It’s with great pleasure that San Francisco State University presents this impact report to you. We are deeply grateful to the generous donors who gave $20 Million in philanthropic support to the University last year. This funding has a huge impact on our students, who often tell us that being awarded a scholarship goes beyond the financial help they receive to make them feel that their pursuit of success is important to others and that they belong at a university.
In this report, you will see that private giving has impacted a wide array of disciplines throughout the entire campus. From the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging initiative in the Lam Family College of Business, to state-of-the-art technology in our new Science & Engineering Innovation Center, to scholarships for a first-generation Bilingual Spanish Journalism student, our community of donors are true partners in creating lasting positive change. In promoting our students’ educational journeys, we are also ensuring that our graduates are poised to be catalysts in their respective fields, positively affecting our community, state, country, and the world.
I am deeply proud to be part of this success and humbled by the amazing generosity of our donors. Please do click through the links in this report to read the inspiring stories of giving that are represented here.
Warm regards,
Jeff Jackanicz, Ph.D.
Vice President of University Advancement
San Francisco State University
Your Gift Makes Success Possible
Donations to San Francisco State University create a chain reaction of success that reverberates across the community. Each dollar matters here, and together your support of our students, faculty, and programs creates a level of excellence that would not be possible without your investment.
Please scroll down the page to view the impact report, or download with the link below.
Supporting Students
Many SF State students need to work at jobs while balancing their course loads. One $1,000 scholarship equals approximately 60 hours at a minimum wage job – enough time for a student to complete the work of one class. Many students report a boost in confidence and a deepened sense of belonging at the University when they are awarded a scholarship.
Total scholarship money awarded = $2.83M
Number of scholarships awarded = 1,061
Number of new scholarships funded = 26
Data reflects fiscal year 2022-2023
Alumni Donors
SF State has more than 356,000 alumni, the majority of whom live in the SF Bay Area. The University’s alumni work in every sector – from muralists to nurses to fintech executives. They often have a strong drive to help their community and a “giving back” ethic. Last year, 52% of SF State donors were alumni, and many alumni give to the students who come after them in other ways, such as via career support and mentoring.
Last year, there were 1,674 alumni donors who donated a total of $2.1M.
Impact of Giving
Number of Gifts to SF State = 5,156
Endowment Value of San Francisco State University Foundation = $161.4 million
Total donated to the University = $20 million
Number of Donors = 3,247
Number of New Donors = 1,091
Data reflects fiscal year 2022-2023
College of Liberal & Creative Arts
Donor Spotlight | Jerry Rosenberg (B.A., ’62): Changing Students’ Lives Through Iconoclastic Philanthropy
In 2014, Jerry Rosenberg (B.A., ’62) established the Jerold Rosenberg Family Scholarship for students in the College of Liberal & Creative Arts. Jerry’s approach was unique – his scholarships were to be awarded to students whose GPAs were lower (2.5-3.33) than scholarships usually require. Recipients would be guaranteed scholarships for each year they attended the University, alleviating worry about paying tuition for the students’ entire educational journey.
Jerry’s unique approach has proved to be extremely successful, with stellar graduation rates among his scholarship recipients.
Student Video Profile | Daniel Hernandez
While studying in community college, Daniel Hernandez became a construction worker to pay tuition and bills. Today, he has transferred to SF State and is a major in the Bilingual Spanish Journalism program—the first program of its kind at a public university in the U.S. His focus is on producing journalism that is relevant to his community. Recipient of the Otto J. Bos Memorial Scholarship and the Vincent Constantino Scholarship, he no longer works in construction and can focus on his award-winning journalism.
Donor Profile | William Briggs Bequeaths $1M to Scholarships in History Department
After Dr. William Donald Briggs passed away in 2021, his niece Ann discovered that he had left a major gift to SF State’s History department. Ann believes his donation was in honor of his late wife Mrs. Joan Brehm Briggs, who graduated from SF State in 1959 and worked most of her adult life as a third-grade teacher.
College of Ethnic Studies
Donor & SF State Foundation Board Director Profile | Lisa D. White, Ph.D. (B.A., ’84)
Lisa White’s parents spoke fondly about their undergraduate years at SF State, and Lisa’s father Joseph was influential in establishing the University’s Africana Studies department. In honor of their parents, Lisa and her sisters established two endowed scholarships at the University, including the Joseph L. White Scholarship, the first endowed scholarship in the Department of Africana Studies.
