Founded on June 19, 2020, by OCCF’s Executive Vice President & COO, Tammy Tumbling, the mission of the African American Alliance Fund is to raise awareness about systemic racism and support programs that advance Black residents within Orange County and surrounding communities.
The African American Alliance Fund is one of many tools to advance our work for racial justice and equity. It is the first of a lasting commitment to investing in the promise and potential of our diverse communities.
MEET OUR GRANTEES
In celebration of Juneteenth and in honor of the Fund’s one-year anniversary, we are thrilled to announce that a new round of grants totaling $132,500 has been awarded to organizations serving Black communities in Orange County and surrounding cities. A review committee was assembled to review select proposals for funding based on the priority areas of education, health, human services, economic development and civic engagement.
100 Black Men of OC (BMOC) – True to the 100 Black Men of OC’s motto, “Real Men, Giving Real Time”, their Passport to the Future program is designed to guide young African American male participants in developing a crystallized definition of adulthood, free of personal and media promoted distortions. It is specifically designed for young African-American males from 6th through 12th grade and offered tuition-free to assist the transition of these students from adolescent boys to confident young men ready to successfully take on the challenges of college, career and community.
Arts and Learning Conservatory – Gospel VOICES of OC will use arts education and a culminating performance to honor and perform artistic work created solely by Black artists. Students ages 12-21 will explore activism through artistic performance while developing artistic, performance, cross-cultural, and social-emotional skills.
Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc. – Founded in 1974, the Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc., (ABC) is a nonprofit organization with an international membership of over 2,000 health professionals, lay members of the community (Community Health Advocates), corporate members, and institutional members. The ABC is dedicated to promote the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease, including stroke, in Blacks and other minorities and to achieve health equity for all through the elimination of disparities.
Black Leaders of OC (BLOC) – BLOC is a grassroots organization started by a group of students from Garden Grove passionate about supporting and increasing the visibility of African American lives and culture in the community.
Bridge Builders Foundation – The Bridge Builders Foundation seeks to remove the barriers of race, poverty, ignorance, and despair through mentoring, educational support, health care awareness, and community uplift. Their goal is to maximize college graduation rates for African American males by giving students the financial resources to attend college, and providing individual mentorship, coaching, tutoring, and referral support to aid in their academic and professional success.
Cal State Fullerton Black Student Scholarship Fund – The Cal State Fullerton Black Student Scholarship Fund supports self-identified Black or African American Students at Cal State University Fullerton. The Fund provides scholarship awards to deserving students based on objective criteria through the support of a diverse array of donors, funders, and the broader community.
CAP-OC – With a goal of developing and implementing a diversity and inclusion lens that will strengthen their outreach, engagement and access to services, CAP OC is launching an organizational Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion training initiative.
Cayenne Wellness Center and Children’s Foundation – The Cayenne Wellness provides expert, unbiased and comprehensive care to individuals living with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) in Orange County.
CityBoyz Givebacks– CityBoyz’s Annual Givebacks, held on Christmas Eve, include donating an abundance of resources through food and clothing for this drive aimed at directly impacting the unhoused and underprivileged community of Los Angeles. CityBoyz Givebacks is comprised of seven, young black men who are driven to give back to the community that raised them.
Council of African American Parents (CAAP) – The CAAP/PALS Personal Academic Learning System, Leadership & Writing Academy is a 16-week academic, social and cultural experience designed to help scholars discover how they learn best on their own and in groups. Scholars will begin preparing as a leader in their school and community, through their assignments within PALS. The PALS philosophy and teaching strategies are described below. The CAAP/PALS Personal Academic Learning System, Leadership & Writing Academy is a 16-week academic, social and cultural experience designed to help scholars discover how they learn best on their own and in groups.
CSUF Institute of Black Intellectual Innovation – #Networked Creative Technology Collaborative, an educational and community-engagement program that connects Black, first-generation students, and underrepresented students of color in the humanities and arts to local businesses, corporate partners, and scholars of Digital Humanities and African American Studies. Together, they will create Black Enterprise Map OC, a public-facing digital project that maps Black-owned and Black-serving businesses and nonprofit organizations in Orange County.
ESP Education & Leadership Institute – BOSS has built a consistent track record of achievement in supporting African-American/BIPOC boys in making significant improvements in their academic performance, character development, life skills, and career aspirations. We have developed a stable, successful, evidence-based program and infrastructure that has positively affected the lives of thousands of boys.
Forgiving For Living, Inc./strong> <– To keep up with the demanding issues of today’s environment Forgiving for Living is establishing Ambassador Leadership Program. Youth Development Programs will help African American Girls achieve their best self through leadership training and promoting their involvement in community engagement.
Forgotten Children, Inc. – Forgotten Children provides outreach and assists victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation throughout the Orange County region
Innovos Robotics – Innovos Robotics is a competitive high school level robotics organization aimed to innovate the robotics competition environment. The organization’s FIRST ® Robotics Competition transforms student culture by creating a world where science and technology are celebrated and where young people dream of becoming science and technology leaders.
