University Advancement is pleased to present you with this Impact Report, which provides a meaningful insight into the wonderful ways that donors affect the lives of our students, faculty, staff and entire community. The report is a real testament to the incredible dedication that our donors have to the University, and the true partnerships which are formed through the care and generosity of their giving.
I hope that you will click the links in the report to read the moving stories of students whose lives have been altered forever through receiving scholarships, of faculty whose research has been made possible by donated funds, and of the many ways in which the University’s ethics of community care, compassion and equity are lived by alumni and friends who have selflessly given to the University and our students. The stories are unique and moving, and it is truly rewarding to learn about the impact of giving to San Francisco State University.
Thank you for all you do. Your partnership means the world to everyone at SF State, and we’re honored to work with you to provide the best for the University.
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 61 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 = $2.84M
Number of scholarships awarded = 1,229
Number of new scholarships funded = 23
Data reflects fiscal year 2021-2022
Alumni Donors
SF State has more than 280,000 alumni, the majority of whom live in the SF Bay Area. The University’s alumni work in every sector – from jazz musicians to elementary school teachers to biotech executives. They often have a strong drive to help their community and a “giving back” ethic. Last year, almost half 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.
Alumni donors = 1,889
Total donated by alumni = $2.2M
Data reflects fiscal year 2021-2022
Impact of Giving
Number of gifts = 5,650
Endowment value = $156.2M
Total donated to the University = $21.2M
4,281 total donors
1,512 new donors
College of Liberal & Creative Arts
Student Profile: Mina Kasirifar (M.A., ‘21) - Scholarship Recipient
While a graduate student at SF State, Mina Kasirifar (M.A., ‘21) received two scholarships, the Alumni Association Graduate Scholarship and the Wilbur Eugene Smith Endowed Scholarship.
These funds gave her the time and resources to develop her capstone project – a chair for children called FLIP. FLIP enhances children’s sensory development and can be used as a rocking chaise lounge, a chair, a rocking horse, a stool, and much more.
FLIP recently won the West District Graduate Student Merit Award from the Industrial Designers Society of America.
Robert Bechtle Artwork Donated to SF State
Renowned artist Robert Bechtle inspired thousands of art students in his painting classes at SF State. As his international career flourished, he remained a devoted professor for 30 years. Bechtle’s wife Whitney Chadwick, an art historian widely known for her expertise in women surrealists, taught in the Art department for many years as well. She is the author of the groundbreaking book, “Women, Art and Society,” which is widely held as a seminal work on art made by women.
In 2022, the Robert Bechtle and Whitney Chadwick Trust, overseen by Chadwicks’s cousin Robert Firehock, donated five original Bechtle works on paper to the University. These beautiful works on paper will be exhibited on campus and used in coursework and study in the Art department.
SF State’s Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies Responds to Iranian Crisis
The Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies (CIDS) launched in 2017 with a $5 million gift from SF State alumna Neda Nobari. Led by Persis Karim, the Neda Nobari Distinguished Chair, it is the first and only center of its kind at an academic institution.
As protests against Iran’s discriminatory laws ignited in Iran this year, Persis became a vocal advocate for supporting the women of Iran. In this article, she shares her insights into the protests and calls for people the world over to take action in support of Iranian women.
Student Video Profile: Olivia Gillett
In 2022, Olivia Gillett received a B.S. in Interior Design, with a double minor in Art History and Studio Art. In this inspiring video, Olivia tells her story – before she received her scholarship, she wasn’t sure she would be able to graduate, due to financial stresses.
College of Ethnic Studies
Jeff Duncan-Andrade, Ph.D.: Inspiring Students to Dream Through Positive Leadership
As the recently appointed chair of Latina/Latino Studies, Jeff Duncan-Andrade is forging a new kind of leadership that is connected to the values of Ethnic Studies. Read about his thoughts on equity in education and the value of dedicated donorship to the Latina/o/x department.
Lam Family College of Business
Donor Spotlight: Adrienne & David Yarnold
Adrienne (B.S., ’83) and David Yarnold (B.S., ’82) have become major donors to the Lam Family College of Business, with a focus on funding scholarships for Accounting students. Having come from less privileged backgrounds themselves, they have a deep appreciation for hard work and the road blocks many students at SF State face.
Donor Spotlight: Loretta Doon
Although Loretta Doon (M.A., ’73) graduated from San Francisco State with an M.A. in Elementary Education, much of her career has been in the accounting industry. Loretta is a passionate mentor and philanthropist with an unwavering dedication to her community and alma mater.