Lam Family College of Business
Lam Larsen Funds | Opening Doors for Underrepresented Students
Lam Family College of Business professor Theresa Hammond, Ph.D. has a mission to celebrate and support the inclusion of African Americans and other traditionally underrepresented groups in accounting. As director of the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Initiative (DEIB) in the college, she works to make accounting and business accessible and attractive to SF State students. In conjunction with the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), Theresa organizes local business leaders and SF State students to volunteer in high school classrooms in Oakland. Working side by side with business volunteers, many of whom are from underrepresented communities themselves, the SF State students develop relationships and connect with mentors.
Lam Larsen Funds | The Future of Finance Conferences
In 2023, the Lam-Larsen FinTech Initiative—Lam Family College of Business at San Francisco State University co-hosted two free fintech conferences. The February conference's overarching theme was to better understand how fintech would be integrated into our existing financial infrastructure, as well as the role of banks, stablecoins, and payments. The conference in May offered the opportunity to learn from top experts from industry, academia, and regulatory authorities as they engaged in rich discussions about the latest trends in fintech and sustainable finance. Organizers and attendees explored the synergy between trends in fintech and sustainable finance and shared various perspectives regarding the current state of fintech, climate finance, and sustainable finance.
College of Science & Engineering
The Cheng Family: 25 Years of Supporting CoSE Students
While the C.Y. Chow Memorial Scholarship in Mathematics and Computer Science is 25 years old this year, its roots go back more than 100 years to China. Read about Mary Cheng’s (B.S., ‘86) family quest, which spanned two continents in search of education and a better life, and about her and her husband’s decision to establish a scholarship fund at the College of Science & Engineering.
Science & Engineering Innovation Center (SEIC) & Catalyze the Future Campaign
If you’ve visited the University recently or driven by on 19th Avenue, you’ve undoubtedly noticed the new Science & Engineering Innovation Center, which is near completion.
The University’s Catalyze the Future Campaign is focused on raising $25 million for state-of-the-art technology in the Innovation Center. Response to the campaign has been phenomenal, with generous donations totaling $18.9 million from alumni, friends, and science and engineering companies. These donations will significantly increase the already formidable career achievements of our STEM graduates and will fuel and propel a robust, diverse workforce pipeline for the Bay Area’s bioscience and tech industries.
Gator Athletics
SF State Athletics: Winning Through a Culture of Belonging
In addition to a full academic workload and regular workouts, practices, and competitions, many SF State student-athletes have jobs, families, and other financial and time constraints. Many receive partial scholarships funded by private donors.
The impact of these funds can be huge, both for individual athletes who struggle to make ends meet and for the teams, which compete with other colleges to retain athletes.
Graduate College of Education
Student Video Profile | Erykah Butler
Erykah currently works as a special education preschool teacher in Oakland and is pursuing a master's in Special Education from the Graduate College of Education, where she is learning to help her preschool students build on their strengths and abilities. Erykah feels that receiving a scholarship gave her a boost of confidence in addition to crucial financial support.
College of Health & Social Sciences
Continue the Dream Scholarship for Undocumented Students | Swimming for Sueños
Karla Castillo (B.S., ’93, B.A. ’94, M.S., ’06), a faculty member in the Counseling department, partners with a small team of dedicated outdoor swimmers to raise funds for the Continue the Dream scholarship with an “Escape From Alcatraz” swim each year. Continue the Dream benefits undocumented students at SF State.
Longmore Institute on Disability | Empowering Disabled Students with a Safe & Supportive Community
2023 marked the tenth year of the Longmore Student Fellows program, combining paid student positions with professional development and personal mentorship in disability studies. Fellow Nathan Burns reflects on his time at the Longmore Institute and how he feels he’s changed from the experience.
Student Affairs & Enrollment Management
Alum Video | Bonta Hill (B.A., ’13): From Foster Care to On the Air
Bay Area sports broadcasting celebrity and Guardian Scholars Program (GSP) graduate Bonta Hill is the host of NBC Sports Bay Area's Golden State Warriors Pre/Postgame Live. A San Francisco native, Bonta also hosts the popular “The Morning Roast with Bonta & Shasky” on 95.7 FM The Game. In this video, Bonta discusses how his passion for sports provided an escape from “the daily trials of living in foster care,” and how GSP empowered him to obtain a degree and become a successful sports radio and TV host.