Donor Stories

If you mentioned a business idea to entrepreneur and businessman Jim Yates, he would’ve immediately provided you with a detailed plan on how to turn that idea into a reality. To memorialize Jim and help Cal Poly Humboldt students interested in entrepreneurship with tuition costs, Jim’s daughter Jaime Lancaster (‘03, Business Administration), now a faculty member in the School of Business, created the Jim Yates Business Endowed Fund with a gift of $37,500.

Thomas (‘77, Zoology) and his wife, Sara Ferguson, were able to get their higher education degrees when it was much less expensive to attend college and benefited from scholarships and grants. To

Editor's note: This story was updated on Nov. 3, 2023. As a Cal Poly Humboldt student studying theater and film, David Phillips (‘69, Theatre Arts), along with his late friend Don McKenzie (‘69,

Del Skeesick (‘61, Fisheries Biology, ‘63 M.S. Fisheries Biology) began working with fish at the Minnesota Labor Department of Fisheries in 1954. As part of the Brothertown Tribe at Fond du Lac, fish is integral to his life and culture.

“Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy.” This saying is known to everyone who’s hit the mat and wrestled at one point or time. For Virgil Moorehead (‘83, Education), Craig Vejvoda (‘80, Business Administration), and Dan Phillips (‘91, Business and Computer Information Systems), who were members of the Humboldt wrestling community, it’s true.

Over the last year, thousands of donors stepped up to support Cal Poly Humboldt students, giving $12.5 million to advance academic excellence, expand educational access, and foster innovative research and programs.

Through the proceeds of a real estate transaction, real estate agent Joyce West and her friend Pamela Kelley created the Pamela J. Kelley and Joyce M. West Scholarship Endowment for scholarships to Cal Poly Humboldt basketball players.

Kenneth Sanchez (‘84, Wildlife) loves saving habitats. He has been helping protect and restore habitats in the United States for over 30 years, and now with a bequest pledge made to Cal Poly Humboldt’s Lowell Diller Wildlife Memorial Scholarship Endowment, he will one day be able to help other Humboldt Wildlife students who are just as passionate about habitat restoration.

Thanks to a generous gift of $30,000 to the Matt Johnson Wildlife Trust fund from Zach Zachowski and Barbara Gabel, who own a vineyard in Napa Valley, the Cal Poly Humboldt Barn Owl Research Team has a new truck to conduct their research.

Many laughs, smiles, and gratitude filled the campus Great Hall during the Cal Poly Humboldt Scholarship Reception on May 4. The event gave student scholarship recipients a chance to meet and connect with donors who sponsored their scholarships and believed in them.

Brad Smith’s (‘71, Wildlife Management) favorite part about being a Wildlife major at Cal Poly Humboldt was the hands-on learning experience. He remembers heading to the redwood forest behind campus.

Cal Poly Humboldt’s inaugural Giving Day was an astonishing success as the Humboldt community came together and raised $140,638 in one day! Among the day’s numerous highlights, donors contributed to

The 24-hour campaign on Wednesday, April 5 will bring together students, alumni, parents, friends, and the campus community to raise funds for students and campus programs.

Eden (‘09, Nursing) and Michelle Donahue are giving back to the Humboldt community and to thank the nurses who have shaped their lives.

Rick Gardner (‘65, Psychology) remembers the day he was accepted into Cal Poly Humboldt. “I opened the mailbox and saw the letter from Humboldt. When I opened it, I went running to my parents to show

Cal Poly Humboldt legacy donors gathered Thursday, March 2 at Baywood Golf & Country Club for the inaugural 1913 Legacy Society luncheon, a celebration of those who have designated Humboldt in

For more than four decades, Robert Gearheart has been dedicated to understanding wetland systems and sharing his wisdom and passion with others. He’s reached hundreds of students over the years. 

To ease the financial burden for Cal Poly Humboldt students and honor her parents, Jennifer Keller established the Mary & Foster Keller Endowment in 2012. The endowment created the University’s first-ever Presidential Scholarship and awards student recipients $4,000 annually for four years.

The dozens of volunteers leading Cal Poly Humboldt’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign, Boldly Rising, have collectively given more than $5 million to the effort.

Cal Poly Humboldt announced today the creation of its first endowment to support an academic club.The endowment was created by donations from students, alumni, and supporters of Logging Sports.

Cal Poly Humboldt has publicly launched the most significant fundraising effort in its history, aiming to raise at least $50 million in support of students and campus programs. It’s called Boldly Rising: the Campaign for Cal Poly Humboldt.

Two highly experienced Silicon Valley executives announced today the launch of a Northern California nonprofit angel venture aimed at supporting a unique group of budding entrepreneurs: students,

Over the past year, Cal Poly Humboldt alumni and friends gave $14.3 million in gifts and commitments, by far the highest level of annual private support in the University’s history. The endowment

To Jacob Furgatch (‘82, Nursing), graduating from the Nursing program at Humboldt was about more than getting a bachelor’s degree. His Humboldt experience became the foundation for everything that came after – his wife, family, and a successful career.

Inspired by the Cal Poly Humboldt professors who played pivotal roles in his life, Dave Shaffer (‘67, Psychology, ‘68 M.A., Psychology) has made a generous gift that will support a Psychology faculty member.