University donations surpass $100 million mark in four-year growth spurt
Riverside, Calif. (Dec. 2, 2024) – Over the past four years, donations to California Baptist University have increased, culminating in more than $102 million in gifts and gift commitments given during that time. This remarkable growth is fueling scholarships, academic programs and campus projects that are shaping the future for members of Lancer Nation.
In the fiscal year ending June 2024, gifts and pledges were nearly $19.5 million. That is more than double what was given three years earlier. Donors generously contributed to schools, colleges, programs, athletics and other needs across the university.
“The impact these gifts will have on CBU and the students will continue for generations,” said Paul Eldridge, vice president for University Advancement. "The generosity of our donors opens up countless ways for future students to achieve their educational goals, live their purpose and fulfill their God-given calling."
During this time, CBU received several transformational gifts, including the most significant gift commitment in university history — $28.5 million — from real estate developer Dale E. Fowler and his wife, Sarah Ann. CBU's 5,050-seat Fowler Events Center was named in their honor.
CBU's five-year $40 Million Endowment Challenge, which launched in 2021, was completed this fall in just three-and-a-half years. A generous donor and the university institutional funds matching program enabled endowment gifts of $25,000 or more to be “double matched” — effectively quadrupling the value of gifts given to this endowment challenge.
CBU schools, colleges and programs that have received significant gift commitments include the School of Christian Ministries, the Gordon and Jill Bourns College of Engineering, the Shelby and Ferne Collinsworth School of Performing Arts, the College of Nursing, the newly redesigned CBU Honors Program, the Baseball and Softball Clubhouse and many other areas. Lancer friends have shown remarkable generosity, supporting CBU and empowering students to succeed.
We take a closer look at three areas of giving that have made a difference.
Scholarships
Gifts for scholarships can be given to the general scholarship fund or designated for a certain program or degree. For instance, the Fill-the-Gap Fund provides financial support specifically to deserving students in need of financial assistance who may not otherwise be able to remain enrolled at CBU.
Scholarship gifts can be awarded immediately to students or used to establish an endowed scholarship, providing support to students year after year.
In the fiscal year ending June 2024, $3.8 million in donor-provided scholarships was awarded to students, more than four times the amount awarded in 2020. In the current year, over $3.9 million in donor-provided scholarships has been awarded to students.
Evan Shea, a business administration senior, chose to attend CBU to strengthen his spiritual walk. He received a Dr. Robert K. Jabs Endowed Business Scholarship.
“This scholarship has helped a lot financially this semester,” Shea said. “I would like to say thank you to all donors involved. Your support goes a long way and impacts every student in different ways.”
Charity Spradlin, an applied theology junior, has received the Bachelor of Applied Theology Scholarship, the Hae and Shina Park Endowment Scholarship and the Hazelle Canady Memorial Scholarship. She wanted to attend CBU because her parents met here, and she wants to teach the Bible.
“To answer the question of how receiving these scholarships has affected my college experience is hard because I do not know if I would be here without them,” she said. “I really believe donating to students is one of the most amazing ways to support the Great Commission work that is being done at CBU every day.”
Spradlin said she is grateful to those who donate to the scholarships.
“These students will make up the next generation of teachers, nurses, pastors, missionaries, writers and business owners who can shine the light of Christ to a dark world,” Spradlin said. “Helping them get their education at such a gospel-centered university will impact generations to come.”
CBU Mobile Health Clinic
The College of Nursing acquired a 39-foot-long, full-service mobile health clinic in 2023. The $365,000 unit was made possible through a grant and gifts from generous donors, including the Messner and Downs families from Downs Energy - Fuel and Lubricants.
When determining what areas the clinic should serve, the university reviewed Riverside County’s needs assessment, said Amanda Pitchford, professor of nursing and administrator of the mobile clinic.
“We're seeing that there's a major access issue, and the populations that have the access issues, of course, are minority populations, especially our foster care population,” Pitchford said.
Twice a month, the clinic is stationed at the Concerned Family, a ministry in Perris, California, that provides meals, groceries and clothes to migrants and underserved and homeless populations.
CBU is in the planning stages with Riverside County Department of Public Social Services to serve locations in Moreno Valley, Mead Valley, Desert Hot Springs and Beaumont.
“I'm excited about it because a lot of nursing students are so acute-care focused; they think nursing is just in the four walls of a hospital. They don't know that we can do all this out here,” Pitchford said.
The mobile clinic provides free health care services and health education to underserved neighbors as well as clinical practice for CBU's College of Nursing students.
“It was a shock to me how many people in the community didn't have access to health care or have a lack of knowledge,” said Rebecca Halgemo, a nursing student. “There's a lot of opportunity for educating them as well.”
For Mia Ortega, a nursing student, seeing patients at the mobile clinic opened her eyes to other difficulties they may be facing.
“They come for care at a mobile clinic like this and you see that they live in their car. We can connect (homelessness) to different health concerns,” she said. “There are these connective pieces that you don’t get in a hospital.”
Endowment
Whether for scholarships, programs, operations, or other areas, endowment provides long-term financial stability and is critical to the health and wellness of the institution. CBU’s endowment has seen significant growth over the past four years. In 2020, CBU’s endowment stood at $82.8 million and in November of 2024, it stands at $162.7 million, a 96% increase. This growth can be attributed to generous donors who understand the importance of endowment giving, including the many who participated in the $40 Million Endowment Challenge; university institutional matching funds for endowment gifts; growth in university quasi endowment; and market growth.
Giving at CBU
The generosity of so many friends, alumni, parents and others is a great blessing to CBU. Every gift, large or small, enables CBU to continue offering students an educational experience that blends academics with spiritual and social development opportunities. CBU is thankful for the prayers, friendship and financial generosity that help prepare the next generation of CBU students to stand out with their skills and integrity.
To find out more about giving to CBU, go to calbaptist.edu/give.
