California State University Foundation
The California State University Foundation is a public charity based in Long Beach, California. Established in 1962, it is the California State University’s central foundation and serves the Office of the Chancellor, supporting the university’s educational mission and its national, state, and regional interests.
California State University Foundation at a glance
In short: California State University Foundation gave $1.7M across 21 grants in 2025 (avg $83K), mostly in California. 16% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,735,400
- +2.8% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 21
- -4.5% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $82,638
- +7.7% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $20,000
- Total assets
- $58,018,753
- +6.0% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 16% first-time grantees (3 of 19, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- California (98% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated October 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to California State University Foundation
- Contact
Mailing address: 401 Golden Shore, Long Beach, CA 90802
Phone: (562) 951-4810
Website: https://calstate.edu
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
4 open opportunities from California State University Foundation
AY 2025-2026 Coale Graduate Scholar Awards (Formerly known as the COAST Graduate Student Research Awards) Grant
California State University Foundation
Amount
US $4,000
Deadline
Deadline not published
California Senate Fellows Program Grant
California State University Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship Program Grant
California State University Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who California State University Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was Trustees of the CSU ($1.0M). Together the top 10 received $1.6M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($20,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
112 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was under $50K: 89 grants of 112 (79%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation’s 2025 grant dollars were reported as 98% to recipients in California, 1% to recipients in Washington, D.C., and 1% to recipients in Texas.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 21 itemized grants.
Cities
Is California State University Foundation open to new grantees?
16%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 3 of 19 grantees (16%) were first-time recipients. With only 19 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 5 points. First grants averaged $35K; repeat grants $102K. How we count
Medians: $10K first-time, $23K repeat.
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2020–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2020 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.7M (2024) to $4.0M (2020). In 2025 it made 21 grants totaling $1.7M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Trustees of the CSU Long Beach, CA | $402,000.00 - balance ecmc found grant$160,000.00 - grant wellness clinic chico$150,000.00 - csu faculty fellowship$125,000.00 - csu pregnant and parenting student initiative$100,000.00 - teach prep$96,000.00 - annual reimbursement to csuco by cofdn for chancellor's housing allowance as per bot resolution | $1,033,000 |
| Cal State La University Auxiliary Svc Los Angeles, CA | Mellon Acls Grant Transfer to Campus | $119,000 |
| CSU Long Beach Research Foundation Long Beach, CA | Mellon Acls Grant Transfer to Campus | $108,000 |
| CSU Dominguez Hills Philanthropic Foundation Carson, CA | Mellon Acls Grant Transfer to Campus | $95,000 |
| CSU San Bernardino Philanthropic Foundation San Bernardino, CA | Mellon Acls Grant Transfer to Campus | $84,000 |
| Sonoma State University Rohnert Park, CA | Sonoma State Teacher Training | $50,000 |
| CSU Fullerton Philanthropic Foundation Fullerton, CA | Mellon Acls Grant Transfer to Campus | $46,000 |
| CSU Northridge Northridge, CA | Relui Operating Expenses | $26,400 |
| CSU Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA | Game Show Curriculum-Csula | $20,000 |
| Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project Sacramento, CA | Sponsorship Leadership Conference | $20,000 |
Ready to take the next step with California State University Foundation?
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $58,018,753 | $4,962,254 | $4,860,824 | $1,735,400 | 21 | $1,982,588 |
| 2024 | $54,755,126 | $3,946,366 | $4,871,648 | $1,688,651 | 22 | $1,759,426 |
| 2023 | $52,244,954 | $6,047,467 | $6,105,615 | $3,042,436 | 12 | $1,547,060 |
| 2022 | $50,863,822 | $7,787,647 | $7,155,121 | $3,847,942 | 26 | $1,930,539 |
| 2021 | $56,910,001 | $11,144,643 | $5,856,659 | $2,698,085 | 31 | $3,349,756 |
| 2020 | $43,844,906 | $8,628,946 | $8,945,736 | $3,974,953 | 27 | $1,375,008 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated October 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
The Foundation’s mission is to enhance educational excellence at the CSU in teaching, learning, community service, and applied research. Its website describes work supporting quality K–12 teacher preparation, pathways to bachelor’s degrees in high-demand STEM fields, and systemwide engagement with local and global communities. Its 2024 filing also describes support for major CSU initiatives, campus educational and governance activities, employee recognition, and scholarships.
The Foundation’s 2025 grants included support for CSU campuses and related organizations, as well as sponsorships and other grants. For example, the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project received $20,000 for a leadership conference; the grantee describes its mission as building the leadership potential of California’s Chicano/Latino youth. The Museum of Latin American Art, which received $10,000, describes its mission as expanding appreciation of modern and contemporary Latin American art through museum, education, and research activities.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, the Foundation reported 21 grants totaling $1,735,400. Grant amounts ranged from $9,500 to $1,033,000, with a median of $20,000. The largest reported grant was $1,033,000 to the Trustees of the CSU, for a mix of initiatives including a wellness clinic, faculty fellowship, pregnant and parenting student initiative, teacher preparation, and a Chancellor’s housing allowance reimbursement. Other large grants included $119,000 to Cal State LA University Auxiliary Services and $108,000 to CSU Long Beach Research Foundation, both for Mellon ACLS grant transfers to campuses; and $95,000 to CSU Dominguez Hills Philanthropic Foundation for the same purpose.
