Samueli Family Philanthropies has seen a substantial increase in its annual grant giving under the leadership of President Lindsey Spindle, with this year's allocations projected to reach $185 million. This figure marks a significant rise from the approximately $18.8 million the foundation was distributing annually when Spindle arrived in 2022.
Of the $185 million slated for this year, 60% will be awarded to organizations operating within Orange County. Henry and Susan Samueli, owners of the Anaheim Ducks and backers of the OCVibe development in Anaheim, credit Spindle with driving the foundation to "achieve a scale of impact that is way beyond our original expectations." The Samuelis also stated that Spindle started in her role four years ago and established a mission, vision, and values statement that now serves as a guiding principle for their philanthropic efforts.
The foundation has broadened its reach by launching its first open-call grant initiatives, known as the Breakaway and Build OC funds. These funds were developed following a needs assessment report commissioned by the foundation to identify existing gaps and unmet needs in the local nonprofit sector. Samueli Family Philanthropies also expanded its giving to community colleges for the first time, committing $24 million over multiple years to six local colleges. This investment aims to boost workforce development initiatives and improve the rate of STEM degree completion among students.
Spindle, a native of Washington, D.C., has resided in Orange County for four-and-a-half years. She relocated to California in 2015, initially settling in Los Angeles before moving to Orange County to be closer to her husband David's family. She describes herself as a "problem solver by nature," a trait she attributes partly to her grandfather's lifelong commitment to volunteering. Her career includes work on the national "truth" tobacco prevention campaign, which notably reduced youth smoking by 30% in its first year, and her role as chief communications and brand officer for Share Our Strength, overseeing the No Kid Hungry campaign.
Her experience also includes working with Jeffrey Skoll, the first president of eBay and a billionaire philanthropist, whose collaboration on a childhood hunger documentary led Spindle to join his team. Spindle, who now sits on the board of the Skoll Foundation, credits Skoll with preparing her for her current responsibilities.
Spindle was recruited to the Samueli Foundation in 2021, a role she described as an "opportunity that almost felt like a calling." She noted her past experience making changes at national and global levels, but expressed a strong desire to make a difference "in the place that I live."
A significant portion of the foundation's current giving focuses on combating antisemitism. Approximately 40% of this year's grants will support organizations addressing antisemitism in both the United States and Israel. Spindle co-founded the Har Initiative, a collaborative effort with Fay Twersky, president of the Arthur Blank Family Foundation, specifically aimed at reducing antisemitism in America. The Har Initiative has raised over $200 million in capital within its first two years. Spindle characterized this work as both the hardest and the most intensely rewarding of her recent career.
Spindle’s role in expanding the foundation’s impact was recognized at the Business Journal’s 32nd annual Women in Business Awards event, held on Sept. 17.
