Cal State East Bay to Kick Off $60 Million Campaign

The university will host a Rising in the East: The Campaign for Cal State East Bay gala on Saturday, Sept. 24 to launch the public phase of its first-ever comprehensive campaign. 

The goal of the campaign is to raise $60 million by June 30, 2019. To date, CSUEB has achieved more than half that amount. This private gift support has allowed the university to gain prominence as a leader in K-12 STEM education and extend the reach of programs like the Hayward Promise Neighborhood initiative.

“The goal of the campaign is simple — it’s about people, place and purpose,” said Jack Acosta, chair of the Cal State East Bay Educational Foundation. “Students come to Cal State East Bay as one person and leave as another — their time here is sacred. Giving provides the scholarships, faculty support, modernized spaces and programs that fuel their learning during this transformation.”

Acosta funded two endowed professorships and a faculty excellence fund during the first half of the campaign. Additional campaign donors to date have also provided funds for faculty, departmental and library excellence, as well as renovations for professional development space for STEM educators in the College of Education and Allied Studies, and applied research in the College of Science. Others supporters have funded opportunities for programs that support  hands-on problem solving such as Game Jam and We Care Solar, and state-of-the-art equipment across campus. $5.5 million in new scholarships has also been garnered, including support for students exiting the foster system and beginning their college educations.

Alumnus JR Havlan, an eight-time Emmy Award-winning writer for The Daily Show and The Tonight Show, will serve as the gala’s emcee. Golden State Warrior’s co-owner and entertainment executive Peter Guber will be the keynote speaker. The evening will provide an opportunity to thank campaign donors and highlight fundraising priorities for the public phase of the campaign.