Samueli Foundation Responds to Orange County Nonprofit Needs Assessment by Providing Unrestricted Philanthropic Support for Capital Projects and Hard-to-Fund Needs
CORONA DEL MAR— In an effort to support an even wider range of critical Orange County nonprofit needs, The Samueli Foundation today launched two new, open application funds totaling $10 million in 2025 funding. The newly created Breakaway and Build OC Funds are designed to address several of the findings that emerged from the recently released Orange County Nonprofit Needs Assessment (OCNNA), a novel research project commissioned by the Samueli Foundation, done in collaboration with the Orange County Community Foundation.
“The OCNNA provided an unvarnished, sobering window into the financial fragility of Orange County’s nonprofit sector,” said Lindsey Spindle, president of the Samueli Family Philanthropies. “Facing onerous application processes to access funds and heavy restrictions over the use of them, nonprofit leaders are often faced with impossible choices that leave their organizations weaker. These vulnerabilities ultimately threaten to compromise the nonprofit sector’s ability to meet rising community demands for their services. We felt compelled to do something in response to what we learned from the OCNNA, and are thrilled to open these new, easy-to-access funding opportunities.”
As of May 1, 2025, nonprofits serving Orange County are invited to apply for the following opportunities:
- Hard-to-Fund Needs: The Breakaway Fund is a $5 million grantmaking initiative designed to invest in critical yet traditionally underfunded areas. This fund provides flexible, accessible funding for Orange County-serving 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. Grant awards will range from $50,000-$100,000.
- Capital Funding: A $5 million Build OC Fund to support Orange County-based nonprofits’ capital projects, consisting of individual grants up to $1 million.
The Samueli Foundation also announced a separate $5 million, five-year investment in the Leading for Impact (LFI) and Leadership Accelerator program run by the globally renowned Bridgespan Group, 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. The form to express interest in participation in the Leading for Impact (LFI) and Leadership Accelerator program is also now open.
“Orange County’s non-profit organizations engage in some of our community’s most challenging work, such as supporting foster youth, combating local antisemitism, creating effective STEM learning environments, or preventing homelessness,” said Lindsey Spindle, president of the Samueli Family Philanthropies. “We hope these new funds help nonprofit leaders nurture local talent and modernize their operations, thereby giving them an even stronger basis from which they can provide mission-critical services to our community.”
How to Apply
Applications for the two funds, accessible via the Samueli Foundation website, were intentionally designed to be simple and straightforward. The Breakaway Fund application takes less than 20 minutes to complete and asks nonprofits to briefly explain how the grant would support their mission and strengthen their work.
Similarly, the Build OC Fund application focuses on understanding nonprofits’ physical space constraints and the challenges those limitations create in expanding their services. The Samueli Foundation’s website includes multiple resources to help potential applicants, including a frequently asked questions guide, video tutorials on how to apply, and a PDF of the application so people can anticipate what questions will be asked in the online portal before they begin.
Nonprofits can apply using the online application forms via https://www.samueli.org/. There are separate forms for each funding opportunity:
- Nonprofits may submit up to two applications for the Breakaway Fund ($50,000-$100,000 each). The deadline for Breakaway Fund applications isFriday, June 13, 2025.
- Nonprofits may submit only one application for the Build OC Fund (up to $1,000,000). The deadline for Build OC Fund applications is Friday, June 27, 2025.
Grant recipients will be announced by October 2025 and will receive grant payment before December 31, 2025.
Further, nonprofits may complete the LFI and Leadership Accelerator program interest form by visiting https://www.samueli.org/ to receive additional details regarding participation.
