African American communities throughout Orange County, Calif., will soon benefit from a series of grants awarded to local nonprofit organizations. Last week, the Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF) announced a new round of grants – totaling $132,500 from its African American Alliance Fund – awarded to 15 organizations serving Black communities in Orange County and surrounding areas, in honor of Juneteenth and the Fund’s first anniversary.
Founded on June 19, 2020, OCCF’s Tammy Tumbling, executive vice president and chief operating officer, created the Fund with a mission to raise awareness about systemic racism and support programs that advance African Americans within the region.
OCCF assembled a committee to review select proposals for funding based on the priority areas of education, health, human services, economic development, and civic engagement. The final grantees include UCI Black Thriving Initiative, Learning Rights Law Center, National College Resources Foundation, Arts and Learning Conservatory, CSUF Institute of Black Intellectual Innovation, The G.R.E.E.N Foundation, NAACP, Orange County Chapter, Positive Results Center, Council of African American Parents (CAAP), The Enlightened Mentor Project, ESP Education & Leadership Institute, Forgiving For Living, Inc., Forgotten Children Inc., Parenting For Liberation and CAP-OC.
“We are thrilled to award these 15 outstanding organizations with grants for their continued drive to advance the progress of Black communities in honor of Juneteenth,” said Orange County Community Foundation executive vice president and COO, Tammy Tumbling. “The African American Alliance Fund continues to see great success in its first year, and I cannot wait to see how businesses and the philanthropic community come together to support our diverse communities – and inspire others to do the same in the years to come.”
In 2020, Tumbling developed the Fund, seeding $25,000 of her own money. More than $50,000 was granted last year to support the immediate needs of critical community programs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021 it has now raised over $350,000 thanks to various individual donors, corporate and community partners.
In addition to granting, the African American Alliance Fund seeks to leverage the influence and reach of OCCF to uplift the visibility and voice of Orange County’s Black community. The Fund hopes to serve as a convener in the County, building on the relationships with grantees to create a coalition of Black-led and Black-serving organizations.
For more information about the African American Alliance Fund grantees, please visit https://www.oc-cf.org/african-american-alliance-fund-grantees/.
