On April 8, the Network of California Community College Foundations (NCCCF) hosted another informative professional development roundtable related to a new requirement stemming from regulatory change in 2020 that affects all California community college auxiliary foundations. Elissa Oransky, Executive Director of the Irvine Valley College Foundation, Heather McGee, Engagement/Signing Director, Higher Education for Clifton Larson Allen LLP, and Dr. George Boodrookas, Executive Director of the Modesto Junior College Foundation, presented useful information on the manner in which our college foundations may reimburse their districts and report this to the public.
Education Code Section 72670 allows college districts to form auxiliary organizations. Many of our community college foundations in California are auxiliary organizations. In May of 2020, the California Community Colleges Board of Governors approved a regulatory language revision that updated the way our auxiliary foundations may reimburse their districts. This revision was spearheaded by NCCCF and the Foundation for California Community Colleges, and was guided by the Chancellor’s Office legal counsel team. As part of that revision, definitions of tangible and intangible benefits may now be included for consideration in negotiations between our foundations and districts as related to Title 5, Section 59257.
Directly related to this regulatory revision is a requirement that each of our auxiliary organizations publicly disclose the value of services provided on an annual basis. We refer to this as our “commensurate return report” and each foundation may determine, in partnership with its district leadership, how best to disclose this information publicly. Some do so at an annual presentation to the board of trustees. Others include the report as part of the annual audit documentation.
To help put the value of commensurate return and the new Title 5 language into perspective, let’s look at how it helped the Irvine Valley College Foundation (IVC Foundation). Three years ago, the IVC Foundation was informed by their district that in order to comply with Title 5, the foundation needed to cut a check back to the district. It was clear to college and foundation leadership that the foundation would close within a few years if the district required a check and did not count other forms of repayment. After much discussion, the district agreed to count some items as repayment, which was helpful, but there were a few things that a number of other districts counted that were not allowed. After the new language was approved, the college and the district quickly came to an agreement as to what would count as repayment and the format the foundation would use to document it.
So, as you prepare for this reporting requirement, NCCCF now offers a variety of examples from various foundations of the commensurate return report. If you are a current NCCCF member, you will have access to the Roundtable zoom recording on the NCCCF document exchange found here.
If you have further questions about this matter, please feel free to reach out to Elissa at eoransky@ivc.edu or 949.451.5472 or George at george@mjc.edu or 209.985.9090.
Effective May 17, 2021, List_ncccf_directors@foundationccc.org is now list_ncccf_allmembers@foundationccc.org. The new listserv is available to all staff of current paid NCCCF member organizations. Authorized users (recipients) may send an email to all recipients by using the listserv name (please note that the blanks are underscores), and recipients will be automatically added or removed based on our current membership records. To request changes to access, please email info@ncccfweb.org.
Listserv Name
Purpose
Recipients
List_ncccf_allmembers@foundationccc.org
Sharing best practices, providing relevant updates, and inviting colleagues to collaborate
Staff and leadership at foundations or advancement offices - ONLY for current year membership with the Network
List_ncccf_board@foundationccc.org
Board of Directors communications and scheduling
Current year board members and FoundationCCC staff liaison.
Hello, I’m Elizabeth McCann, Executive Director of Saddleback College Foundation. I joined the NCCCF Board of Directors in 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Being a member of the board has provided a valued connection with my peers across the state. I decided to join the NCCCF Board of Directors because I like to be an engaged, informed leader. Most importantly, I enjoy the camaraderie and sharing of best practices with my amazing colleagues. The Network provides us with a sense of support, where we learn from one another—we are all in this together!
Prior to serving as Executive Director of Saddleback College Foundation, I served as Executive Director of Long Beach City College Foundation. At Long Beach City College, I was new to the community college world as my experience had been in both private and public four-year institutions. The Network provided me with an instant circle of support that I could call on at any time. I developed close friendships with fellow Foundation Directors within the Network. We have supported one another through highs and lows.
In the years ahead, I look forward to furthering my involvement on the NCCCF Board of Directors. I encourage all California community college foundations to join the Network as it is truly a valuable resource available to us. The Network is committed to personal and professional growth as well as the success of our institutions. I am excited about the future of philanthropy for community colleges. We need to continue to remind our communities that their investment in our colleges provides an impact that no other educational institutions provide.
My name is Kenneth Cooper and I have the pleasure of serving as the Executive Director of the Las Positas College Foundation in Livermore. I first joined the Network of California Community College Foundations in 2006 when I started my tenure as the Director of College Advancement at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento. The NCCCF was an outstanding way to connect with my colleagues from around the state, and to have access to the valued expertise of other fundraising professionals.
I joined the Network’s Board of Directors in 2007, recognizing the opportunity to serve with other leaders in California community college philanthropy and development. After serving for 10 years, I stepped off the board (due to mandatory limits) before being asked to serve again in 2019.
Simply put, serving on the NCCCF Board is one of the best decisions of my professional career. The collective wisdom and experience shared by my colleagues has provided me with not only important professional resources, but some great friends and relationships. The foundations I’ve worked for have also benefited from having access to the operations of other community college foundations of diverse size and scope. We always had “peer” and “next level” organizations to study and learn from.
In the coming years, I’d like to see the Network of California Community College Foundations continue to lead as the premier development and training organization for two-year advancement professionals. I’d also like to see us deepen and strengthen our ties with community-based organizations, corporations, and key stakeholders interested in partnership and collaboration. California’s community colleges play an important role in the state’s educational and economic growth and vitality. A strong and well-developed community college culture of philanthropy is key to providing the margin of excellence for all of our students.
The Professional Development Committee is looking for roundtable topics of interest and experts to share knowledge. Have a challenge you need help with or a brilliant idea to share? Share your challenge or idea with Shannon Hill to help us create professional development for you, your college CEO, and your board president. Stay tuned!
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