A Message from
OUR FOUNDATION A MESSAGE FROM OUR FOUNDATION
Since 1909, SBCC has offered students of all ages the opportunity to pursue their dreams. Whether seeking a degree or certificate, new skills or a new start, generations of students have come to our community’s college to find their path. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic made that path far more difficult for many. Long-standing inequalities were laid bare for all to see. Not everyone has access to WiFi and appropriate technology for remote learning. Some of our most critical community workers are undocumented and have no access to public relief funds. Thousands of students do not have access to a quiet place to study and learn at home. The need for better and more affordable childcare options is pervasive. This is where our work comes in. SBCC prides itself on meeting students where they are, and that commitment requires remarkable flexibility and innovation which cannot always be supported by the available public funds. Community colleges receive an exceedingly small percentage of the private gifts made to higher education each year – barely 2%, despite educating nearly 50% of all college students in the United States. But look at what those visionary donors make possible at SBCC: more than $1 million in scholarships annually, 5,000 SBCC Promise students in the first five years, and summer bridge programs that support students facing complex obstacles. Now imagine what would be possible if that 2% became 5% or 10% or 25%. The simple fact is that donated dollars go furthest at community colleges. Last fall, the largest private gift in the history of community colleges was made to 34 colleges – specifically those in the regions of California that have the lowest higher education degree attainment rates. The Pritzker Family Foundation made a 20-year $100 million commitment to support scholarships that cover basic needs as well as educational costs and emergency aid for students. Then this spring, MacKenzie Scott made record-setting unrestricted gifts to seven California Community Colleges including $20 million to SBCC. These generous gifts are game changers for many institutions. Equally importantly, I believe they serve as a signal to others that our community colleges are deserving of this level of investment. The evolution of giving to our community’s college has been generations in the making, and it has been led by those donors who have long known the value of an SBCC education. I believe that the eyes of the nation (and philanthropy) are following their lead and turning toward our community colleges. As we look back on the past year, I am proud of the work we’ve done together, and I know that better days lie ahead. It is an honor to work alongside this dedicated community of educators, staff, volunteers, fundraisers, and donors – all pulling in the same direction and dedicated to meeting every student where they are. Thank you for your partnership. Gratefully,
Geoff Green, CEO SBCC Foundation
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| 2020-2021 Report to the Community
SBCC FOUNDATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2020-2021
N. Scott Vincent, President Laurie Ashton, J.D., Vice President Edward “Ted” Friedel, Vice President Jeff Pittman, Treasurer Kandy Luria-Budgor, Secretary Frank Tabar, Member-at-Large Sarah de Tagyos Graciela Montgomery Pedro Paz, Ph.D. Michelle Lee Pickett, J.D. Wendy Read, J.D. Frank Schipper Ex-Officio Utpal K. Goswami, Ph.D. Robert K. Miller Pamela Ralston, Ph.D. Patricia Stark Raeanne Napoleon Carson Mitchell
Emeritus Members Silvio Di Loreto (in memoriam) Stan Fishman Jane Habermann Perri Harcourt Len Jarrott Morrie Jurkowitz Steve Lew Peter MacDougall, Ed.D. John Romo Suzi Schomer Michael Towbes (in memoriam)