Samueli Family Philanthropies, the Corona del Mar-based foundation started by Newport Beach residents Henry and Susan Samueli, is on pace to give $185 million in grants in 2026.

That figure marks a tenfold increase from the $18.8 million the foundation was distributing annually when president Lindsey Spindle joined in 2022, the Orange County Business Journal reported. About 60% of this year's grants will go to Orange County organizations.

Spindle's work earned her recognition at the OCBJ's 32nd annual Women in Business Awards on Sept. 17.

Henry Samueli co-founded Broadcom. He and Susan Samueli also own the Anaheim Ducks. The couple has given more than $1 billion in charitable grants over 25 years through various entities, according to the foundation.

Open-call grants reach 235 nonprofits

One of Spindle's signature moves has been launching the foundation's first open-call grant programs. The Breakaway Fund and Build OC Fund, established in May 2025, grew out of a needs assessment the foundation commissioned to identify gaps in the nonprofit sector.

Breakaway grants are one-time unrestricted payments of $50,000 to $100,000 that cover operational needs such as technology, leadership development and outside expertise. Build OC grants are larger investments in the physical spaces where communities receive services.

The pace has been rapid. In nine months, the two funds awarded $32 million to 235 nonprofit organizations. The foundation announced its latest round in July, directing $15 million to 89 Orange County nonprofits. Local recipients included the American Academy of Pediatrics District IX Chapter IV in Newport Beach and two Laguna Beach organizations, Glennwood Housing Foundation and Sally's Fund.

"Our nonprofits show up for Orange County's most vulnerable, even when their own operations suffer from underinvestment," Spindle said in July when the grants were announced. "… Our open call funds exist to cover these necessities."

$24 million for six OC colleges

The foundation also expanded into community college funding for the first time. In November 2025, it announced a multi-year, $24 million investment in six Orange County colleges.

Of that total, $8.2 million went to Golden West College, Orange Coast College and Saddleback College for workforce development. Another $12 million over three years went to Fullerton College, Irvine Valley College, Orange Coast College and Cal State Fullerton to improve STEM graduation rates. A separate $4 million initiative links those four schools in a regional STEM collaboration.

STEM-related bachelor's degrees at Orange County colleges declined 5% from 2022 to 2023, with computer degrees falling 20%, according to the Orange County Business Council's Community Indicators report.

Residents and nonprofits interested in the Breakaway or Build OC funds can visit samueli.org for updates.