$15 million in new Samueli Foundation funding announced to address identified gaps in leadership development, capital projects and harder-to-fund essential needs
CORONA DEL MAR, Calif. — Samueli Foundation, in collaboration with the Orange County Community Foundation, has released the first-of-its-kind Orange County Nonprofit Needs Assessment Report to yield data that helps guide philanthropic giving to where it is most needed. This report, conducted in partnership with Charitable Ventures and the University of California, Irvine, is informed by novel research and the insights of 607 Orange County nonprofit leaders obtained through a comprehensive survey, 13 focus groups and a Town Hall. It identifies data defining both the strengths and organizational capacity needs of local nonprofits that, if bolstered and addressed, could support the long-term sustainability of critical social sector services in Orange County.
Soaring costs of living and financial instability are placing immense pressure on Orange County residents, increasing their reliance on the nonprofit sector for essential support. However, social sector organizations are struggling to keep pace with the rising demand due to persistent resource constraints and structural challenges. The Orange County Nonprofit Needs Assessment offers an internal perspective—capturing the realities nonprofits face firsthand—rather than an external analysis. By examining critical barriers such as an inability to pay living wages, professional development limitations, skills gaps and operational challenges, the report highlights the systemic factors preventing nonprofits from functioning at the level required to meet – and get ahead of – our communities’ growing needs.
“Intuition is not enough when you are investing upwards of $100 million a year. We need the most comprehensive data and evidence from which we can be astute, informed investors in community betterment. Thanks to the nonprofit leaders who engaged with the research team, this report provides an unvarnished look at the current needs of the nonprofit sector. It challenges our assumptions as a philanthropic funder. We intend to use the data-driven insights from this report to further transform our annual and longer-term giving – and we hope other philanthropists find the report useful in examining their giving practices,” said Lindsey Spindle, President, Samueli Family Philanthropies.
Key Findings from the Orange County Nonprofit Needs Assessment:
Recruit and Invest in Staff and Leadership
Nonprofits face severe staffing limitations, which directly impact their ability to achieve long-term impact. Many operate with starved teams, requiring employees to take on multiple roles. Nonprofits aren’t operating this way because it’s an efficient or strategic choice; they simply don’t have the resources to staff appropriately. They are overextended, often relying on underpaid, overburdened employees to meet increasing community needs. Additional points:
- 70%+ of respondents reported depending on staff to take on multiple roles
- Nearly half of respondents indicated not being able to pay competitive salaries for key staff
- 70% of nonprofits said costs are a challenge to finding external expertise, such as information technology, legal and risk support
Shore Up Infrastructure and Financial Sustainability
Many nonprofits report struggling with outdated infrastructure and financial instability; challenges related to accessibility and affordability of necessary technologies; availability of developmental resources and barriers to expansion. Additional points:
- Reliance on outdated relationship management tools limits their ability to scale services
- 19% reported that they have no cash reserves
- Over half said they do not have access to lines of credit or loans
Drive Collaboration Among Nonprofits
Collaboration can improve service delivery, increase efficiency and strengthen community impact. While many organizations see collaboration as a powerful tool, significant barriers prevent deeper, more sustained partnerships. Additional points:
- 86% of respondents agreed that collaboration enhances impact, yet significant structural and financial barriers limit deeper partnerships
- Effective collaboration requires leadership commitment, dedicated staff time and structured coordination, but many nonprofits struggle to secure such resources
- Opportunities for collaboration are limited due to competitive funding which leads to a “scarcity mindset”
Encourage Impactful Funding Approaches
The research findings highlight a tough reality—restrictive funding practices, such as short-term, project-specific grants, limit opportunities to build essential infrastructure and long-term planning. Additional points:
- 82% of nonprofits found accessing multi-year funding “very” to “moderately” difficult
- 67% of respondents strongly agreed that unrestricted funding would benefit staffing, while 58% strongly agreed it would support program stability
- 87% of nonprofits see value in funders facilitating networking opportunities
- 74% want more support for staff and leadership sustainability
“The data is clear: Restricted funding significantly limits nonprofit organizations’ ability to deliver on their missions over time,” said Shelley Hoss, Chief Executive Officer, Orange County Community Foundation. “Nonprofit leaders are the experts on where resources are best deployed in service of their missions. This report is a clear call for philanthropists and institutional funders to reevaluate our funding strategies, including a focus on multi-year grants and general operating support.”
Priorities to Advance Orange County’s Social Sector
Practical and tangible ideas emerging from the assessment that merit further exploration:
- Invest in nonprofits by addressing staffing challenges through funding competitive wages, professional development and leadership sustainability; strengthening operational capacity with improved systems, technology and infrastructure; and enhancing governance through targeted board development initiatives.
- Invest in Orange County’s social sector by advocating for best practices, such as funders offering flexible criteria and multi-year grants, thereby allowing space for strategic planning; supporting the advancement of sector-wide initiatives to help nonprofits expand their offerings across the region; incentivizing and creating opportunities for collaboration across organizations and within communities; and improving funding mechanisms that move away from and limit restrictive funding practices.
“Nonprofit leaders know exactly what they need to effect change. By listening to these experts, and lifting best practices, this assessment identified priorities to strengthen both individual and collective efforts in the Orange County social sector,” said Anne Olin, President and Chief Executive Officer, Charitable Ventures. “If we can target investment to these priorities, Orange County’s nonprofits will be stronger, more resilient and better positioned to serve the communities that depend on them.”
How Transformation Starts
To immediately address some of the findings emerging from this assessment, the Samueli Foundation is committing $15 million toward the following new initiatives:
- Leadership Development: A $5 million, five-year investment in the Leading for Impact (LFI) and Leadership Accelerator program, providing scholarship-supported access to strategic coaching, leadership development and peer-learning opportunities for 100 nonprofit executive teams. Through a mix of classroom workshops, team-led projects and executive coaching, LFI equips leaders with the skills and tools to strengthen their organizations, drive long-term sustainability and increase their community impact. Participating organizations contribute a portion of the program cost, ensuring shared investment in their growth and success.
- Capital Funding: A $5 million annual Build OC Fund to support nonprofit capital projects, consisting of grants up to $1 million; and
- Hard-to-Fund Needs: The Breakaway Fund is a $5 million annual grantmaking initiative designed to remove financial barriers for nonprofits seeking to invest in critical yet traditionally underfunded areas. This fund provides flexible, accessible funding for organizations to pilot new, innovative ideas, upgrade essential infrastructure and technology, strengthen leadership capacity and retain key staff. The Breakaway Fund is structured to be responsive, low-barrier, and inclusive, ensuring that both emerging and established nonprofits have the resources needed to scale their impact without the constraints of conventional funding models.
The Build OC Fund and Breakaway Fund will officially launch on May 1 via the Samueli Foundation website. The first cohort of LFI participants is already registered for work beginning in September. “Thanks to Henry and Susan’s response to our findings, this fresh, easy-to-access infusion of funding will allow nonprofits to more immediately address operational obstacles,” said Spindle. “We plan to learn from the launch of these new funds and potentially expand on them over time based on how the community responds to them.”
The Orange County Nonprofit Needs Assessment was a collaboration of Samueli Foundation, Orange County Community Foundation, Charitable Ventures and University of California, Irvine. For more information and to download the Orange County Nonprofit Needs Assessment Report, please visit https://www.samueli.org/our-philanthropic-approach/ocnonprofit-needs-assessment.
