SBCC Foundation Hosts Spring Forward Gala

On May 4, about 300 supporters of the Santa Barbara City College Foundation gathered on the Great Meadow at Santa Barbara City College (SBCC) to raise funds for the SBCC Promise and other forms of student support. 

The Foundation, which channels private donations, distributes roughly $5 million each year, including $2.4 million for the SBCC Promise. Launched by the Foundation in 2016, the Promise covers all tuition, fees, books, and supplies for eligible, local students for two years.

After the reception, guests entered an enormous, clear tent on the picturesque campus for dinner. Board President Madeleine Jacobson welcomed guests and introduced the Foundation’s new CEO Bobbi Abram, who came from Pasadena City College, where she served as executive director for the past 12 years. Abram, on day four in her new post, remarked that she came from the second-largest community college foundation in the state and is thrilled to be at the largest one.

While the Foundation is the largest, the needs it serves are also enormous. As auction host Ernesto Paredes noted, community colleges receive the lowest per-student public funding, yet serve the most diverse and lowest-income students at a time with an historic rise in the basic cost of living. Alondra Hernandez, an SBCC Promise student, eloquently shared her gratitude to the Foundation for enabling her to pursue her studies.

In an interview, Abram related that the SBCC Promise is known across the state as one of the most innovative and successful programs supporting the needs of community college students and was the main draw for the position. Also appealing to her was working with SBCC Superintendent/President Erika Endrijonas, with whom she worked at Pasadena City College, and the knowledge that the college was under stable, sustainable leadership. 

With SBCC having gone through four regular/interim superintendents/presidents in the four years before Endrijonas arrived in 2023, stability would be a welcome change.

The SBCC Promise greatly expands the aid available to low-income students, enabling attendance for many who otherwise could not attend. The State of California, through the Board of Governors Fee Waiver and then the CA Promise Grant, has long covered the tuition of very-low-income students. However, the SBCC Promise Program covers the cost of books, fees, and supplies, which can be prohibitive for these students. 

Equally significant, the SBCC Promise also covers students whose families earn too much to qualify for the state’s program, yet still struggle financially. Since 2016, these students have made up about one-third of Promise students. The program is open to students who have just completed high school in the district (from Gaviota to Carpinteria), enroll full-time, meet with counselors, and remain in good academic standing. For the 2023-24 year, there are nearly 1,900 students in the program, a welcome bounce back from a COVID-induced low of about 1,100 students. 

In addition to funding the Promise, the Foundation distributes each year about $1.5 million for student support programs and about $1.1 million for scholarships and book grants.

Student support programs include the Running Start program for high school students who are unprepared for college; SPARC, for single-parent students; Rising Scholars, for individuals released from the criminal justice system; and the Scheinfeld Center for Entrepreneurship, for budding student entrepreneurs. 

According to the most recent financial statement (June 2023), the Foundation had $84 million, much of which is in restricted scholarships. Another chunk reflects the $20 million unrestricted gift made by MacKenzie Scott in 2021, a gift that shows both the value of SBCC and the needs of its students.

Abram indicated that Endrijonas and she have as a goal for this year completing a collaborative plan for Scott’s gift. These funds have not been used, according to Abram, because of the change in leadership at both the College and the Foundation. Since 2021, there have been four permanent or interim SBCC superintendents/presidents and two SBCC Foundation CEOs. Another factor was the influx during the pandemic of time-restricted government aid.

Abram stated that the Foundation also will be putting together a general strategic plan. This process will involve the board, which includes members of the college administration, and likely community input as well.

Last fall, SBCC served 13,427 credit students, 7,382 of whom were from its district and 38 percent of whom were full-time.