Orange County's United Way
Orange County's United Way is a 501(c)(3) public charity based in Irvine, California, serving all 34 cities in Orange County. Founded in 1924, the organization is celebrating over 100 years of service to the community. The organization operates as both a grantmaker and direct service provider, serving over 1 million Orange County residents annually through a network of 1,100+ local service partners and its own programs.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$33.6M
-4.8% YoY
Annual Giving
$7.0M
-18.7% YoY
Grant Count
142
+77.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$49K
-54.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Improving lives in Orange County with measurable long-term solutions.
Orange County's United Way operates under a collective impact model emphasizing collaboration. The organization structures its work around four key strategic initiatives:
United to End Homelessness℠ — Addressing homelessness through the WelcomeHomeOC program, housing navigation, property owner engagement, housing advocacy, and education and public awareness efforts.
United for Financial Security — Supporting financial stability and economic mobility for Orange County residents.
United for Student Success — Focusing on educational outcomes and student achievement.
2-1-1 Orange County — A community information and referral service connecting residents to needed resources.
The organization's funding priorities emphasize four building blocks for quality of life: Education, Income, Health, and Housing.
Grantmaking
Orange County's United Way distributed $21.3 million in grants to 142 organizations in 2024. The organization operates a Community Investment program that funds partner organizations aligned with its strategic priorities.
Grant Range
** Variable, with typical awards ranging from $5,752 to $1,079,754.
Ready to take the next step with Orange County's United Way?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
Orange County's United Way serves all 34 cities in Orange County, California.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
2024 Financial Data:
- Total Revenue: $26.9 million
- Total Expenses: $31.2 million
- Total Assets: $33.6 million
- Total Liabilities: $7.34 million
- Total Giving: $21.3 million
- Number of Employees: 144
Program Allocation: 86% of investments go directly to programs and people.
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $33,636,837 | $35,318,073 | $28,387,789 |
| Revenue | $26,857,072 | $35,436,311 | $67,720,545 |
| Expenses | $31,221,089 | $32,869,349 | $68,439,130 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $575,107 | $300,393 | $190,009 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
227 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
2 open opportunities from Orange County's United Way
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
- Senior Director of Philanthropy: Mike Olson
- Director of Community Collaboration: Bo Bonanni
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSAN B PARKS | President, CEO | 37.5 | $452,509 |
| Emilee Tello | Chief Financial Officer | 37.5 | $213,097 |
| Chris Ticknor | Chief Transformation Officer | 37.5 | $224,271 |
| Ann Ramirez | Chief Strategy Officer | 37.5 | $149,044 |
| TAMARA THOMPSON | VICE PRESIDENT, DEVELOPMENT | 37.5 | $148,820 |
| MIKE GREENE | VICE PRESIDENT, OPERATIONS | 37.5 | $143,263 |
| Rebecca Heyhoe | Executive Director, U2EH | 37.5 | $141,142 |
| Andrew Barsoumfahny | Executive Director, U4FS | 37.5 | $134,333 |
| SERGIO CONTRERAS | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, U4SS | 37.5 | $134,663 |
| NANDA KUMAR CHERUVATATH | CHAIR | 1 | — |
| LAWRENCE R ARMSTRONG | Vice Chair | 1 | — |
| BEN ALVARADO | TREASURER, DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MAGGIE O'SULLIVAN | SECRETARY, DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| STEVEN D ALLISON | Director | 1 | — |
| JACQUES BALLARD | Director | 1 | — |
| SHIRIN BEHZADI | Director | 1 | — |
| ANTONELLA CASTRO | Director | 1 | — |
| MARK CLEMENS | Director | 1 | — |
| TIMOTHY S CLYDE | Director (OUTGOING 8/31/2023) | 1 | — |
| HUGH CONNERS | Director | 1 | — |
| STEVE CHURM | Director | 1 | — |
| MARTHA V DANIEL | Director | 1 | — |
| IDO DOTAN | Director | 1 | — |
| MARY GARRETT | Director | 1 | — |
| RENEE HENDRICK | Director | 1 | — |
| JOE HENSLEY | Director (OUTGOING 4/30/2024) | 1 | — |
| JEFF HITTENBERGER | Director | 1 | — |
| JARROD INGLE | Director | 1 | — |
| JAMES JOHNSON JR | Director | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL A JOHNSON | Director | 1 | — |
| ANN JOHNSTON | Director | 1 | — |
| KEITH KOBATA | Director | 1 | — |
| LARRY LABRADO | Director | 1 | — |
| ROBERT LAMBERT | Director | 1 | — |
| KENNETH LICKEL | Director | 1 | — |
| LISA LOCKLEAR | Director | 1 | — |
| MABOOB M AKHTER | Director | 1 | — |
| AMY MATHIESON | Director | 1 | — |
| PAULA MATTSON | Director (OUTGOING 11/17/2023) | 1 | — |
| BILL MAURER | Director | 1 | — |
| HENRY MENDOZA | Director | 1 | — |
| PRASANNA MOHANTY | Director (OUTGOING 5/1/2024) | 1 | — |
| JOE NUZZOLESE | Director | 1 | — |
| TAM NGUYEN | Director | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL O'MAHONEY | Director | 1 | — |
| JAY ORLANDI | Director | 1 | — |
| BILL PEDIGO | Director | 1 | — |
| ROBBIN NARIKE PRECIADO | Director | 1 | — |
| VICTORIA RIXON | Director (OUTGOING 3/5/2024) | 1 | — |
| RICHARD SANCHEZ | Director | 1 | — |
| JAMES SCHEINKMAN | Director | 1 | — |
| ERNEST SCHROEDER | Director | 1 | — |
| CHRISTINE SCHEUNEMAN | Director | 1 | — |
| MITCHELL SHENKIN | Director | 1 | — |
| JOHN F SIMONIS | Director | 1 | — |
| RYAN SMITH | Director | 1 | — |
| ALLEN STAFF | Director | 1 | — |
| SRIDHAR SUNDARAM | Director | 1 | — |
| CODY TUBBS | Director | 1 | — |
| JOHN VALENTA | Director | 1 | — |
| TODD ZEGERS | Director (OUTGOING 3/7/2024) | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Orange County's United Way has received significant grant funding from government sources:
Orange County United Way Receives $2.5M Grant from U.S. Department of Veterans**$2.5 Million Grant** from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to support veteran employment programs
Orange County United Way Receives $2.5M Grant from U.S. Department of Veterans**$2 Million Grant** from the State of California's Employment Development Department to support youth career training
**$100,000 Grant** from Wells Fargo as part of a $1 million statewide investment in financial mobility
DFPI Awards Nearly $2 Million in Grants for Financial Education and ...The organization also received funding from the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation for financial education and empowerment programs.
DFPI Awards Nearly $2 Million in Grants for Financial Education and ...Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
What could you do with Orange County's United Way on Grantable?
- Assess strategic fit with your organization
- Draft a tailored letter of inquiry
- Find open RFPs from this funder
- Monitor for new funding opportunities