In 2020, she established the Loretta Doon Scholarship Endowment in Accounting at the Lam Family College of Business to ensure that future Accounting students have the means to persist towards graduation.
College of Science & Engineering
The Allen Institute: Funding Groundbreaking Neuroscience Research
This year, SF State Associate Professor of Biology Robyn Crook was named an Allen Distinguished Investigator by The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group, a division of the Allen Institute. Crook was among 23 of this year’s honorees and will receive $1.5 million over the next three years for innovative early-stage research. She is the first California State University faculty member to win the award since its inception in 2010.
Science & Engineering Innovation Center (SEIC) & Catalyze the Future Campaign
Due to be completed in 2024, the cutting-edge Science & Engineering Innovation Center will be home to the College of Science & Engineering, with offices, labs, and classrooms for the School of Engineering and the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry.
Construction funding has been provided by the CSU. San Francisco State launched a $25 million fundraising campaign this year called Catalyze the Future to equip the new Innovation Center with state-of-the-art technology.
Donor Profile: Camilla Smith – Major donor to the Catalyze the Future campaign
In 2022, Camilla Smith and her husband deepened their commitment to science and engineering at SF State with a major gift to the University’s $25 million Catalyze the Future campaign, which will fund state-of-the-art technology in the future Science & Engineering Innovation Center.
Student Video Profile: Christian Camaño
Despite supporting himself and paying for college, scholarship recipient Christian Camaño is currently pursuing a double-major in Computer Science and Mathematics for Advanced Study, with a minor in Anthropology. His goal is to become a researcher in applied mathematics. Christian also runs an online forum for 400+ San Francisco State math students. Like many scholarship recipients, Christian is immensely proud of having received a scholarship, and feels that it boosted his confidence as well as his finances.
Gator Athletics
Vic Rowen Scholarship Fund: Gator Gridiron Club Raises $104,000 as part of a $150,000 Campaign for Student-Athlete Scholarships
A committee of dedicated alumni joined with Gator Athletics to raise more than $104,000 towards athletic scholarships in Vic Rowen’s memory. Vic Rowen (1919-2013) was the esteemed head coach of San Francisco State University’s football team from 1961-1989.
SF Chronicle profiles Johnny Mathis
San Francisco Chronicle profiled singer, alumni and donor Johnny Mathis in April 2022. Entitled, “Johnny Mathis—yes, the singer—was an S.F. high jump champion. Seventy years later, he’s still giving back”, the article tells Mathis’ story, from track star to famous singer to major financial supporter of SF State’s Gator Athletics.
Graduate College of Education
Q&A with GCoE Dean Cynthia Grutzik: Discussing the Important Role of the Graduate College of Education in Education
Dean Grutzik sat down with University Development to answer questions about the college, her vision, and how philanthropy fits in with her goals.
Donor Spotlight: Vanson Nguyen
Carrying forward the ethic of service that he learned from his Buddhist parents, Vanson Nguyen (M.A., ’05; EdD, ’18) established a scholarship fund in 2018 to support students in the GCoE educational doctorate program, from which he graduated in 2015.
Named the Vanson Nguyen & Cheryl Quan Scholarship (Cheryl is Vanson’s wife), the scholarship has no GPA requirement, which he feels strongly about.
College of Health & Social Sciences
A New Scholarship Fund in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program Tributes Former Dean Ann Hallum
Knowing how important aid can be to students, emerita professor Sandra Radtka and her husband Michael Patterson endowed a scholarship named The Ann Hallum Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund to support students in need within the Doctor of Physical Therapy program.
The scholarship is a tribute to Ann Hallum, the enormously popular and fondly-remembered physical therapist, emerita professor, former Associate Dean of the College of Health & Human Services, and former dean of Graduate Studies who passed away in 2020.
Anthem Blue Cross scholarships at SF State’s Longmore Institute aim to include people with disabilities in the health-care workforce
A $100,000 donation from Anthem Blue Cross to The Longmore Institute on Disability at San Francisco State University has established a scholarship fund to support education-related expenses for students with disabilities who have committed to careers in healthcare, whether directly as healthcare practitioners or in the field of health justice.
Student Video Profile: Hassan Malik Russell
This moving 2-minute video features San Francisco State student Hassan Malik Russell (B.A., Creative Writing, ‘19), a current graduate student in the M.S. Counseling program, speaking about the financial and emotional impact of receiving a scholarship. Hassan currently works at a high school in Richmond and is obtaining a master's degree to achieve his dream of becoming a school counselor.
