Imagine a student walking across the stage at commencement, filled with the confidence and knowledge they've gained over the years, buoyed by the support they received through a resource or program on campus or a donor-funded scholarship. Giving to Cal Poly Humboldt is an investment in the future of students.
The generosity of donors is crucial in opening doors for the next generation of leaders, whether through scholarships, funding for academic programs, or resources that enhance the student experience. Here are a few ways you can make a lasting impact on students at Humboldt.
Giving options vary from supporting a club or department you care about, to creating scholarships and endowments or adding planned gifts into your estate plan.
Even a $10 gift could help a student thrive at Humboldt. There are hundreds of different funds to choose from, including the Student Adversity Fund, which helps students address the financial burden of emergencies, or the Humboldt Loyalty Fund, which helps fill the gaps in funding for hands-on learning opportunities, technological upgrades, and cost reduction programs for students.
However, if there is a club, program, or department that you feel passionate about, you can search the fund directory at giving.humboldt.edu/our-funds for areas you want to support. Use specific keywords in the search bar to find the fund you’re looking for and give whatever amount you see fit. A few examples include the Centers for Academic Excellence, the robotics club, and the student-run Humboldt International Film Festival.
As an example, Anja Wenrick, a parent of a Humboldt alum, has donated $20 to the Oh Snap! Student Food Programs fund. Her gift will help students access nutritious and culturally appropriate food and raise awareness of student food insecurity. She says she is glad to be able to help students with this vital campus resource.
In addition to supporting existing funds, you have the power to create and personalize a scholarship that can transform a student's life. You can establish an endowed or non-endowed scholarship.
To establish a non-endowed named scholarship, you can make an initial gift of at least $10,000 in cash, securities, or real estate. This named scholarship fund you create can be renewed annually through additional gifts. It's a meaningful way to memorialize a person you love and create an honorary gift. It offers the opportunity to honor your family, remember a loved one, or bring visibility to your business.
Alternatively, with a gift or gifts totaling $25,000 or more, you can establish an enduring, permanent fund for an endowed scholarship. This fund is designed to generate at least $1,000 annually, and the annual income can be used to fund a scholarship. Endowments are invested funds, and the annual income can support the scholarship indefinitely.
In addition, you will receive a tax deduction in the year you make the gift, and students will be selected based on the criteria you have established in your scholarship. You can name specific requirements like maintaining a certain GPA or studying in a specific major to support a student with tuition and fees, or you can create an unrestricted scholarship, in which funds can be used for housing, food, books - anything the student needs. Either way, your scholarship will help students succeed.
Scholarships such as the Pamela J. Kelley-Joyce M. West Scholarship Endowment and the Jim Yates Business Endowed Fund were established to commemorate the legacies of individuals who contributed to their community and inspired others to pursue their dreams.
If you don’t have the funds to create your own scholarship, crowd-sourcing with other alumni is another way to make it happen. You can connect with classmates who were positively impacted by the department of your major or a professor and create a scholarship together. For example, the Roelofs Fisheries Scholarship Endowment was established by Fisheries alumni to support Fisheries graduate students in their research and academic pursuits. Similarly, the Cal Poly Humboldt Art Alumni Endowment, funded by Art alums, supports undergraduate or graduate Art majors.
Ultimately, these scholarships will be awarded to students, helping them achieve their educational aspirations.
Whether you choose to make a small gift to a specific fund, establish a named scholarship, or create an endowed scholarship, your generosity will help empower the next generation of leaders and change student lives for the better. Join us in shaping the future of students at Cal Poly Humboldt and make a lasting difference today.
In the next part of Empower the Next Generation: Transforming Lives at Cal Poly Humboldt, we explore the legacy of Planned Gifts and Endowments, and how they too can create a lasting impact.