Historic Year
of Generosity
Transformational gifts are expanding opportunities for students, strengthening academic excellence, and shaping Cal Poly Humboldt’s future.
Explore the numbersEvery Gift Helps Create Lasting Opportunities
“The generosity we’ve seen this year is a vote of confidence in the power of a Cal Poly Humboldt education.” — Steve Karp, acting vice president of University Advancement
This fiscal year marked an extraordinary milestone for philanthropy at Cal Poly Humboldt, with alumni, friends, and partners making it the most impactful year of giving in the University's history. Landmark gifts, including the University's first fully endowed professorship, significant planned gifts, and investments across academic programs, reflect a shared belief in the power of higher education to transform lives.
Together, these acts of generosity are creating lasting opportunities for hands-on learning, advancing innovative teaching and research, and ensuring future generations of students have the support they need to thrive.
"The generosity we've seen this year is a vote of confidence in the power of a Cal Poly Humboldt education," says Steve Karp, acting vice president of University Advancement and executive director of the Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation. "Every gift—whether it's for a scholarship, purchasing lab equipment, or an endowed professorship—helps create opportunities that will benefit students, faculty, and our communities for generations to come."
2025—26
Giving by the Numbers
625 recurring donors
$56.7M TOTAL ENDOWMENT
The endowment creates a lasting foundation for academic excellence and student opportunity.
$1.9M distributed for scholarships and programs
Support that reaches students where it matters most.
$1.5M DONOR-FUNDED SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED
Research & Innovation
With support from grant funding, faculty, students, and staff continue to advance bold ideas through research projects and programs that span fields, build industry partnerships, and support student success
301Total grant proposals requesting $147M
185Grants received totaling$53.8M
Giving Day:
A 24-Hour Tradition
In April, Cal Poly Humboldt embraced its fourth annual Giving Day, a powerful tradition that unites the Lumberjack community in a remarkable act of generosity. The results were extraordinary.
$349,167 Raised in 24 Hours
1,186 Donors
138 Programs and Scholarships Received Funding
77 Campus Groups Participated
$123,775 $123,775 In Matching Gifts
Historic Gift Supports the Future of Cannabis Research
A landmark $3 million gift from the Campbell Foundation—the largest single cash gift in Cal Poly Humboldt history—establishes the University's first fully funded endowed professorship.
Designated for Cannabis Studies, the gift will support a permanent faculty position, attract leading scholars, and advance groundbreaking research and education while strengthening Humboldt's national leadership in this rapidly evolving field for generations to come.
Scholarships Made Possible by Donors are Changing Students' Lives
“Scholarships are more than a dollar value. Awarding a scholarship to a student says to them, ‘We believe in you’.”—Peggy Metzger, interim vice president for
Enrollment Management & Student Success
For many Cal Poly Humboldt students, scholarships relieve the burden of work and loans, allowing them to dedicate more time to academics and community engagement.
“Scholarships are more than a dollar value. Awarding a scholarship to a student says to them, ‘We believe in you,’” says Peggy Metzger, interim vice president for Enrollment Management & Student Success. “Through the generosity and partnership of our donors, scholarships pave the way for students to flourish and succeed and graduate to make the world a better place.”