In 2023-24, the California State University secured more than $626 million in new gift commitments and almost $448 million in gift receipts, an 8% increase from the previous fiscal year. Additionally, 18 universities reported increases in giving (12 achieving double-digit growth), pushing the CSU's total endowment to an all-time high of over $2.8 billion. Nearly all (99%) of the contributions are restricted to support specific programs and academic needs across the system.
The ongoing generosity of CSU donors benefit students and faculty immensely. Donations have been transformed into new educational and research spaces and equipment, internship opportunities, expanded academic access, and support for students in need of basic services such as food, housing and transportation.
“I would like to offer my heartfelt gratitude and deepest appreciation to our donors for their generosity and continued confidence in the CSU's ability to elevate lives, families, communities and our state through the transformative power of higher education," said CSU Chancellor Mildred García. “This year's contributions will empower us to push the envelope on innovation and student success, meeting each student where they are and supporting them through graduation and beyond."
Donors designated $294 million for current CSU programs across the system, including:
- $92 million for faculty support and academic enrichment
- $42.5 million for student scholarships
- $58 million for campus improvements in property, buildings and equipment
- $29.8 million for athletics
- $17 million for academic research
- $5.6 million for student affairs and student life
- $107 million for other university priorities
Of the total amount donated, $87 million was allocated to endowments and $3.3 million in irrevocable deferred gifts.
Here are some examples of how donors' contributions are uplifting CSU students from this year's Donor Support report:
- In addition to providing at least 20 first-generation students with a renewable, full-tuition scholarship at CSU Channel Islands, software company Yardi will support two renewable $7,000 scholarships a year for full-time, first-generation, Pell Grant-eligible students in specific majors starting in 2024 and continuing through 2032.
- Two historic philanthropic donations totaling $20 million—the largest gifts in the history of California State University San Marcos—helped create a groundbreaking three-year accelerated bachelor's degree and workforce pipeline specifically for behavioral and mental health professions, providing hundreds of students with immersive, hands-on experiences through internships, simulations and real-world projects.
- The Center for Resilient, Equitable, and Sustainable Transportation (CREST), a new program at Cal State Dominguez Hills funded by a $1.2 million grant from Toyota, will offer resources for accessible, affordable transportation options, as well as 20 hybrid and/or electric vehicles for a carsharing program.
- United Way California Capital Region announced a new Collegiate Guaranteed Income Program for former foster youth that will give 10 Sacramento State students $500 a month for a year.
- A new two-story, 22,165-square-foot science center at Cal State East Bay, made possible by a $5 million contribution from Braddock Philanthropies and East Bay natives Robert Braddock and Cherie Keemar, will house five instruction spaces, four fully operational laboratories and a student-support space.
These gifts and thousands more continue to propel students forward, as the CSU remains the nation's largest and most ethnically and economically diverse public four-year university system—and its most powerful driver of social mobility.
View the full report of philanthropic giving on the CSU Donor Support website, and learn more about how to make charitable donations to the university at Support the CSU.