Frequently Asked Questions

o   At the end of 2024, the Samueli Foundation commissioned a first-of-its-kind research initiative aimed at understanding the most pressing needs of nonprofits in Orange County. A key insight uncovered in the report was the extent to which nonprofits in Orange County struggle to access capital for unmet, hard-to-fund needs that are critical to the health of all nonprofits. In response to this insight, the Samueli Foundation launched three funds:

• Breakaway Fund : A breakaway is one of the most electrifying moments in hockey. It’s a turning point, the moment when a player or individual charges ahead, unimpeded, nothing but opportunity between them and the goal. With the Breakaway Fund, we’re bringing that same momentum of possibility to our local community. This fund provides unrestricted, easy-to-access capital that helps nonprofits get past the usual obstacles (e.g., onerous applications, restrictive funding streams), for essential operations including costs related to people, expertise, and core infrastructure. Applicants can request funds between $50k - $100k.

• Build OC Fund: According to our Orange County Nonprofit Needs Assessment, many Orange County nonprofits 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. This fund provides capital to purchase, develop or improve physical assets with the goal of shifting nonprofit mindsets from a ‘cycle of survival’ to ‘dreaming big.’ Applicants can request funds up to $1M.

• OC+ Fund: The Needs assessment also identified that while many organizations see collaboration as a powerful tool, significant barriers prevent deeper, more sustained partnership. Expanding on the Foundation’s first two funds launched in 2025, the OC+ Fund was announced in February 2026. This fund will support implementation-ready collaboration projects that strengthen our Orange County social sector and better serve our communities. Applicants can request funds up to $500K for their project.

The Breakaway Fund provides unrestricted, easy-to-access capital that helps you and your team barrel past the usual obstacles, giving you the best possible advantage for achieving your goals. Grants of $50,000 to $100,000 can be used for projects that strengthen your organization’s capacity in one of the following categories:

• Talent and Leadership: Every professional hockey team invests in coaches, trainers, nutritionists and other people who help their players thrive. Why should nonprofit organizations go without the same types of support? We will consider requests that cover investments in human capital to improve employee recruitment, professional development, organizational culture, and retention other than personnel salaries. Examples include:

  • Professional development (e.g., executive coaching, training, conferences)

  • Organization culture-building efforts (e.g., team retreats, feedback tools)

  • Employee benefits or perks (e.g., wellness stipends, staff meals)

• Systems and “Stuff”: Hockey players rely on having abundant equipment including skates, sticks, pads, helmets, and mouth guards. Their coaches use sophisticated technology to assess game play and plan team logistics. Nonprofits also need to purchase new equipment to support their missions. We will consider requests that cover capital expenses or physical assets that improve your organization’s ability to deliver its mission through investments in the tools and infrastructure you need to operate effectively. Examples include:

  • Technology upgrades (e.g., new laptops, CRM or financial software, WiFi upgrades)

  • Facility improvements (e.g., painting, lighting upgrades, security systems)

  • Furniture or equipment (e.g., filing systems, HVAC systems, AV gear)

• Expertise: Behind every great team are experts that help with complex legal issues, human resources, financial planning, and other work that requires specific contracted expertise. We will consider requests that cover third party technical assistance to augment your current team with the right experts at the right time. Examples include:

  • Legal assistance (e.g., revising bylaws, contract review)

  • Accounting or finance support (e.g., audit prep, forecasting help)

  • HR consultants (e.g., crafting new policies, compensation benchmarking)

Through the Build OC Fund, grants of up to $1,000,000 can be used for capital projects that improve or expand your physical space. For example, the Build OC Fund will support:

• 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., to 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)

Through the OC+ Fund, grants of up to $500K can be used for implementation-ready collaboration projects across three categories:

• Collaborative Program Delivery: Collaborative program delivery is when two or more organizations jointly deliver and/or collaborate on programs or services for the Orange County community. We will consider requests in which partners have a clear programmatic impact goal and partnership structure defined and need the resources to execute program implementation.

  • Examples include:

    • Multiple nonprofits jointly delivering a program

    • Consolidating and/or aligning delivery of similar programs

• Shared Service Agreements: In shared service arrangements, organizations combine select administrative or programmatic functions to increase efficiency, reduce duplication, and strengthen organizational capacity without fully integrating. We will consider requests to fund shared staff, office spaces, expertise, and other administrative functions such as technology.

  • Examples include:

    • Shared contracts for staff/expertise (e.g., fractional staff, retainers, contracted expertise, loaned executives)

    • Fees related to fiscal sponsorship services

• Integrated Organizations: Integrated organizational collaborations involve deeper structural or operational alignment, often through formal legal or financial arrangements. We will consider requests to structure and implement formal integrated organizations.

  • Examples include:

    • Merging of two organizations into one organization

    • Establishing a new joint venture

The following are examples of expenses that are generally not eligible:

• Political or lobbying activities

• Fundraising campaigns or events

• Projects not serving Orange County communities

• Capital projects without confirmed or pending site control

• Early-stage capital projects (Build OC Fund prefers shovel-ready or near-completion projects)

• “Planning” projects for collaboration (OC+ Fund will only fund implementation-ready projects at this time)

• Breakaway Fund: $50,000 to $100,000 per grant.

• Build OC Fund: Up to $1,000,000 per grant. Final amounts will depend on the scale, scope, and readiness of the project.

• OC+ Fund: Up to $500,000 per project. Final amounts will depend on the scale, scope, and readiness of the project. Grant awards can be made as a single payment to the lead applicant or as separate payments to each participating organization.

The Breakaway, Build OC, and OC+ Funds provide unrestricted support for eligible projects, which means you do not need to separate out or justify indirect costs in your application. We do not have a formal indirect cost rate or cap, and organizations may allocate the funds in a way that best supports their proposed work, as long as the use aligns with the individual fund’s intent.

Build OC Fund: 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. As a new initiative, the Samueli Foundation anticipates adjusting criteria as we learn more about capital project needs of our community partners.

OC+ Fund: All projects must be focused on implementation and the project should begin implementation within one year of application submission. We know that planning is an important part of the collaboration process and will consider funding for planning in the future. In the first year of the OC+ Fund, we are prioritizing Orange County collaborations that are already established and ready to begin implementation and/or continue implementation.

Decisions will be made by the Samueli Foundation leadership team and Board of Directors.

The Samueli Foundation uses the grants management system, GivingData, for grants requests, post award management, and fiscal verification for electronic payments, etc. If awarded, grant payments will be made in a one-time cash payment via electronic processing before December 31, 2026.

• For the OC+ Fund, grant awards can be made as a single one-time payment to the lead applicant or as separate one-time payments to each participating organization. Each organization identified in the application to receive a payment must be able to receive charitable dollars.

We are interested in partnering with you in the spirit of learning. While detailed reporting is not anticipated, the Samueli Foundation will request a short reflection on lessons learned and impact achieved. Grantees may also be asked to participate in brief learning conversations.