Santiago Canyon College Foundation

Aligned with Santiago Canyon College’s mission, the Santiago Canyon College Foundation champions student success and educational equity by funding campus programs and faculty initiatives. We collaborate with the community to raise funds, forge partnerships, and provide scholarships, fostering an inclusive environment that nurtures potential and transforms lives.

The Santiago Canyon College Foundation (SCCF), established in 1998, is an
independent 501(c) (3) organization whose primary objective is to acquire
sufficient monetary and in-kind donations from individual, corporate and
foundation sources to assist Santiago Canyon College (SCC) in meeting its core
goal of providing a high quality, innovative and accessible learning
environment to a diverse student community.

The SCCF board of directors currently consists of nine members drawn mostly
from the communities in and immediately surrounding the City of Orange. Professional
pursuits represented on the board include education, manufacturing, banking,
marketing and law. In addition to volunteer members, the board has three
ex-officio voting members: the SCC Foundation Executive Director, the President
of SCC, and the Chancellor of the Rancho Santiago Community College District
(RSCCD).  Keeping in view the priorities of the college, board members
work as a team to develop broad goals for the foundation, oversee the investment
of assets and distribution of funds per donor intentions, review foundation
policy and governance documents, participate in fundraising and outreach
efforts, provide expertise to the college, and connect the college with new
friends and supporters.

In addition to its governing board, the foundation relies on SCC staff
members to provide day-to-day support for its operations. The Vice President of
Student Services provides leadership to the College Advancement Office and
serves as the executive director of the college foundation. The executive secretary
for the Office of the Vice President of Student Services provides limited gift
processing, correspondence, logistical and meeting coordination services.  SCC’s financial services office provides
financial tracking and reporting services. A full-time development coordinator under
the Office of College Advancement provides support and advice to foundation
board members as needed.  

As of June 30, 2020, the foundation held approximately $2 million in
invested assets on behalf of the college. In fiscal 2023, donors contributed approximately
$246, 000 to the College through the foundation. Funds were put to a variety of
purposes, including student scholarships, SCC’s Hawk's Nest Food Pantry/Basic Needs Center, award-winning Model United
Nations program, Community Science Night, and the Veterans Service Office,
to name only a few. 

Through its foundation, Santiago Canyon College provided over $262,000 in private scholarship support for students in FY 2019-2020. The foundation also supports several important college programs and events, including the Hawks Nest Food Pantry, Community Science Night, the annual performing arts showcase, Model United Nations, our Adult Education Older Adults Art Program, to name a few. 

With state support for public universities and colleges falling in real terms, the SCC Foundation will play an increasingly important role in helping Santiago Canyon College secure the resources it needs to insure that all qualified students have access to a quality education, regardless of their economic circumstances. To that end, the foundation seeks more donations to support the greatest needs of the college, including money for scholarships, lab equipment, other academic supplies and materials, academic research and conference travel for faculty and students, and student enrichment and success programs. The College is also focusing more attention on comprehensive basic needs support.

Santiago Canyon College serves Orange, Villa Park, Orange Park Acres, Anaheim Hills and North Tustin. Students enroll from other geographic areas as well, including North Orange County and western Riverside County. There is also a small but growing number of international students.

Today Santiago Canyon College’s overall budget from the State
of California has recovered significantly. 
However, the part of the budget which supports student enrichment
activities and even some core programs still suffers.  As a non-profit 501 (c) (3), the Santiago Canyon
College Foundation (SCCF) provides a way for private donors to support a number
of programs essential to a well-rounded student experience.  SCCF raises financial resources to help
bridge the budget shortfall so that students of all backgrounds get life-changing
academic and leadership opportunities at college.   Here is how donated dollars help SCC students. SCCF was able to provide private scholarships totaling more than $340,000 in 2017-18. We assisted the college with reinstating SCC’s award-winning Model United Nations (Model UN) and Forensic Debate Team programs. We also helped the college sustain programs like the Student Leadership Institute, the student art acquisition program (for a permanent student art collection exhibited throughout the campus), Community Science Night (annually attended by more than 1,000 local elementary school students – and future scholars) and the performing arts Holiday Showcase (celebrating diversity.) We provided support to veterans through the Veterans Service Office and to disadvantaged students served by EOPS (Extended Opportunity Programs and Services.) Contributions to SCCF also supported the library, athletics, undergraduate research opportunities, stipends for the speaker program, conference and competition travel and more. SCC is an affordable local community college, but it is much more than that. It is a spirited, young community college that is helping to produce the well-educated, engaged, world citizens of the future. In 2020, for the fifth year in a row, Santiago Canyon College (SCC) was included on the list of “Great Colleges to Work For” by The Chronicle of Higher Education. For me, it is a simple leap of faith to say that SCC is not only a “Great College to Work For.”With its top-notch faculty and staff, stellar academic and transfer track record, modern facilities, easy and accessible location, many student activities, award-winning sports teams, great honors program, and thriving adult education, apprenticeship and career technical education programs, all at low cost – it is also a “Great College to Attend!” As SCCF board members, we are proud members of SCC’s “team” and we are grateful for support from individual donors and business and community partners. Your financial contributions elevate the educational experience at SCC and make a world of difference for SCC students. Thank you! Larry Cohn SCCF Board President