Compiled by Roberta Boginis
BJ’S DONATES TO CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION
Huntington Beach-based BJ’s Restaurants Inc. gave $250,000 to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation through the company’s 2005 Cookies for Kids program. Part of sales of BJ’s Pizookie dessert was given to the foundation.
FOUNDATION GIVES $15M TO HISTORIC SITE
The Harry and Grace Steele Foundation in Newport Beach said it is giving $15 million for the preservation and maintenance of the historic 29.4-acre Headlands promontory site in Dana Point.
HUNSAKER HEADING HOMEAID BOARD
Richard Hunsaker, retired founder of Irvine’s Hunsaker & Associates Inc., was named board president for HomeAid Orange County, the charitable arm of the Building Industry Association. He has served on the association’s board for more than 25 years.
SAMUELI FOUNDATION DONATES $25,000
Mission Viejo-based Vocational Visions was given a $25,000 grant from the Samueli Foundation and a $5,000 grant from the Wynn Foundation. Vocational Visions provides life skills and vocation training for adults with disabilities. The Samueli Foundation was founded by Broadcom Corp.’s Henry and wife Susan Samueli in 1999.
UNIVERSITY RECEIVES GIFTS, PLEDGES
Concordia University received $12.1 million in gifts and pledges for its 2005 fiscal year. It represents the most money the university has received since it was started 30 years ago.
CHAPMAN RAISES STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS
More than $1.3 million for student scholarships was raised at Chapman University’s annual stage revue, “American Celebration.”
About 200 nonprofit groups that serve Orange County were given grants ranging from $2,000 to $133,000 at the Pacific Life Foundation’s annual reception. The foundation awarded more than $3 million at the event and said it would give $3.6 million for 2006.
The 14th Annual Komen Orange County Race for the Cure raised $1.8 million. The 12,542 members of the Komen team raised $890,854. The top fund-raising team was Heart of Experian, the community involvement program for Costa Mesa’s Experian Group. It had $77,434 in pledges.
The Orange County Performing Arts Center’s Candlelight Concert and Candlelight Encore events raised $1.5 million for the center’s annual fund. In addition, the center’s Sixth Annual Firebird Dinner noted 41 donors who made annual gifts of $25,000 or more to the center for 2005.
The Alzheimer’s Association Orange County chapter was named the primary beneficiary and recipient of $1 million from the estate of Helen Hnatow.
The Orange County affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation named 17 breast health groups as recipients of $748,000 in grant money, the largest amount in the history of the group. The total is a $19,000 increase compared to last year’s.
Sixteen Orange County nonprofits were awarded more than $420,000 in grants from Blue Shield of California Foundation.
Associates of Ameriquest Mortgage Co. and its affiliate, AMC Mortgage Services, raised more than $216,000 for the companies’ Soaring Dreams Healthy Communities Fund. The money supports 25 charities selected by the associates.
The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce named 29 local charities as recipients of grants from its Taste of Newport Grant Program. The program raised $155,000 in total.
Art & Creativity for Healing raised $12,000 at its fourth annual Ladies Night Out.
Irvine-based Dana Capital Group worked with the Santa Ana Post Office on Letters to Santa during the holidays. Dana Capital employees adopted letters written to Santa and sent presents and household items to the kids who wrote them.
