Alumna Neda Nobari – Visionary Donor
In 1983, Neda Nobari was an international student from Iran, studying computer science at San Francisco State University. Iran was embroiled in a war with Iraq, and as a result, Neda was without family resources to help her pay for her education and expenses. “I felt lonely,” she recounts, “Like there was no one for me to go to for support, whether financial or just moral and mental support.”
If you are a student who would like to request funds from the HOPE Crisis Fund, please visit the Dean of Students website for more information and to submit an application.
It is this memory that inspired Neda, a major donor to the University since 2005, to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic by donating $100,000 to the University’s HOPE Crisis Fund. The HOPE Crisis Fund, established in 2015, provides emergency funding to San Francisco State students who experience temporary crises beyond their control. Applications to the Fund have grown exponentially since the shelter-in-place order went into effect on March 16th, with students requesting help in covering the cost of supplies, food, technology, and return travel to their homes, among other needs. To date, the Fund has received 1,480 applications for requests totaling over $3 million.
Neda is passionate about supporting the University and hopes that donating to the HOPE Crisis Fund will have a profound impact on students who have nowhere else to turn. “I'm really worried that financial pressures and stress will force some students to drop out, and I don’t want to see that happening,” says Neda. “For many of our students, studying at San Francisco State is a game-changer, not just for their own lives, but for their families and extended communities.”
“I'm worried that financial pressures and stress will force some students to drop out, and I don’t want to see that happening. For many of our students, studying at San Francisco State is a game-changer, not just for their own lives, but for their families and extended communities.”
-Neda Nobari (B.S. '84), Director, San Francisco State University Foundation Board of Directors
San Francisco State University Foundation — Inspiring Philanthropy
The Board of Directors of the San Francisco State University Foundation shares Neda’s concern (she is also a director). To help students in crisis, the Board unanimously voted to donate $50,000 as a challenge match to the University’s campaign for the HOPE Crisis Fund. To date the campaign has met this challenge, raising $120,000 from 583 alumni, friends, staff, faculty, students, and parents.
“In this time of great need, the Board feels that the HOPE Crisis Fund is the best way to connect students with the emergency funding they need quickly,” says Taylor Stafford, Former Chair of the Board of Directors. “Our goal is to alleviate the difficulty and the uncertainty that this situation presents so that students can continue their studies. The HOPE Crisis Fund is the perfect vehicle and opportunity to positively impact our students’ lives in this hour of need.”
“Our goal is to alleviate the difficulty and the uncertainty that this situation presents, so that students can continue their studies.”
-Taylor Safford (B.A. ’84, M.B.A. ’95), Former Chair, San Francisco State University Board of Directors
“We are so grateful to the Foundation, Neda, and the community for supporting our students,” said Manny Nungaray, San Francisco State University Executive Director of Development & Campaign Operations. “We hope the philanthropic community will continue to help the University meet the needs of the hundreds of students who have applied to the HOPE Crisis Fund for emergency funding.”
Both Neda and Taylor feel that funding the HOPE Crisis Fund has the added benefit of providing students with moral and psychological support and money. “It's not just the financial support,” says Neda. “It's also for our students to realize that they're not navigating this world alone. And there are those who care about them and want to see them succeed.”
Student Affairs & Enrollment Management Funding Initiatives
Career Services & Leadership Development
Through integrated learning opportunities, the Center promotes career exploration and leadership development.
Guardian Scholars
Guardian Scholars serves former and current foster care youth in pursuing their undergraduate degrees.
Project Rebound
Project Rebound assists formerly incarcerated individuals in admissions and academic success at the University.
Basic Needs Initiatives
The Basic Needs Initiatives support students in reaching their full potential by responding to student hunger and housing insecurity.
