I want to share a few highlights from the Foundation Board meeting.

Welcome Dan Collen:

Foundation Board Chair Jim Maher welcomed Dan Collen as the newest member of the Foundation Board. Dan has deep ties to CR, HSU, and our community. His commitment to our students profound understanding of higher education will help propel CR forward. I am excited to have him!

Foundation Update:

Marty updated the Board on the work he’s been doing on behalf of the Foundation.

• The Foundation submitted two grants - one to St. Joseph Health for their Care for the Poor Grant and one to the Rotary Club of Eureka for their Glyndon “Sign” and Ruth Smith Endowment Fund.  Both grants requested funds to support CR’s Growth Resource Outreach Valued and Empowerment Program (GROVE) Emergency Support Funds.  These funds would be used to support CR students in crisis and would provide emergency housing up to 14 days in a motel, meals in the cafeteria for up to 14 days, and up to 5 counseling sessions.
• Six students originally received the Redwoods Room and Board Scholarship in spring 2019. Five of these six students finished the semester with a 2.0+ GPA and were thus eligible to reapply and one student dropped out of college and went back to living on the streets.

The five students who completed the spring semester received the scholarship again for summer 2019; four completed this semester, and one then graduated. Another of these students is currently finishing their last class at CR and will begin classes at HSU in spring 2020.  One student was expelled from college due to behavioral issues.

In sum, of the original six students, one has graduated, one will graduate at the end of fall 2019, and two more remain enrolled in fall classes at CR. While this is a small sample, it represents to date a 67% success rate over the course of three semesters (spring 2019, summer 2019, and fall 2019). This is considerably higher than what would be considered typical for a general community college population.  We currently have six students receiving the Redwoods Scholarship for this fall semester.

As a group, staff and counselors see a more engaged and self-confident group of students than when the Redwoods Scholarship students first entered the program.  An important example of this is the students receiving the scholarship began a Student Housing Alliance Club to support CR students facing homelessness.  This alliance is focusing on advocating for housing insecure students, mentoring one another, and sharing resources with other students.

• He and Foundation Board member John Corbett met with Patrick Cleary of the Humboldt Area Foundation (HAF) to discuss the history of CR’s challenge grants.  HAF was CR’s partner in two of these grants, now valued at over $700,000.  Discussions are underway on if and how these funds can be repurposed.
• Marty participated in meetings with the Prosperity Group, which focuses on economic development in Humboldt County, and with the North Coast Grantmaking Partnership, a collaboration of local Foundations.
• The Foundation acquired two more CDs for the Cal Trans Mitigation Fund to provide stable returns on the farm equipment fund and the interest earnings.  $37,000 is still available for any immediate program needs.
• Marty and I are working with the Wiyot tribe on signs for the southern and northern ends of the Eureka campus, recognizing that the campus is located on Wiyot Lands.  The signs would say “Welcome to Wiyot Land” and would be translated into the Wiyot language.  We will also contribute an annual gift to the Wiyot Tribe in recognition of the Eureka campus being located on traditional tribal lands.  This gift will be utilized by the Wiyot tribe to support child and elder care programs.  We are also discussing how to honor the Wiyot Tribe on the northern end of the Eureka campus when the Life Science, Physical Science and Creative Arts buildings are demolished.
• The Foundation provided 750+ CR branded reflector lights to children attending Science Night.  Parents were appreciative of the practical item that could be used for Halloween.  The Foundation also provided CR branded drawstring bags, pens, pencils, and car/window decals for the District’s various outreach teams.
• He and Foundation Vice President Monica Sperling, Foundation Board Member Don Olson, Trustee Carol Mathews, and Rory Johnson Director Del Norte Education Center/Pelican Bay Scholars met to discuss the Redwoods Room and Board Scholarship Fund, fundraising in Crescent City, repurposing of Del Norte’s Challenge Grant Fund ($29,353), and meeting with the Del Norte High School Foundation.

Updating of Foundation Bylaws: The Foundation Board unanimously approved the updated bylaws. I want to congratulate Marty for managing the bylaws review and approval process so expertly.

Discussion of updated District's Naming Policy AP6620: The Foundation discussed a draft Administrative Procedure (AP) 6620. There was consensus on the Board to decouple the language of the AP and the suggested dollars associated with naming opportunities. I forwarded the draft AP, with the Foundation Board’s comments, to the ad hoc committee of the Board of Trustees (Emad, Dorn and Kelley) tasked with reviewing the draft AP.

Discussion of Foundation's 2020 Foundation Plan: The members of the Foundation Board had a very robust and important discussion relative to the mission and purpose of the Foundation. Following the discussion, it was agreed to send the draft Plan back to the ad hoc committee for discussion and possible revision.