Trustees approve CSU 202324 donor support report; presentation highlights $626 million in commitments and CSUSM SWIFT program

The Committee on Institutional Advancement of the CSU Board of Trustees approved the 202324 California State University report on donor support and heard presentations on systemwide fundraising totals and donor-funded programs, including the SWIFT workforce program at CSU San Marcos.

Greg Sachs, vice chancellor for external relations and communications, reported that the CSU received about $626,000,000 in gift commitments and nearly $448,000,000 in gift receipts during fiscal year 202324, an 8% increase in commitments from the prior year. Sachs and Melissa Watkins, assistant vice chancellor for systemwide advancement, said roughly 99% of gifts are designated by donors for specific programs, scholarships or facilities; they reported about $4,700,000 in unrestricted gifts.

"We certainly can't fundraise our way out of this particular budget crisis," Sachs said, while emphasizing that private philanthropy plays a vital, supplemental role in supporting student success and innovation across the CSU.

The presentation included a systemwide snapshot: a combined endowment market value of about $2,800,000,000, $87,000,000 in donor contributions to endowment during the year, and roughly $3,000,000,000 raised across the CSU over the last five years. Officials compared CSU fundraising performance to peer systems and cited successful campaigns at Cal Poly Humboldt and California State University, Long Beach.

As an example of donor-backed workforce programs, President Alan Neufeld of California State University San Marcos described SWIFT (Scholars and Wellness and Innovation Fast Track), a dual-enrollment and accelerated bachelor's pathway aimed at addressing regional demand for behavioral and mental health professionals. Neufeld said Price Philanthropies provided a $10,000,000 grant and Daniel J. Epstein and Phyllis Epstein provided a $10,000,000 matching gift to support the initiative.

Karina Dominguez, a senior at Rancho Buena Vista High School and a member of SWIFTs first cohort, told trustees the program "has given me a head start, not just with college credits, but with confidence." Her testimony illustrated the programs student-facing impact and the program elements that donors helped fund, including scholarships, paid internships, and advising.

Trustees discussed the constraints of donor-designated funds and the uneven geographic distribution of philanthropic dollars across the CSUs campuses. Presenters and trustees noted that endowed and restricted gifts must be used according to donor intent and are not fungible to cover general campus operating expenses.

The committee recorded a roll-call vote approving the 202324 donor support report for submission to the Joint Legislative Budget Committee and the Department of Finance.