Our History

Founder Judith Swayne

Since 1989, the Orange County Community Foundation has helped to steward the dreams and legacies of Orange County’s generous citizens. OCCF works with individuals, families and business leaders to match their charitable interests with the needs of our community and the causes closest to their hearts.

Our Founder
Judith Swayne’s vision and unwavering passion for philanthropy were the spark that brought the Orange County Community Foundation to life. After conducting a feasibility study and garnering the support of distinguished business and community leaders, Judy’s dream was realized when OCCF was incorporated in 1989. By the time she retired in 2000, OCCF was recognized as one of the fastest growing community foundations in the nation. Judy’s legacy will live on forever in the heart of the Orange County Community Foundation.

About Community Foundations
The Orange County Community Foundation ranks among the top 5 percent among more than 750 U.S. community foundations. We also rank in the top 7 percent for grants awarded and the top 12 percent in total assets.

The community foundation model has been adopted by more than 750 communities throughout the U.S. Community foundations are charitable organizations created through gifts from caring and generous people who care about a particular geographic area. Anyone can contribute any amount of money to a community foundation. These gifts are invested for growth and generate investment income, which is used to fund grants to charitable organizations. Community foundations are permanent institutions, so gifts will continue to grow and provide enduring resources to meet community needs for future generations.

Our 20-year Journey: 1989-2009 Timeline