Record Giving
The William, Jeff and Jennifer Gross Family Foundation donated nearly $23 million to 58 local and global nonprofits in 2022, the most donated in a single year by a Bill Gross foundation. Several organizations throughout the world were granted more than $1 million, including local organizations Children’s Health of Orange County (CHOC) Pediatric Mental Health Services, which received $2 million, and Orange County Teachers of the Year, which received $1 million. Additional grant recipients in Orange County include The Wooden Floor, Lestonnac Free Clinic, Anaheim Health Fair, American Family Housing, Laguna Beach Community Clinic, Laguna Beach Senior Center, Pacific Marine Mammal Center, Laguna Food Pantry, Laguna Beach Festival of Arts, Boys & Girls Club of Laguna Beach, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Orange County and Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Orange Coast.
“Many of these organizations are essential to providing relief to those in need, while also nourishing their souls in other ways,” said Bill Gross, co-founder, The William, Jeff & Jennifer Gross Family Foundation, and co-founder, Pimco. “Jennifer, Jeff and I are pleased to donate to organizations helping people during these extraordinarily challenging times.”
The William, Jeff & Jennifer Gross Family Foundation was founded by Pimco co-founder Gross alongside his children, Jeff Gross, a photographer, and Jennifer Gross, who is also co-founder of the Blue Chip Foundation.
OC’s Givers Honored
Orange County’s top philanthropists, business leaders and individuals were honored at the 37th Annual National Philanthropy Day Awards Luncheon on Nov. 17 at City National Grove of Anaheim.
The event was produced by the Orange County Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, National Philanthropy Day and attended by 800 guests.
The event raised more than $80,000, which will support the ethical advancement of philanthropy in the community.
Among the individuals and groups recognized were OC Association of Health Underwriters, which received the Outstanding Philanthropic Group Award; Mary Selz, founder, Thomas House Family Shelter, who received the Outstanding Founder award; Jacqueline Dupont-Carlson, founder and CEO, Dupont Residential Care Inc., who received the Outstanding Philanthropist award; Talonvest Capital, which received the Outstanding Small Business Award; Ware Malcomb, which received the Outstanding Midsize Business Award, and Pacific Premier Bank, which received the Outstanding Large Business/Corporation Award.
Sponsors included Union Bank, Apriem Advisors, PNC Bank, Community Action Partnership of Orange County CHOC Foundation, UCI Foundation, City of Hope, Banc of California, Hoag Hospital Foundation, The Illumination Foundation, Pacific Premier Bank, and Goodwill Orange County.
Building Nonprofit Leaders
Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County and Pacific Symphony were named as the 2022 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders awardees for their work in the Orange County community removing economic and healthcare barriers to advance opportunities.
The Neighborhood Builders program provides each organization with a $200,000 grant over two years; comprehensive leadership training for the executive director and an emerging leader on topics ranging from increasing financial sustainability, human capital management and strategic storytelling; joins a network of peer organizations across the U.S.; and supplies the opportunity to access capital. The invitation-only program is highly competitive, and organizations are selected by a committee comprised of community leaders and past Neighborhood Builders honorees.
Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County will use the grant to expand their sedation programs and reduce wait times for anesthesia services, especially for older children and young adults with special needs, a population that has a particularly difficult time with access to care, typically having to wait 12-18 months to receive dental services.
Pacific Symphony will use its grant to expand the Heartstrings program, which brings education and music therapy programs to more than 60 nonprofits and schools throughout Orange County.
Said John Forsyte, CEO and president, Pacific Symphony: “Our music education and therapy programs are touching thousands of lives, and this grant enables us to expand our reach, making an even bigger impact on underserved communities that can benefit from the healing power of music.”
Bits & Pieces
Meals on Wheels Orange County teamed up with Sock Harbor to bring some extra holiday cheer to Orange County seniors, with Sock Harbor donating more than 1,000 pairs of socks ($10,000 retail) to the older adults Meals on Wheels Orange County served during the December holidays. … During the month of December, Orange County’s Credit Union employees collected and donated more than 300 toys to CHOC’s Toy Store, where families whose children are in-patient could pick out a toy for their child to enjoy, with leftover toys delivered to other CHOC clinics throughout Orange County. … In December, Cox Communications sponsored its 15th annual special holiday shopping event for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Capistrano Valley, where students who earn points through the club’s Operation Holiday Homework used the “points” they had accumulated by participating in the program to “shop” for gifts for their family members of all ages, with more than 40 Cox employees on hand to assist the students while they shopped and provide gift wrapping services at checkout.
