Build OC Fund

According to our Orange County Nonprofit Needs Assessment, many Orange County nonprofit organizations are struggling with inadequate or unaffordable physical space. High rental costs, lack of long-term leases, and limited access to funding for facility improvements prevent organizations from expanding services, retaining staff, and providing welcoming, functional environments for their communities. The Build OC Fund supports:

• Equipment (i.e., major equipment as part of a larger capital project)

• Renovation (i.e., to significantly revamp an existing facility or outdoor space or to maintain or repair existing historic structures)

• Repair (i.e., for maintenance or repair of a facility or outdoor space)

• Last mile funding for new construction (i.e., less than 10% of total costs remain for a new building or an addition to an existing building)

Organizations may apply for one-time capital grants up to $1,000,000 for projects located in Orange County, California for which they have site control or are in the process of securing site control (e.g., ownership of the property, option to purchase, long-term lease of at least 7 years). The project should be completed or reach a meaningful milestone within one year of receiving funding. Organizations may submit applications for up to one capital project for the Build OC Fund. Grant awards will be made as a single payment before December 31, 2026.

The Samueli Foundation will be looking at the following criteria:

• Organization: The organization helps to advance well-being and opportunity for all individuals and families living in Orange County

• Project: The proposed activities are realistic and feasible and will enable the organization to better deliver its mission

• Funding: The request represents the “right resources” for the project (i.e., would allow the organization to cover 100% of the project’s costs)

It is unlikely we will prioritize capital projects that are in early stages of development. We know that most costs for capital projects will exceed our grant awards, so we will prioritize capital projects that are nearing a final phase or need our grant award to complete their projects.

Please note: These funds are highly competitive, and we anticipate receiving a large number of strong proposals. In the previous cycle, the number of qualified applications exceeded the resources available, meaning many worthy projects could not be funded. In many cases, this was not due to shortcomings in an application, but simply the result of reviewers having to make difficult choices among many strong opportunities.

We have created a few key resources that will help you through the application process:

• Frequently Asked Questions: Specifically designed to cover important information related to the Breakaway, Build OC and OC+ Funds, their application processes and more.

• Copy of Application Questions: A copy of the application questions for you to review. We encourage you to gather all your information prior to starting your application after reviewing the questions. All applications must be submitted online through the Samueli Foundation Grantee Portal.

• Step by Step Guides for the Samueli Foundation Portal and Application Process: We have created guides that walk you through a few components of the Samueli Foundation portal and application process:

  • Setting up an account / creating a login in the Samueli Foundation portal

  • Entering your organization name in the portal

  • Applying as as a fiscally sponsored program