Building Block Foundation Fund: CRE Industry’s Way to Make a Difference

Presented by Bob O’Neill, executive vice president, CapRock Partners, Building Block Foundation Fund Boardmember. CapRock is also Endless Summer Title Sponsor.

Why should people get involved with Building Block Foundation Fund?

Building Block Foundation Fund is a nonprofit organized by volunteer professionals from across the commercial real estate industry. Our fundraising efforts involve bringing people together to network and spend time with their CRE peers – which makes Building Block unique. There are several Orange County charities with compelling missions, and they draw from supporters from across the entire Southern California and Orange County business and corporate spectrum, so those charity event attendees are not necessarily building business connections with people focused in their industry. We are 100% commercial real estate focused, which is a key reason why CRE industry people should support Building Block.

What inspired your involvement with Building Block Foundation Fund?

I had a friend who was on the board who invited me to get involved. While I was considering joining the board, three thoughts came to mind: I have an extensive business network, I’m not afraid to ask the question of people to support our mission, and I knew I could make a difference in the communities and charities that we donate to. It also matters to CapRock Partners because one of our seven core values is ‘Blessed to be a Blessing.” Our principals set aside 10% of partner profits to reinvest in the communities where we invest and develop. Building Block is an important part of that goal.

How does Building Block choose its charities?

There’s a great deal of need in Orange County. Everywhere you look, there are multiple charities doing great work, but unfortunately, we can’t support all of them. Building Block wants to make a meaningful impact on the charities we support including Project Access, Hope Ignites Southern California, Everfree, Joyful Child Foundation, Kidworks, Orangewood Children’s Foundation, HomeAid and Hope Builders. These organizations are making a difference in the lives of at-risk youth in areas such as education, housing, mentorship, and protection from exploitation.

What is Endless Summer?

The Endless Summer event will bring together more than 400 of our commercial real estate peers for one night at Newport Dunes. It’s an industry celebration that gives back to our charities and the feedback we get is that it’s one of the best events of the year for our industry. It’s also a great networking event for people to grow their corporate or personal

brand. For me, the success of Building Block is so rewarding because I’ve seen how it’s grown and the impact we’ve had on the charities.

How do you measure Building Block’s success?

Building Block has raised well over $3 million. We’ve been supporting many of these charities for over a decade, so we can really see the impact. For example, Joyful Child is celebrating its 25th anniversary. They created the Brave program, an interactive life skills and safety education initiative for pre-K through 12th-grade students. Now they’re taking this program online so it can be made available to every child. There is no greater satisfaction than knowing that your work can benefit the entire community and with Building Block, that’s what you see.

The Endless Summer event will take place Wednesday, August 26, 2026, at the Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort in Newport Beach. Hundreds of commercial real estate professionals will join that night for charity. Individual tickets are $250. To purchase tickets, go to https://payments.cliq.com/hosted/BBFF. Learn more: http://www.buildingblockfoundation.org