California Polytechnic State University Foundation
89% goes to programs $9 to raise $100 Strong reserves Growing revenue
California Polytechnic State University Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization based in San Luis Obispo, California, registered in 2006, with $74,723,223 in FY2023 revenue. CharityIndex grades it A, and it directs about 89% of spending to programs.
4800 Morabito Place 120, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401 EIN 20-4927897 Since 2006
Revenue (FY2023)
$74.7M
▲ 59.0% vs prior year
Education median: $200K
Expenses (FY2023)
$51.3M
Net assets
$420.7M
Employees
0
CharityIndex rating
One independent A+ to F grade from four published criteria, each scored separately from IRS filings and combined by weight.
A
A+Program efficiency40% of the rating89% to programs · $9 to raise $100
Measures how much of every dollar spent actually reaches programs, plus what it costs to raise $100 of donations. The worse of the two measures sets the letter (85%+ to programs is an A; under $15 to raise $100 is an A), averaged over the three most recent filings. For California Polytechnic State University Foundation: 89% to programs · $9 to raise $100 earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
B+Financial health25% of the rating98 mo reserves · +31% margin
Measures whether the organization is built to last: how many months its reserves would cover expenses (3+ months earns an A-range score, but hoarding 5+ years of budget is capped) and whether it runs a surplus or a deficit. For California Polytechnic State University Foundation: 98 mo reserves · +31% margin earns a B+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Governance25% of the rating6 of 6 checks met
Checks how the organization is run, from its own Form 990: an independent board majority, a board of five or more, conflict-of-interest, whistleblower and document-retention policies, and independently audited financials. The share of disclosed checks that pass sets the letter. For California Polytechnic State University Foundation: 6 of 6 checks met earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
A+Transparency10% of the rating5 of 5 disclosure signals
Counts five disclosure signals: a recent filing, a mission statement, program descriptions, a listed website, and the full expense breakdown. More disclosure, better letter. For California Polytechnic State University Foundation: 5 of 5 disclosure signals earns a A+ on this criterion. See the exact thresholds →
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Mission
The foundation's purpose is to operate as an auxiliary organization of the california state university by supporting the scientific, literary, educational and charitable purposes of california polytechnic state university, san luis obispo.
What they do
Management and investment of campus program funds and endowment funds, the earnings on which are restricted for the benefit of the university.
Contact & location
- Address
- 4800 Morabito Place 120, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93401
- City
- San Luis Obispo
- State
- California
- Category
- Education
- Subcategory
- Support Foundations & Fundraising
- Phone
- …
- Website
- …
Financial trends
Revenue grew from $25.9M (FY2013) to $74.7M (FY2023) across 11 reported years.
Financial snapshot
Financial health & position (FY2023)
Liabilities $16.4MNet assets $420.7M
Operating margin
31.3%
Revenue exceeded expenses in the latest fiscal year.
Total assets
$437.0M
Total liabilities
$16.4M
Net assets
$420.7M
Salaries & benefits
$0
0% of expenses
Board members
28
23 independent
Financials by year
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Expenses | Net assets | Total assets | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | $74,723,223▲59.0% | $51,314,550▲10.7% | $420,670,055▲7.9% | $437,035,056▲8.3% | 990 |
| 2022 | $46,982,068▼20.5% | $46,371,070▼19.4% | $389,754,427▲4.4% | $403,663,890▲4.1% | 990 |
| 2021 | $59,131,933▲33.4% | $57,544,624▲42.7% | $373,184,932▼10.6% | $387,833,874▼10.7% | 990 |
| 2020 | $44,339,782▼9.2% | $40,325,198▲2.7% | $417,635,687▲15.5% | $434,195,321▲16.2% | 990 |
| 2019 | $48,841,710▲10.9% | $39,260,409▲11.0% | $361,703,067▼2.3% | $373,579,737▼1.0% | 990 |
| 2018 | $44,057,764▼23.8% | $35,353,848▼20.3% | $370,167,908▲2.8% | $377,483,082▲2.3% | 990 |
| 2017 | $57,843,515▼11.7% | $44,366,532▲64.1% | $360,096,314▲6.0% | $368,991,639▲5.6% | 990 |
| 2016 | $65,538,856▲24.4% | $27,034,661▼13.4% | $339,815,311▲18.6% | $349,438,110▲16.6% | 990 |
| 2015 | $52,695,621▼4.3% | $31,206,516▲4.5% | $286,408,106▲6.5% | $299,791,929▲6.5% | 990 |
| 2014 | $55,050,551▲113% | $29,866,960▲23.8% | $268,908,038▲4.7% | $281,410,732▲5.4% | 990 |
| 2013 | $25,858,199 | $24,121,930▲4.7% | $256,730,690▲9.9% | $267,112,960▲9.6% | 990 |
| 2012 | — | $23,043,882▲19.5% | $233,553,798▲6.5% | $243,683,119▲6.1% | 990 |
| 2011 | — | $19,288,175▲2.9% | $219,296,596▼3.3% | $229,626,631▼2.9% | 990 |
| 2010 | — | $18,752,779▲29.7% | $226,839,706▲15.5% | $236,590,212▲14.5% | 990 |
| 2009 | — | $14,464,056 | $196,436,828 | $206,695,624 | 990 |
Original Form 990 PDFs (the Form column) are served by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, as filed with the IRS. Create a free account to download the CSV report.
