The Orange Coast College Foundation serves as a community and financial support organization to help Orange Coast College achieve its mission. The goals of the Orange Coast College Foundation include providing financial support for the College, involvement opportunities for board and community members, advocacy to help the College meet its goals, and advisement to the college’s administration.

A 22-member volunteer Board of Directors consisting of 16 community members, four members of the college administration, a faculty representative, and the president of the college’s associated students oversee the activities and programs of the Foundation. The Foundation has three full-time employees: an executive director and two administrative assistants. Members of the Orange Coast College Foundation Board of Directors are volunteers. They generally serve three-year renewable terms. Members are appointed from the community and can include alumni, business leaders, community leaders, parents, donors, and members of the College’s current and retired faculty and staff who are interested in supporting the missions of the college and the Foundation.

Since its founding in 1985, the Orange Coast College Foundation has received over $110 million that has been split almost equally between cash donations and in-kind gifts of property, boats and equipment.  As of June 30, 2022, the Foundation had an ending market value of approximately $30 million and total assets of $45.2 million. The OCC Foundation accepts donations of cash, securities, real property, insurance and personal property from individuals, businesses and other foundations. The Foundation strengthens the educational objectives of the College by providing funds for faculty development, student scholarships, Library acquisitions, and capital improvements and repairs to the campus of Orange Coast College. Last year the Orange Coast College Foundation provided more than $600,000 in scholarship support to new, continuing, and transferring Orange Coast College Students.

Over the last 37 years, the Foundation has undertaken several successful fundraising campaigns and activities including efforts that resulted in the construction of the OCC Planetarium, furnishing of the OCC library, construction of the Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion, renovation of the Robert B. Moore Theatre, construction of the Harry & Grace Steele Children’s Center, celebration of Orange Coast College’s 70th Anniversary, and the construction of a Nautical Library and completion of the Waterfront Campus. Currently, the Foundation is supporting a campaign to endow the W. Bradley Avery Professional Mariner Training Center.