needs that can determine whether a program continues operating.
| Program | Amount (approx.) | Recipients (this round) | Sample uses |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakaway Fund / Build OC Fund | $15 million | 89 nonprofits | Roofs, buses, program equipment, veteran recreation |
| Previous round (Sept.) | $11 million | 138 nonprofits | Various operational needs |
For Orange residents who rely on nonprofit services — seniors receiving home-delivered meals, families using community transportation, veterans participating in therapeutic programs — the grants are intended to preserve and expand day-to-day services rather than launch new initiatives. Foundation leaders framed that focus as deliberate: small, targeted investments in infrastructure or equipment can enable organizations to continue serving vulnerable populations.
Local nonprofits and municipal partners will now move to deploy the funds toward the identified needs. Foundation officials said they expect the approach to continue growing as more organizations note the model’s practical advantages for sustaining services.
