Voila! A master social calendar at last! A huge thanks to the many of you who realized our vision and great community need to get organized. My sincere appreciation to Orange Coast publishers Ruth Ko and Skip Johnson, who didn’t hesitate to adopt this project as their own.

This master calendar will be a valuable source as an immediate reference to a yearlong schedule of charity events. Long gone are the days of sitting in special event committee meetings and wondering what would be a "good date." With immediate access to the more-detailed version of the calendar on the Internet, anyone can pull up the information at a moment’s notice. Decisions can be made on the spot—pick the date, start the invitations and get the press rolling!

Through this column we plan to provide up-to-date philanthropic news. We’ll pass along some unique strategies, ingenious ideas and plot fund-raising philosophies. The world of philanthropy is bursting with renewed energy and a treasury of funds. Once again, people are giving very generously and our superstar volunteers in Orange County are putting that money to good use.

What’s more, we are being sponsored by philanthropic visionaries who are quick to make a difference. Thanks to those of you who accepted our invitation to support the organizational needs of more than 2,000 nonprofit groups in Orange County. Your sponsorship will lead the way for other companies and foundations to participate in a project that helps so many. Imagine affecting every fund-raising event in the county in some way.

Together, we present the Master Social Calendar of Orange County!

Sue Cannon