Foundation for California Community Colleges

The Foundation for California Community Colleges is a unique nonprofit organization that benefits, supports, and enhances California’s Community Colleges — the largest higher education system in the nation. As the official foundation to the California Community Colleges Board of Governors and System Office, the Foundation works with colleges and partner organizations to manage donations, grants, programs, and services that save millions of dollars for colleges and students, promote excellence in education, and provide valuable learning opportunities for students throughout the state. The Foundation has special legal status as a public agency for contracting purposes, and is able to represent and act on behalf of the system in grant and purchase agreements.

A Decade of Service
The Foundation was incorporated in 1998 with a staff of one and no start-up funding from the state. Since its inception, the Foundation has grown to be one of the largest operating foundations in higher education, with over 100 full-time employees and annual revenues of over $30 million. Today, the Foundation has the capacity and expertise to respond quickly to the needs of California’s colleges and communities. The Foundation has secured over $150 million in grants, contracts, and gifts, and provided over $100 million in direct grants, support, and cost savings to the Community Colleges and System Office.

Statewide Support System
In addition to supporting the System Office and Board of Governors, the Foundation is the major supporter of the Network for California Community College Foundations, which provides leadership, training, and networking opportunities to bolster the resource development capacities of local college foundations. The Foundation also engages in resource development efforts to attract philanthropic support for the system as a whole.

Highlights and Accomplishments
• Sponsored 23 Early College High Schools, serving more than 4,000 students.
• Employed over 2,500 college and university students in part-time study-related positions.
• Assessed more than 60 million square feet of Community College facilities for the Facilities Utilization, Space Inventory Options Net (FUSION).
• Helped more than 250 CalWORKs recipients be certified as early childhood teachers and associate teachers.