OC Community Foundation to hold Giving Day on July 16

On Thursday, July 16, the Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF), based in Newport Beach, will host the third annual Empowering Possibilities, a Giving Day for OC neighbors with disabilities. This 24-hour online effort aims to raise $70,000 in critical funds for seven local organizations. 

“Our Collaborative Giving Days have successfully mobilized thousands of donors and raised millions of dollars for nonprofits and their work assisting the community,” said Shelley Hoss, president and CEO, OCCF. “In these challenging and uncertain times, we continue to be in awe of our community’s generosity and support of our most vulnerable residents.”

The seven organizations participating in the 2020 Empowering Possibilities Giving Day include Blind Children’s Learning Center of OC, Down Syndrome Association of OC, Family Support Network, Hope Center for the Arts, Project Independence, Special Olympics Southern California and Vocational Visions.

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All seven of these nonprofits were forced to cancel all in-person fundraising events and meetings in March, due to the ongoing COVID-19 health crisis. According to the latest information from the State of California, official health partners and local authorities, many closures will remain in effect through the summer.

In response, nonprofits have launched creative ways to serve their populations and stay engaged virtually at a time when people need it most. For example, Special Olympics Southern California (SOSC) launched the SOSC Healthy Lifestyle Challenge (HLC), which keeps athletes, coaches and fans active and engaged. The program started in April, and because of the continued risk that COVID-19 presents to the athletes, the summer season will continue with an enhanced version of HLC based on feedback from participants.

This Empowering Possibilities Giving Day is the latest of a series that, to date, has raised more than $10 million for Orange County nonprofits. OCCF first challenged Orange County residents to “give where their heart lives” during the inaugural iheartoc Giving Day in 2015, raising more than $1.8 million for 347 participating nonprofits in just 30 hours. In 2018, OCCF restructured iheartoc as an expanded opportunity for nonprofits to connect with one another in support of their shared missions.

To give online, go here. Additional collaborative Giving Days will be announced over the coming year. For more information, visit www.oc-cf.org/iheartoc.