LA African American Womens’ Public Policy Institute (LAAAWPPI) – LAAAWPPI’s primary mission is to provide a pipeline for women to assume leadership roles at all levels of government and public affairs, including, as commissioners, elected officials, board members, community activists, corporate community, and external relations, and numerous other positions. LAAAWPPI provides an intensive 10-week leadership program to prepare women to be more engaged in the government and public policy process.
Learning Rights Law Center – The goal of the Racial Equity in Education Program is to secure equal special education services for African American families and to build self-advocacy skills among African American parents as they navigate the special education system.
Legacy Ladies, Inc. – From the School House to the White House Leadership Academy (SHWHLA) provides educational and leadership development workshops to Black/African American, female, high school students from low to moderate income communities in Los Angeles County.
NAACP, Orange County Chapter – Black Youth RISING (Resilience, Inspiration, Significance, Invaluable, Noteworthy and Gifted). NAACP proposes implementing a pioneering program that attends to the psychological needs of self-worth in African American elementary school children, grades 3rd and 4th. Through program activities, special attention will be paid to building the esteem of African American students, in an effort to build upon their skills to ensure persistence from elementary to high school and onward to higher education.
National College Resources Foundation – According to a recent article in The Hechinger Report on Higher Education, the portion of college graduates with degrees in science, math, and engineering who are Black is falling, even as demand for workers in those fields grows at a double rate of other occupations. In 2014, National College Resources Foundation created Students Think STEAM, an initiative to increase the number of Black students going into Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Agriculture, Aviation, Aerospace and Math.
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), UC Irvine Chapter – A student organization, the National Society of Black Engineers’ (NSBE) mission is to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community. The UCI chapter encourages their members to pursue a graduate degree by providing application support and mentoring from NSBE alumni.
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), CSU Fullerton Chapter – A student organization, the National Society of Black Engineers’ (NSBE) mission is to increase the number of culturally responsible black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally, and positively impact the community.
Nehemiah Project LA – Nehemiah’s Dream Chasers Housing Initiative provides housing opportunities for Transitional Age Youth exiting Foster Care to support their development, successes, and maturation into adulthood.
Orange County Heritage Council – The Orange County Black History Parade is the largest event in Orange County, that “enhances” cultural awareness and celebrates the contributions of African Americans. For over 40 years the OCBHP has successfully brought the community together to enjoy a day of family fun, live music, and delicious food to kick off Black History Month in Anaheim, CA.
OC Justice Initiative (OCJI) – The O.C. Justice Initiative is committed to ending racial injustice within the Orange County community, to challenge economic & legislative injustices, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in our society by instituting policy that leads to everlasting progress.
Parenting For Liberation – The Building on partnerships with California State University Fullerton (CSUF) and the Institute for Black Intellectual Innovation, Parenting for Liberation will: train students on Black liberated parenting theory; connect with CSUF mapping project to do targeted outreach to Black families in OC, and bring Black families together for explore changes that advance human and civil rights and promote racial equity, over time.
Positive Results Center – Healing Through Trauma is an art-based, culturally-specific and sensitive, trauma and healing informed series of workshops, trainings and peer support for youth, parents, educators, school personal, faith and community-based organization, non-profit, employers, law enforcement, government and youth-serving providers. We create, provide and conduct awareness and prevention education and healing strategies.
Segerstrom Center for the Art – Segerstrom’s 2023 Juneteenth Festival will celebrate Black creativity, artistry, and innovation. Centered on family and liberation, the third iteration of this event will unite Black musicians, DJs, dancers, choreographers, composers, poets, and Orange County’s Black community through performances, artmaking activities, and film screenings.
The Enlightened Mentor Project – TEM believes mentoring to be a positive enabler for African American youth and young adults, both as an intervention and prevention tool that helps them maximize their potential and achieve great life outcomes that uplift their family and the communities in which they live.
The G.R.E.E.N Foundation – TGF’s Community Health Advocates (CHA) Program equips and supports college interns and adult volunteers to serve as ambassadors on the frontlines working directly with constituents to improve health outcomes. Advocacy and health system navigation services are the primary focus of work for this project.
Thomas House Family Shelter – Thomas House Family Shelter strives to provide a safe, supportive environment and the resources necessary for homeless and at-risk families with children to remain together while empowering them to become independent and self-sufficient.
UCI Black Thriving Initiative – The Black Thriving Initiative – Student Startup Fund seeks to provide students engaged with the Black Thriving Initiative the training and opportunities they need to become successful entrepreneurs.
Whittier College – The Bayard Rustin Fellowship Program allows Whittier College to hire and retain African American recently graduated Ph.D. scholars as fellows for two years with the intent of moving them into tenure-track positions. In line with the diversification of the faculty, the program provides intensive training to departments to reform curricular content by creating courses that focus on the African American experience.
In addition to grant funding, the African American Alliance Fund seeks to leverage the influence and reach of the Orange County Community Foundation to uplift the visibility and voice of Orange County’s Black community. The Fund hopes to serve as a convener in Orange County, building on the relationships with grantees to create a coalition of Black-led and Black-serving organizations.
Learn More About the Fund
