What Samueli Foundation does

Samueli Foundation is a private foundation established in 1988 by Henry Samueli (co-founder of Broadcom) and Susan Samueli, headquartered in Corona Del Mar, California. The foundation's mission is to make Orange County a thriving mosaic of community well-being, and it operates exclusively within Orange County, California, with international applicants explicitly ineligible. Its core offerings consist of three open-application grant programs serving tax-exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofits: the Breakaway Fund (unrestricted operational grants of $50K-$100K), the Build OC Fund (capital grants up to $1M for physical assets), and the OC+ Fund (collaboration grants up to $500K). Beyond grantmaking, the foundation operates the Leading for Impact and Leadership Accelerator in partnership with The Bridgespan Group, providing scholarship-supported executive coaching and leadership development for nonprofit teams. The foundation also piloted an AI-powered platform to match external donors with unfunded nonprofit proposals.

The foundation operates a community-led, trust-based philanthropy model with a 20-minute low-barrier application process and 3-month grant decision turnaround. Distribution occurs through a self-serve Grantee Portal on samueli.org, supported by GivingData grants management software for post-award administration and electronic payments. Marketing channels include the foundation's website, earned media (Orange County Business Journal coverage), the Anaheim Ducks "Leading the Flock" podcast featuring foundation leadership, and community events including Needs Assessment Town Halls. The foundation's revenue model is philanthropic grantmaking rather than commercial sales; capital is sourced from the Samueli family's $20B+ wealth base and Broadcom-derived assets. Core grantmaking exceeded $130M in 2025 and is projected to reach $180M in 2026, with cumulative family contributions exceeding $1B over 25+ years. The 11-50 employee base distributes capital at a very high ratio to headcount, reflecting an asset-distribution entity rather than a service business.

Name

Samueli Foundation

Legal name

Samueli Foundation

Website

https://www.samueli.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Samueli Foundation is a private California foundation funding Orange County nonprofits through the Breakaway Fund (unrestricted grants $50K-$100K), Build OC Fund (capital grants up to $1M), OC+ Fund (collaboration grants up to $500K), and Bridgespan-led leadership programs, with $130M+ in annual grantmaking.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Philanthropic Foundation / Grantmaking Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

Keywords

• Philanthropic grantmaking
• Nonprofit funding
• Private foundation grants
• Charitable giving
• Community philanthropy

Headquarters

HQ city

Corona Del Mar

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grantmaking: Samueli Foundation operates as a private foundation making grants to nonprofits. Core grantmaking exceeded $130 million in 2025 and is projected to reach $180 million in 2026. Over the last 25 years, the Samueli Family through its various entities has contributed over $1 billion in charitable grants.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Samueli Foundation is a private foundation established in 1988 by Henry and Susan Samueli that makes charitable grants to nonprofit organizations serving Orange County, California. Its core offerings are grant programs (Breakaway Fund for unrestricted operations, Build OC Fund for capital projects, and OC+ Fund for collaborative projects) along with leadership development programs delivered in partnership with The Bridgespan Group. Core grantmaking exceeded $130 million in 2025 and is projected to reach $180 million in 2026.

Product overview

Samueli Foundation is a philanthropic organization rather than a technology product company. Its offerings consist of grant programs and initiatives aimed at strengthening Orange County's nonprofit sector. The core programs include the Breakaway Fund (unrestricted operational grants of $50K-$100K), Build OC Fund (capital grants up to $1M for physical assets), and OC+ Fund (collaboration grants up to $500K). Supporting initiatives include the Leading for Impact and Leadership Accelerator program in partnership with Bridgespan, and a pilot AI platform for matching donors with unfunded proposals. The Orange County Nonprofit Needs Assessment research informs these programs. Combined, the foundation's core grantmaking exceeded $130 million in 2025 and is projected to reach $180 million in 2026.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Breakaway Fund: Unrestricted, easy-to-access capital grants of $50,000-$100,000 for Orange County nonprofits to cover essential operations, people costs, expertise, and core infrastructure.
• Build OC Fund
• OC+ Fund
• Leading for Impact (LFI)

