Pacific Life Foundation Grants $5.6 Million to U.S. Nonprofit Organizations

Nearly 200 Southern California Nonprofit Agencies Gathered Thursday Evening for the Annual Grants Reception

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Pacific Life Foundation announced today that it will provide $5.6 million in grants throughout 2013. Pacific Life has long recognized the importance of helping communities where its employees live and work, predominantly in the greater Orange County, California area and Omaha, Nebraska. Since 1984, the Foundation has provided thousands of grants to nonprofit agencies that focus on supporting the areas of arts and culture; civic, community, and environment; education; and health and human services.

The Pacific Life Foundation’s initial grants of 2013 were distributed during an early Thursday evening reception held at Pacific Life’s headquarters in Newport Beach, California. More than 150 nonprofit agencies serving Southern California gathered to receive over $1.5 million in grants.

A highlight of the evening was a special presentation of the Walter B. Gerken Community Service Award, along with a $25,000 grant to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. To date, $280,000 in Pacific Life Foundation funding has been given to support Second Harvest’s efforts to collect and distribute food to the hungry.

2013 Southern California Grants By Focus Area ($10,000 and above):

Arts and Culture

Seventeen nonprofit organizations from Southern California received grants within the Arts and Culture category. The following organizations were awarded grants of $10,000: Arts Orange County, Irvine Barclay Theatre, Laguna Art Museum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Orange County Museum of Art, Philharmonic Society of Orange County, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, and Shakespeare by the Sea. South Coast Repertory received a $20,000 grant to underwrite Theatre for Young Audiences, a series of three stage productions designed especially for K-12 children and their families.

Civic, Community, and Environment

Twenty-two organizations from Southern California received grants within the Civic, Community, and Environment area. Those receiving grants of $10,000 include: American Red Cross-Orange County Chapter, Bolsa Chica Conservancy, Marine Applied Research & Exploration, OneOC, and the Pacific Marine Mammal Center. Southern California Public Radio received a $15,000 grant to help sustain a full-time reporting presence in Orange County.

Education

Within the Education area, 44 Southern California nonprofit agencies received grants. In particular, the following received grants of $10,000: Boys & Girls Club of Westminster, Boys & Girls Clubs of Huntington Valley, Boys Hope Girls Hope of Southern California, Claremont Graduate University (Applied Women’s Studies), El Viento Foundation, Literacy Project Foundation, Orange County Community Housing Corporation, PBS SoCal, Taller San Jose, and UCI SAGE Scholars Program.

Agencies receiving a grant over $10,000 included:

• CSU Fullerton/Center for Insurance Studies: A $30,000 grant for general operating support for the undergraduate Insurance/Actuary Program at CSUF’s College of Business and Economics.
• Junior Achievement of Orange County: A $15,000 grant to help fund economic education programs for high schools students in Santa Ana.

In addition, the Pacific Life Foundation announced it will contribute a total of $347,500 in direct grants to 118 Southern California K-12 schools where there are concentrations of children or grandchildren of Pacific Life employees. A 3T’s of Education grant must be designated to one of the following areas: Teacher Training, Textbooks, or Technology.

Health and Human Services

Within the Health and Human Services category, 94 Southern California agencies received grants. Agencies who received $10,000 grants include: AccessOC, AIDS Services Foundation Orange County, Alzheimer’s Association-Orange County Chapter, Assistance League of Capistrano Valley, Assistance League of Santa Ana, Boys & Girls Clubs of Anaheim, Camino Health Center, Canine Companions for Independence-Southwest Region, Children’s Dental Center of Greater Los Angeles, Children’s Health Initiative of Orange County, CHOC Foundation, Court Appointed Special Advocates of Orange County, Discovery Eye Foundation, Family Assessment, Counseling & Education Services, Foothill Family Shelter, Friendly Center, Healthy Smiles for Kids of Orange County, Hoag Hospital Foundation, Human Options, Inland Valley Hope Partners, Interval House, Irvine Adult Day Health Services, J.F. Shea Therapeutic Riding Center, Kinship Center, Mariposa Women and Family Center, Mercy House Living Centers, Oak View Renewal Partnership, Phoenix House of Orange County, Project Access, Providence Speech & Hearing Center, Riverside Area Rape Crisis Center, Serving People In Need, Someone Cares Soup Kitchen, South County Outreach, Thomas House Temporary Shelter, UCI Foundation/Center for Diabetes Treatment and Research, WISEPlace, Women Helping Women, and Working Wardrobes for a New Start.

Major Grant Funding

The Pacific Life Foundation is the proud Founding Presenting Sponsor of the Ocean Health Index initiative and has pledged up to $5 million over a five-year period. The Index is a “report card” on the condition of our oceans and can be used by policymakers to track the health of the world’s oceans. Additional information can be found at www.oceanhealthindex.org. In addition, the Pacific Life Foundation has pledged to contribute a total of $560,000 toward marine mammal conservation, education, and research programs in 2013.

In December 2012, the Pacific Life Foundation announced the following major grants:

• Healthy Smiles of Orange County: A $400,000 grant to purchase a second “Smile Mobile,” a mobile dental clinic that will bring oral health services to low-income children in South Orange County.
• Illumination Foundation: A $100,000 grant in support of the Orange County Homeless Family Winter Transitional Program. This program helps provide homeless families in Orange County’s winter armories with the opportunity to have a more stable housing environment, as well as comprehensive health and human services.
• Illumination Foundation/Taller San Jose: A $100,000 grant to support a pilot program between the Illumination Foundation and Taller San Jose to provide healthcare-related workforce skills and/or job readiness training to up to 200 low-income adults.

Finally, the Pacific Life Foundation has an extensive matching gift program for its employees. Approximately $360,000 in United Way donations and over $200,000 in donations to colleges/universities and nonprofit agencies will be matched by the Foundation in 2013.

About Pacific Life and the Pacific Life Foundation

The Pacific Life Foundation was established in 1984. Together with Pacific Life, the Foundation has contributed donations totaling more than $72.3 million to thousands of nonprofits. For more information about the Pacific Life Foundation, visit its website at www.PacificLifeFoundation.com.

Offering insurance since 1868, Pacific Life provides a wide range of life insurance products, annuities, and mutual funds, and offers a variety of investment products and services to individuals, businesses, and pension plans. Pacific Life counts more than half of the 100 largest U.S. companies as its clients. For additional company information, including current financial strength ratings, visit Pacific Life online at www.PacificLife.com.

Pacific Life refers to Pacific Life Insurance Company and its affiliates, including Pacific Life & Annuity Company. Client count as of May 2012 is compiled by Pacific Life using the 2012 FORTUNE 500® list.