Leadership & compensation (FY2023)
| Name | Title | Hours/week | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abegail Lara | Director | 2 | — |
| Basia Gillespie Part Year | Director | 2 | — |
| Charles L Harrington | Vice Chairman | 3 | — |
| Cheri Dejong | Director | 2 | — |
| Chris Trapani | Director | 2 | — |
| Cynthia Jackson-elmoore | Director | 2 | — |
| Cynthia Vizcaino Villa Part Year | Director | 2 | — |
| Hilary Decesare | Director | 2 | — |
| Jeffrey D Armstrong | University President | 5 | — |
| Jennifer Jipson | Director | 2 | — |
| Jerry Lohr | Director | 2 | — |
| Jim Marderosian | Director | 2 | — |
| John F Salmonson Part Year | Director | 2 | — |
| John Ronca | Secretary | 3 | — |
| Kenric B Stone | Director | 2 | — |
| Laura M Pickering | Director | 2 | — |
| Lisa Anderson | Director | 2 | — |
| Lloyd Dean | Director | 2 | — |
| Marc Benadiba | Treasurer | 8 | — |
| Michael Abbott | Director | 2 | — |
Top vendors & contractors (FY2023)
| Contractor | Services | Paid |
|---|---|---|
| Kaspick & Company | Investment Advisor | $559,679 |
Grants received · $56.1M total
242 grants to California Polytechnic State University Foundation totaling $56.1M, reported by foundations on their Schedule I filings — showing the 15 most recent.
| Grantmaker | Purpose | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Online Giving Foundation Inc | General support | 2024 | $311,252 |
| Gs Donor Advised Philanthropy Fund For Wealth Management Inc | Education | 2024 | $246,000 |
| American Diabetes Association Inc | Innovative research to support the psychological and emotional needs of people with diabetes | 2024 | $200,000 |
| American Diabetes Association Inc | Innovative research to improve the lives of women with diabetes across the lifespan | 2024 | $200,000 |
| American Diabetes Association Inc | Innovative clinical or translational science nutrition | 2024 | $200,000 |
| Morgan Stanley Global Impact Funding Trust Inc | Unrestricted general support | 2024 | $144,500 |
| Charities Aid Foundation America | Charitable donation | 2024 | $126,763 |
| American Diabetes Association Inc | Research career initiator | 2024 | $100,000 |
| American Endowment Foundation | Educational | 2024 | $81,167 |
| American Diabetes Association Inc | Postdoctoral fellowship | 2024 | $67,300 |
| Los Altos Community Foundation | Operations | 2024 | $30,000 |
| Servant Foundation | Education | 2024 | $28,500 |
| Ayco Charitable Foundation | Education | 2024 | $25,000 |
| The Us Charitable Gift Trust | For recipient's exempt purpose | 2024 | $25,000 |
| Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors Inc | Arts, culture & humanities, education | 2024 | $20,000 |
Grants made · $32.9M in FY2023
4 grants totaling $32.9M in FY2023. All grants made by California Polytechnic State University Foundation →
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| California Polytechnic State University | Support of the university | $25,643,909 |
| California Polytechnic State University | Scholarships for students as determined by the university | $4,942,551 |
| Cal Poly Corporation | Contributions to cal poly corporation in support of the university | $2,288,150 |
| Associated Students Inc | Contributions to associated students, inc. in support of the university | $29,142 |
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Compare California Polytechnic State University Foundation
Frequently asked questions
- Is California Polytechnic State University Foundation a legitimate nonprofit?
- Yes. California Polytechnic State University Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization registered with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service under EIN 20-4927897, based in San Luis Obispo, California. Donations are tax-deductible.
- What is California Polytechnic State University Foundation's EIN?
- California Polytechnic State University Foundation's Employer Identification Number (EIN) is 20-4927897.
- How much revenue does California Polytechnic State University Foundation report?
- California Polytechnic State University Foundation reported $74,723,223 in total revenue on its fiscal year 2023 IRS Form 990 filing.
- How much of California Polytechnic State University Foundation's spending goes to programs?
- California Polytechnic State University Foundation spends about 89% of its total expenses on programs, based on its latest IRS Form 990.
- What financial grade does California Polytechnic State University Foundation have?
- CharityIndex grades California Polytechnic State University Foundation A, based on program efficiency and fundraising cost.
- How much does California Polytechnic State University Foundation's highest-paid employee make?
- The highest reported compensation on California Polytechnic State University Foundation's latest Form 990 is $0, paid to Abegail Lara (Director).
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Data for California Polytechnic State University Foundation (EIN 20-4927897) comes from the IRS Business Master File and e-filed Form 990 returns, via CharityIndex. Figures reflect what the organization reported to the IRS for each fiscal year.