Products and services

• Breakaway Fund An unrestricted grant program providing $50,000 to $100,000 to Orange County 501(c)(3) nonprofits for essential operational needs including talent and leadership, systems and equipment, and external expertise.
• Build OC Fund A capital grant program providing up to $1,000,000 to Orange County nonprofits for purchasing, developing, or improving physical assets including equipment, renovation, repair, and new construction.
• OC+ Fund A collaboration-focused grant program providing up to $500,000 for implementation-ready nonprofit partnerships including collaborative program delivery, shared service agreements, and integrated organizations.
• Leading for Impact (LFI) and Leadership Accelerator A scholarship-supported leadership development program delivered in partnership with The Bridgespan Group, providing coaching, peer learning, workshops, team-led projects, and executive coaching for nonprofit executive teams. The Foundation covers ~80% via scholarship.
• AI Grant Matching Platform A pilot AI-powered platform that enables other donor foundations to search and match with unfunded nonprofit proposals, facilitating more efficient philanthropy distribution.
• Orange County Nonprofit Needs Assessment A comprehensive research initiative surveying 607 nonprofit leaders to identify needs and challenges in Orange County's nonprofit sector, informing the foundation's strategic philanthropic giving and broader sector strategy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Core grantmaking exceeded $130 million in 2025, projected to reach $180 million in 2026
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Orange County Community FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2025Partnership to commission and release the first-of-its-kind Orange County Nonprofit Needs Assessment Report, informed by 607 nonprofit leaders through surveys, focus groups, and Town Hall.
• Charitable VenturescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2025Partner in conducting the Orange County Nonprofit Needs Assessment, providing fiscal sponsorship and capacity-building support research.
• University of California, IrvinecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2025Research partner in the Orange County Nonprofit Needs Assessment providing academic expertise and analysis.
• Foundation for Jewish CampmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2025$5 million four-year grant to increase Orange County children's participation in Jewish camp through One Happy Camper program, middle-income access grants, and need-based scholarships.
• Chapman UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2025Samueli Foundation provided $1.85 million gift to launch the Or Initiative at Chapman University, led by Dr. Vikki Katz, to equip young people with civil discourse skills. Also provided $3 million endowment for the Holocaust Art & Writing Contest.
• Vanguard University's Global Center for Women and JusticemajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2024$825,000 grant to launch Safe Communities; Safe Kids program bringing human trafficking awareness and prevention resources to Orange County classrooms.
• The Bridgespan GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver Leading for Impact and Leadership Accelerator programs for nonprofit executive teams, providing scholarship-supported coaching and leadership development. Foundation provides ~80% scholarship.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ford Foundation: One of the largest U.S. private foundations, comparable in scale of grantmaking and commitment to addressing inequality through place-based and systems-change philanthropy.
• Kresge Foundation: Large national private foundation with significant place-based and equity-focused grantmaking. Comparable in operating model and focus on nonprofit capacity building.
• Annenberg Foundation: Major private foundation with similarly large annual grantmaking budgets across education, arts, and community development. Comparable in scale and founder-driven structure.
• Walton Family Foundation: Large private foundation founded by the heirs of a major corporation (Walmart). Comparable as a founder-driven, high-capacity private foundation with both place-based and national strategies.
• David and Lucile Packard Foundation: Major private foundation originating from a tech entrepreneur (Hewlett-Packard). Comparable in founder-led structure, scale of annual grantmaking, and strategic approach to philanthropy.
• Hewlett Foundation: Large California-based private foundation making place-based and programmatic grants. Comparable in operating model as a tech-entrepreneur-founded foundation with education and community portfolios.

Direct peers

• Orange County Community Foundation: The leading community foundation serving Orange County, California. Directly comparable as a place-based grantmaking organization in the same geography, partnering with Samueli on the OC Nonprofit Needs Assessment.
• Irvine Foundation: Large California-based private foundation focused on Orange County. Highly comparable as a place-based private foundation with similar geographic concentration and education/workforce focus areas.

Regional players

• California Community Foundation: Large California-focused community foundation serving Los Angeles region. Comparable as a regional community foundation with data-driven grantmaking and trust-based approaches.

Others

• The Bridgespan Group: Nonprofit and philanthropy consulting firm partnering with Samueli on leadership programs. Relevant as a strategic ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/samueli-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments64 records

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Frequently asked questions about Samueli Foundation