The Foundation’s website lists CSU scholarships with eligibility requirements that include a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, demonstrated financial need, and full-time-equivalent enrollment at a CSU campus. Its 2024 filing says scholarship eligibility standards are set by funding sources and that the Foundation reviews submitted materials in collaboration with campus financial aid officers. The AY 2025–2026 Coale Graduate Scholar Awards are described as $4,000 scholarships for CSU graduate students conducting marine, estuarine, coastal, or coastal watershed research; that academic-year cycle is in the past.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Kristin Crellin as chair; Gillian A. Wright as vice chair through April 15, 2025; Ronald Fong as secretary; and Michael A. Lucki as treasurer. Directors listed were John H. Augustine, Ronald R. Barhorst, Kimberley Goode, Michael Lizarraga, and Lorene Miller. Mildred Garcia was listed as chancellor-ex officio.
California State University Foundation is led by Greg Saks, President & CEO since 2025 (on filings since 2024); none of the 22 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Greg Saks
President & CEO
President → President & CEO, 2025
On filings since 2024
3 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Steve Relyea
President
Ex-Officio & Chancellor - → President, 2024
On filings since 2022
No compensation reported
Kristin Crellin
Chair
Secretary → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ali C. Razi
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Gaddi H. Vasquez
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Henry T. Perea
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael Lizarraga
Director
Vice Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ronald R. Barhorst
Director
Chair → Director, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Scott Wells
Director
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Kimberley Goode
Director
On filings since 2021
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Lorene Miller
Director
On filings since 2022
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
John H. Augustine
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Steven R. Stuck
Director
On filings since 2023
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Aaron Moss
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Mark W. Taylor
Director
New on the 2025 filing
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Aaron J. Moore
Chief Financial Officer
On filings since 2020
18 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gillian A. Wright
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Michael A. Lucki
Treasurer
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Ronald Fong
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2023
On filings since 2020
1 hr/week
No compensation reported
Wendy Chavira Garcia
Vice President, COO & Assistant Secretary
Assistant Secretary & V.p. → Vice President, 2023
Vice President → Vice President, COO & Assistant Secretary, 2025
On filings since 2020
18 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Melissa Watkins
Chief Administrative Officer
Chief Administrator Officer → Chief Administrative Officer, 2025
On filings since 2024
6 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mildred Garcia
Chancellor-Ex Officio
On filings since 2024
2 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (14)
- Former: Keri Askew Bailey (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Lori A. Redfearn (2020–2024) — President
- Former: Jolene Koester (2022–2024) — Chancellor-Ex Officio
- Former: George M. Marcus (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Peter Brightbill (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Shari M. Slate (2020–2023) — Director
- Former: Fred Ruiz (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Joseph I. Castro (2021–2022) — Ex-Officio & Chancellor
- Former: Larry Salinas (2021–2022) — President
- Former: Garrett P. Ashley (2020–2021) — President
- Former: Hector V. Barreto (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Jacqueline Trapp (2020–2021) — Director
- Former: Timothy P. White (2020–2021) — Ex-Officio & Chancellor
- Former: Donna Uchida (2020) — Director
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2020–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about California State University Foundation
How much does California State University Foundation give each year?
California State University Foundation gave $1.7M across 21 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.7M across 22 grants.
What is California State University Foundation's typical grant size?
California State University Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $20,000, and its average grant was $82,638, across 21 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from California State University Foundation that year got $35K on average.
Where does California State University Foundation give grants?
California State University Foundation gives mostly in California: 98% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990 went to recipients there. The most frequent recipient cities were Long Beach, CA (3 grants), Los Angeles, CA (2 grants), Fullerton, CA (2 grants) and Northridge, CA (2 grants).
Does California State University Foundation give general operating support?
Occasionally: 5% of California State University Foundation's 2025 grants with a stated purpose (1 of 21) were for general or operating support, per its 2025 IRS Form 990. Recurring purposes include "Mellon Acls Grant Transfer to Campus" (5 grants).
Who are California State University Foundation's largest grantees?
California State University Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include Trustees of the CSU ($1,033,000), Cal State La University Auxiliary Svc ($119,000) and CSU Long Beach Research Foundation ($108,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($20,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 73% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is California State University Foundation?
California State University Foundation reported $58.0M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $5.0M.
What does California State University Foundation fund?
The Foundation’s mission is to enhance educational excellence at the CSU in teaching, learning, community service, and applied research. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from California State University Foundation?
California State University Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check calstate.edu for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is California State University Foundation's EIN?
California State University Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 95-6123757. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2025.
Data last updated October 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated October 2026.
Data update history
(7)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS December 17, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS December 7, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS December 7, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS December 5, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS December 17, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS December 3, 2025)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2020–2025
Live grants for the work California State University Foundation funds
Philanthropy, Voluntarism & Grantmaking Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
- Nixa Affiliate Grantmaking Program Up to US $10,000 · Due October 19, 2026
- Community and School Grants $28,000 total pool; 10-15 grants expected · Due October 19, 2026
- Mary Pinola/Crescenta Valley Chamber Education Fund $500 - $5,000 for ongoing programs; up to $15,000 for Strategic Initiative Grants · Due October 19, 2026
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in California State University Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). California State University Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 19, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/california-state-university-foundation-morg_638639fa7f234822a17b3fff168a2205
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_956123757_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{California State University Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/california-state-university-foundation-morg_638639fa7f234822a17b3fff168a2205},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-19. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from California State University Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
California State University Foundation down — hundreds of funders to go?