Progress continues in statewide campaign
Endowment reaches $50 million, with 95 colleges throughout the state actively raising funds
In the midst of an economic climate that continues to be anything but stable, California Community Colleges have been successfully making the case for additional scholarship support for students, particularly at a time when students are increasingly in need of financial resources to complete their education.
In the past several months alone, signficant progress has been made in the statewide campaign to grow the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment to $100 million. To date, roughly 95 of the 112 California Community Colleges have been actively engaged in raising funds for this Endowment, thereby taking advantage of a 2-to-1 match opportunity made available by The Bernard Osher Foundation, the Endowment's lead benefactor.
So far, more than $13.8 million has been invested in the Endowment as a result of fundraising efforts at both the statewide and individual college level, with another $3 million already secured and pending transfer in the coming months. With the Osher Foundation's lead gift of $25 million and subsequent match on all dollars raised by the system until June 2011, this brings the total Endowment to just over the $50 million mark, which is enough to fund 2,500 annual full-time scholarships, forever.
College examples, throughout the state
The recent lifting of the original fundraising targets established for each college at the launch of the campaign has allowed participating colleges to continue in their efforts to take advantage of the match dollars available from the Osher Foundation, even after reaching their original goals. Specifically, 12 colleges have met or exceeded their original goals, with numerous others also making significant progress. (
Download a complete update of college-by-college progress as of August 31, 2010.)
Many California Community Colleges are employing their own creative tactics to encourage local support for the campaign. Here's a sampling of what we're seeing throughout the state:
- El Camino College has embarked on a campaign to raise not only its match portion, but to also raise funds that will benefit other colleges throughout the state.
- Mt. San Antinio College also recently launched its own campaign, which encourages donors to "Climb Higher."
- Columbia College, nestled in the Sierra Foothills, has already exceeded its original goal, but is building upon the growing community interest in the match opportunity.
- Las Positas College, located in Livermore, is encouraging donors to give, one scholarship at a time.
- East Los Angeles College took an innovative approach to meeting its fundraising goal by leveraging other match programs.
- Oxnard College used funds raised through its successful community market to reach its fundraising goal in 2009.
- Additionally, Bakersfield College, Coastline Community College, College of the Desert, Monterey Peninsula College, Santa Barbara City College, Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Monica College and Ventura College have all met or suprassed their original fundraising goals, thanks to major gifts, bequests and a variety of other tactics.
These are just a few examples of the hard work taking place by California Community Colleges and their foundations to raise funds for the California Community Colleges Scholarship Endowment. If you have a creative approach that you'd like to share, let us know!