L.A. Focus
by D.T. Carson
As president of the Orange County Community Foundation, Tammy Tumbling plays a pivotal role in in the annual distribution of nearly $100 million to non-profits. However, what truly makes her story extraordinary is her journey through the kind of childhood adversity most would have found it hard to overcome.
Raised in a Compton single-parent household during the crack epidemic of the 1980s, Tammy experienced hardship firsthand. By the time she was in the fourth grade, she had already spent a year in foster care due to her mother’s institutionalization from mental health issues and by 17, she was a teen mom. Rather than allowing society’s narrative of teen moms to dictate her worth, she focused on being the best mother she could with her own mother.
“At the time, it was a lot, but everything happens for a reason,” Tumbling recalls. “What we didn’t know is God had a bigger plan.”
Two years later her mother passed away at the age of 54 of an aneurysm leaving her and her four siblings as orphans. Tumbling took on the mantle of the head of household stepping up as caretaker for her siblings as well as her own two-year-old. She was just 19.
“Having been pregnant at 17 gave me access to government assistance, allowing me to keep our family unit intact, rather than letting us be separated again in foster care,” she explains. Throughout her journey, Tammy transformed challenges into opportunities, beginning with turning her childhood hobby of hair braiding into a source of income to support her family.
“Anybody could tell you about my sister, Covina and I, growing up in the city of Compton. We probably did their hair at some point. People would learn about us through word of mouth. That’s how I bought my first car. I would make about $200 a day, which was $1000 a week. Part of it we would give to our mother to help with groceries and school clothes for our brothers and sisters. Then she would allow us to keep half and save half.
Those early entrepreneurial instincts not only laid the groundwork for Tumbling’s strong work ethic, but the steady stream of professional women they met while braiding became role models, encouraging her to buck the societal expectations that labeled teen moms as unlikely candidates for success.
“I relied heavily on learning about life and how to be the woman I am today through those women,” Tumbling reflects.
Through it all, she recognized a crucial lesson: that one’s upbringing does not define their destiny and instead of allowing her circumstances to dictate her future, Tumbling sought to rewrite her narrative.
“I always believed that I could be a leader, and my mother always told us that education would be the key.”
Her unwavering work ethic propelled her through various roles from her first job as a program monitor at the Compton Department of Employment and Training to over two decades of service at Southern California Edison where she rose from an entry-level position to executive director over government affairs, before being hired on as First Executive Vice President/COO of the Orange County Community Foundation (OCCF), which administers 640 charitable funds for a wide array of causes from the arts and human services to community development.
“It’s about not being afraid to step up and take advantage of any opportunity,” says the mother of three, with a bonus daughter from a previous marriage. “I was never afraid to do work higher than my job classification—going that extra mile. Now I get to give the gift of my success back to the community by walking fully in my purpose, and that’s through working at OCCF and coming up with creative ways for our employees to work hard and smarter.”
But it’s not just career that defines Tumbling; it’s her compassionate outreach. Establishing the African American Alliance Fund with $25,000 of her own financial resources, she has been instrumental in granting more than $800,000 to support Black communities across the nation, exemplifying her commitment to social upliftment and giving back.
“Orange County is only 2% right African American. I wanted to make sure that the reach goes across Orange County, across California, the nation, and beyond, so that the African American Alliance fund genuinely touches Black communities everywhere,” Tumbling expresses.
Reflecting on her life’s journey, Tammy remains grounded in her family’s value system. The experiences of sharing resources in her community—are instilled in her DNA. Her mother’s teaching of community ties and mutual support lives on through her work today. “I do it because it’s the right thing to do,” said Tumbling, whose desire it is to see those same values messaged to today’s youth.
In a world increasingly dominated by social media and superficial success, Tumbling encourages youth to seek authentic stories and relationships—mentors who help them navigate life’s complexities.
“Going through their Instagram feeds, they see everybody as winning,” she points out. “They don’t see the real struggle. There’s a big difference between social media and what’s real. It is only with the grace of God that I was able to make it to the other side”.
Fueled by love, resilience, and an unshakeable faith, Tumbling epitomizes what it means to turn personal trials into triumphs, emerging as not just a survivor but a game changer.
“Now the focus is on maximizing what I’ve done by thinking about people I can help who I’ll never meet. That’s what makes you significant,” Tumbling asserts. “It’s not the car you drive, the clothes you wear, the house you have. Significance is who can you help, how can you influence and how can you change the trajectory of someone else’s life. I do it because it’s right and it not only gives me an opportunity to walk in my purpose, but I’m grateful to see so many others walking in their purpose and thriving, because I may have had a small part in it.”
