California State University Foundation
The California State University Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1962, headquartered in Long Beach, California. It serves as the central foundation for the California State University system and operates under the Office of the Chancellor. The Foundation functions as a philanthropic entity dedicated to supporting the 23 CSU university campuses through resource management, fundraising, and strategic grantmaking aligned with the university system's educational mission.
Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$58.0M
+6.0% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.7M
+2.8% YoY
Grant Count
21
-4.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$83K
+7.7% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: To enhance the educational excellence of the California State University in teaching, learning, community service, and applied research.
The Foundation's primary focus areas include:
- Scholarship Support: The Foundation provided scholarships to 381 students throughout the CSU system
- Major CSU Initiatives: Support of system-wide priorities including improving graduation rates and teacher preparation through collaboration with external funders
- Educational and Governance Activities: Supporting the educational and governance activities of the 23 university campuses through regular meetings of trustees, presidents, employees, and alumni leaders
- Employee Recognition: Providing employee recognition programs across the system
- Teacher Preparation: Advancing teacher preparation programs in high-need California schools
Grantmaking
The Foundation makes grants to support CSU campuses and their initiatives. Recent grant activity includes:
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The Foundation's grantmaking and support activities are concentrated within the California State University system, with primary focus on California. The Foundation serves all 23 CSU campuses statewide.
Grant Distribution by State
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Most Recent Financial Data (2024):
- Total Assets: $54,755,126
- Total Revenues: $3,946,366
- Total Expenses: $4,871,648
- Program Spend: 96%
- Management Spend: 3%
- Fundraising Spend: 0%
Additional Financial Data (2025):
- Total Assets: $58,018,753
- Total Giving: $4,084,108
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $58,018,753 | $54,755,126 | $52,244,954 |
| Revenue | $4,962,254 | $3,946,366 | $6,047,467 |
| Expenses | $4,860,824 | $4,871,648 | $6,105,615 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $1,982,588 | $1,759,426 | $1,547,060 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
95 grants across all recorded years
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
Rolling / Open
California Senate Fellows Program Grant
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship Program Grant
CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Officers and directors from IRS filings
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| KRISTIN CRELLIN | CHAIR | 1 | — |
| GILLIAN A WRIGHT | VICE CHAIR (THRU 4/15/2025) | 1 | — |
| RONALD FONG | SECRETARY | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL A LUCKI | TREASURER | 1 | — |
| JOHN H AUGUSTINE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| RONALD R BARHORST | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MILDRED GARCIA | CHANCELLOR-EX OFFICIO | 2 | — |
| KIMBERLEY GOODE | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MICHAEL LIZARRAGA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| LORENE MILLER | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| AARON MOSS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| HENRY T PEREA | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| ALI C RAZI | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| STEVEN R STUCK | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| MARK W TAYLOR | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GADDI H VASQUEZ | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| SCOTT WELLS | DIRECTOR | 1 | — |
| GREG SAKS | PRESIDENT & CEO | 3 | — |
| WENDY CHAVIRA GARCIA | VP & COO, ASSIST. SECRETARY | 18 | — |
| MELISSA WATKINS | CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER | 6 | — |
| AARON J MOORE | CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER | 18 | — |
| STEVE RELYEA | PRESIDENT (THRU 2/11/2024) | — | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The Foundation has been active in supporting teacher preparation initiatives across the CSU system. Recent announcements indicate CSU received grants to continue residency scholarships for teachers in high-need California schools and to increase scholarships for math and science teacher candidates in California's high-needs schools.
CSU Receives Grant to Continue Residency Scholarship for Teachers in High-NeedThe Foundation also administers the Trustees' Award Scholarships, which honored 23 exceptional students across the CSU system.
CSU Honors 23 Exceptional Students with Trustees\u2019 Award Scholarships\n\Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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