Colleen Barney joins Orange County Community Foundation

Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF), based in Newport Beach, has announced Colleen Barney as its new director of philanthropic partnerships. Barney’s hire reflects OCCF’s commitment to building its capacity to serve the Orange County community and achieving a bold goal to reach $1 billion in cumulative granting by 2024. 

Barney brings to OCCF nearly 30 years of experience as a leading estate tax attorney in Orange County. In her new role, she will be responsible for directing the development and execution of OCCF’s philanthropic partnerships, utilizing her relationship skills to develop relationships between the professional adviser community and OCCF. Before joining OCCF, she was one of the founding principals at Albrecht & Barney Law Corporation, a boutique estate tax planning firm in Irvine, and spent her last 15 years as the firm’s managing partner.

Throughout her legal career, Barney cultivated relationships with clients, advisers and the local community. She is a certified specialist in estate planning, trust and probate law as certified by the State Bar of California, as well as the co-author of the book, Best Intentions: Ensuring Your Estate Plan Delivers Both Wealth and Wisdom.

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Courtesy of OCCF

Colleen Barney

“I am excited to support OCCF’s mission and goals by building and engaging new partnerships within the philanthropic space,” said Barney. “OCCF, by offering a diverse array of tools to support both lifetime and legacy giving, is clearly an unparalleled resource for local philanthropists and their families.  I hope to be able to share those resources with our professional adviser partners and further advance philanthropic giving in the community.”

Barney has devoted a large portion of her free time serving in various capacities at several Orange County-based philanthropic entities, including Human Options, Children’s Health of Orange County (CHOC) and the Newport Harbor Educational Foundation, as well as on the national level at USA Track and Field. She earned her bachelor of science degree in history and philosophy from Central Michigan University, her Juris Doctorate from the University of Michigan School of Law, and her Master of Laws degree in Taxation from the University of San Diego School of Law.

“Ranking in the top 2% in grantmaking and the top 10% in asset size among more than 780 U.S. community foundations, we are on a trajectory of unmatched growth thanks to our exemplary leadership team,” said Tammy Tumbling, OCCF’s executive vice president and COO. “Colleen’s legal expertise and relationship-building skills are well-known throughout Orange County, and she is a great addition to the team who will amplify OCCF’s impact with the philanthropists and nonprofit partners we serve.”

To learn more about the Orange County Community Foundation, visit www.oc-cf.org.