Bulldog Parents Fund 

“The Parents’ Fund is really about improving learning opportunities for students.”

Paul M. Oliaro, Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students

The California State University system provides one of the best values for higher education in the nation.  Even so, the trend of the past few decades has been one of decreasing government resources and an increased need for publicly funded institutions to seek outside support in order to maintain quality programs.

Fresno State students show appreciation for parent-funded prizes at S.A.F.A.R.I. (Student Affairs Fair and Resource Information) The Division of Student Affairs at Fresno State not only strives to maintain quality programs, but seeks an even higher level of excellence to ensure the best educational experience and the highest level of student success possible.  With that goal in mind, and in collaboration with the Parents Association, we are making this appeal to parents for a tax deductible gift to the university.

We thank all who contributed to past Parents’ Fund drives and we encourage others to join us in continuing to make a difference for our students!

Click here to make an online donation to the Student Affairs-Parents Association or contact our office for more information at (559) 278-5052
 

How Your Gift Makes an Impact

The Catastrophic Fund – Provides help for students who suffer a catastrophic event with a loss of some kind that is not covered by insurance or other resources. In the past, we have assisted students who were victims of apartment fires, thefts and various other unexpected loss of income where short term help was needed for basic items, including food.  Thanks to the Parents’ Fund, we now have an important resource to help students who have nowhere else to turn in times of extraordinary need.

Services for Students with Disabilities – Provides assistance to students with physical, psychological and learning disabilities to help them achieve maximum independence while pursuing their educational goals.  The Parents’ Fund, along with funds from our annual parent fundraising event, have purchased various equipment for SSD such as closed-caption televisions, magnification equipment for on-and-off campus use by sight impaired students and, most recently, text-to-audio conversion software to assist students with visual and reading disabilities.

Renaissance Scholars students at a holiday celebrationRenaissance Scholars Program- The Renaissance Scholars Program serves former foster youth attending Fresno State. The program offers financial assistance, housing, counseling and internship opportunities. The Parents' Fund has sponsored holiday dinners for these students at Thanksgiving and again in late December. Students appreciate having a "family celebration" with their fellow scholars.

Finals Cram Jam – Finals Cram Jam was created to help students through the stress of finals week. Often students forget to eat regularly, don't get enough sleep, and don't have proper study habits. The Parents' Fund covered the cost of fruit, coffee, hot tea and hot chocolate that were handed out to students at Finals Cram Jam. In addition, the Parents' Fund paid for seven tutors to offer free tutoring to students in the areas of math, writing, physics and chemistry.

Students enjoy the alcohol free event "Milk and Cookies Night" at University Courtyard. Alcohol Awareness and Education – Recognizing that alcohol abuse is among the top 10 problems faced by college students, Fresno State has an aggressive program in place to promote safety and provide alternatives to drinking.  The Parents’ Fund has funded travel costs for a number of Fresno State students attending a statewide conference on alcohol and drug abuse at college campuses.  Funds have also gone to support alcohol-free activities like a milk and cookies night and to purchase posters and other promotional materials with safety messages for distribution throughout campus.

If you want to join us in supporting student services at California State University, Fresno, please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. Your gift will directly impact the lives of the students we serve.

Click here to make an online donation to the Student Affairs-Parents Association or contact our office for more information at (559) 278-5052