Opening Doors Through Legacy: Elle Gianforte’s Planned Gift to SFSU

Elle Gianforte’s journey to support SFSU through a bequest has the makings of a chapter in a book about philanthropy and the human spirit, especially when you consider that neither she nor any of her family members even attended SFSU.

Gianforte is no stranger to books, having penned or co-penned more than a dozen herself thanks to the love of writing she discovered at Kean University in New Jersey, her native state. That passion, along with the thought of living in San Francisco in the late ‘60s, led her to apply to SFSU’s burgeoning Creative Writing program that quickly was gaining a reputation as one of the best in the country.

“I got into student housing, I made arrangements to have my dog with me. Everything was set,” says Gianforte, recalling how excited she was when she was accepted and making plans to attend SFSU. “And then my parents said, ‘You’re not going.’”

Gianforte’s parents, who were paying for her education, feared that the student unrest from the fall of 1968 through the spring of 1969 would not provide a safe environment for their daughter. “I was extremely disappointed,” Gianforte said. “Going to grad school was my opportunity to get out there on my own, and I was excited about being 3,000 miles away embarking on this great adventure.

“I didn’t have my own funds for tuition, and I doubt I was adult enough at the time to consider other financing options. So I set my disappointment aside and focused on finding employment.”

Determined to pursue a career in writing, Gianforte took a job at an ad agency in New York as a receptionist. Three months later she was promoted to a copywriting position, and as she says, “I never looked back.”

Gianforte’s passion lies in nonfiction. She and her first husband adopted and raised two little boys, both the offspring of drug-addicted mothers and both with the challenges that came from those early life experiences. Rasing those children became the crux of her life and motivated her to write and co-write several books on adoption.

From there she began other projects. “I’ve written books on fashion, interior design, food, and self-help. I've worked on memoirs and wrote my first children’s book in 2023. My most recent endeavor is called 52 Ways to Be Happy: From the Inside Out, and that was a very fun project to work on.”

Two years ago, Gianforte and her husband began setting up their estate plan. As she  considered where she’d like to direct a portion of her estate, Gianforte struggled to settle on an organization or cause that she felt compelled to support.

“There was nothing that truly resonated,” Gianforte said as she considered beneficiaries. “And then I thought, if I'm going to leave money to an organization, it has to really touch my heart. All of a sudden, I thought of San Francisco State. I realized that even though I couldn’t go, I could help others go.

“When my parents told me they didn't want me to go to San Francisco State, they were concerned about my safety. Although I understood that, I really felt a door close. Years later, I managed to open a different door—one that could help provide higher education to students who might not otherwise be able to pursue their dreams.”

Once her planned gift transfers to SFSU, scholarships for Creative Writing students will carry forward Gianforte’s passion for writing and helping others, giving rise to even more chapters in many more books.