SCC Philanthropy Donor Impact Report

We are pleased to share this report on philanthropic support of our college and to have the opportunity to convey our deepest gratitude to all the donors who have made a difference for our students, faculty, staff, and programs this year.

Despite the many challenges of the pandemic, 2021-22 proved to be an incredibly successful fundraising year for SCC with $1.45M raised to support our students and programs. The impact on our students has ranged from scholarship awards to basic needs programs, emergency grants, and textbook vouchers along with other program support that has directly improved the educational experience we provide. Every donor has touched the lives of so many people at SCC, and we thank them for their kindness!

Employee Giving

This year we received 735 gifts (both recurring payroll deduction and one-time gifts) from SCC employees for a total of $19,120! This amazing support from faculty and staff has tremendous impact on our students and is yet another way that our employees have shown they are committed to their success!

For employees interested in initiating or changing monthly giving, our handy payroll deduction form makes it easy. Monthly giving adds up to important and consistent support we can count on to help our students!

Facts on Scholarships

Every year, the Los Rios Colleges Foundation scholarship program makes a deep financial impact on the lives of our students. This year, Sacramento City College awarded 419 scholarships and more than $321,953 to assist students in completing their educational goals. Yet again, we broke another record! As Melissa, a 2022 scholarship recipient, noted: “This scholarship means so much to me. It allows me the opportunity to continue my education while alleviating some of the financial burden. I am a single mother of two and receive no assistance for their care. It has been a struggle to survive while attending school. However, graduating is a top priority. I want to provide inspiration to my children in hopes that they understand the importance of a higher education. I also want to secure a career that will provide stability and security for them while also bettering society.”

Textbook Assistance

Our robust textbook assistance program is funded through the Hulda Mae Stone Endowment and the Textbook Assistance fund. Last year we supported 183 students and helped them purchase 386 textbooks for a total of $24,000 through the Stone endowment and another $10,000 to students in the RAZA and ASHE programs.

One textbook voucher recipient last year, said, “Every semester I have struggled to figure out how I will be able to get the books I need for my classes. In the past I have checked out the two hour reserved books from the library, but due to the pandemic and the closure of the Sacramento City College library it has been difficult figuring out how to get the books I need to be successful. Receiving this book scholarship will allow me to be able to study at home without a time restriction. I only have a few more semesters at Sacramento City College and I believe that receiving this scholarship will boost my 3.72 GPA giving me a better chance of being able to transfer to Sacramento State.”

Lorrie Morris Nursing Scholarship Endowment

Our campus has been fortunate to receive an incredible bequest totaling $1.2M, half of which we received in 2020-21 and half in 2021-22, from the estate of an anonymous donor. This donor created the Lorrie Morris Nursing Scholarship Endowment in memory of his friend Lorrie Morris, a 1948 graduate from the Sacramento Hospital Nursing Program. Lorrie worked as an OB/Gyn nurse during her career and served on the board of the SCC Nursing Alumni Association for many years. She died in 2008. The scholarship is awarded to students in our nursing program who have a minimum 3.0 GPA, and this endowment will certainly help hundreds of nursing students for generations to come.

SCC Mini Grants

Generous donors to the SCC Fund, which includes many of our faculty and staff, make our mini grant program possible. Grants of up to $3,000 are awarded to projects that directly improve the student experience at SCC and contribute to equitable outcomes for all. In AY 21-22 we supported three projects for a total of $8,350. One grant supported the “Laura Star U” iron for the Fashion program, which will allow their students to use a high-quality iron that is the standard in the fashion industry. Professor Lynne Giovannetti, chair of the Fashion Department, said of the mini grant support, “This Laura Star iron really brings our students into the new millennium. Students now have the tools to achieve professional pressing results in multiple courses. When students work on this machine, they learn skills that will aid them in future employment.” Thanks to our SCC Fund donors who make these impactful projects possible!

Kaiser Permanente’s support of our Community Health Worker program

Over the past three years, Kaiser Permanente has generously supported our Community Health Worker program partnership with La Familia Counseling Center for a total of $75,000. La Familia has recruited participants from their service area to participate in our CHW program, allowing students to train (or re-train) for a new career in an in-demand industry, and ensuring that there will be new culturally-competent community health workers in our region. Much of Kaiser Permanente’s support has gone directly to students in the form of scholarships or textbook support, which helps to remove cost as a barrier to program completion. We are grateful to Kaiser Permanente for their vision in supporting a program that has the power to change the lives of its participants as well as the communities they serve.

Panther Cares

This year, while our Basic Needs Center had state and federal pandemic resources available for our food distribution program, we used the Panther Cares support for our emergency hotels program. Last year we spent $10,969 to provide emergency shelter for students, which added up to 53 nights of hotel stays for students in need.

Student Emergency Fund

More than 670 SCC students were supported via the Student Emergency Fund last year. Funds are still available! The Los Rios Colleges Foundation will be extending the enhanced Student Emergency Fund grants of up to $1,000 to students who are involved in sudden and unexpected emergencies that threaten their ability to continue their education. The link to the application may be found on the Los Rios Colleges Foundation website. To be eligible, students must demonstrate exceptional need resulting from a sudden emergency event (loss of job, change in living situation, childcare needs, etc.) and qualify as low-income through either the FASFA or CADAA, or an undocumented or international student with no access to Financial Aid. They must also be enrolled in at least 6 units at Los Rios.

A huge boost for Panther Athletics

In 2020 Los Rios began partnering with eTeam, a fundraising platform that works with college and university athletics programs on assisting them with crowdfunding. In the last year, six of SCC’s athletic teams raised an additional $51,175 in direct support! These donor funds allow the teams to purchase equipment, uniforms, and to pay for the cost of travel around the state.

Again, we sincerely thank each and every donor who made a gift to our campus last year. Your support impacted the lives of students and made a difference to our campus community, and for that we are very grateful!