Letter from the Executive Director- What’s in $400,000?

A woman with curly hair smiles, wearing a black blazer and a patterned blouse, standing outdoors with greenery in the background.

The Ventura College Foundation is within reach of completing its $7 million Invest in Success campaign – 94% funded, with just $400,000 remaining to sustain two of the college’s most life-changing student support programs.

 

The Invest in Success fundraising initiative presents a unique opportunity to ensure that thousands of students, many overcoming significant economic barriers, can continue pursuing a better future through education.

 

At Ventura College, where approximately 12,000 students seek a path to stability, mobility, and purpose, raising the final $400,000 is far more than meeting a goal. It determines whether hundreds of students remain enrolled, supported, and on track…or whether financial hardship forces them to depart from their educational and career dreams.

 

It’s merely 6% of the total fundraising goal, but here’s how $400,000 translates for students benefiting from the Basic Needs Centers and VC Promise Program.

 

1. It sustains the VC Promise Program for first-time college students. The program inspires students to enroll in college, then encourages them to stay on track for degrees or transfers instead of stopping out after their first year.

· Covers tuition, fees and key support services for upwards of 500 students, many of whom are the first of their families to attend college.

· Funds textbook stipends, counseling, and academic support…costs that often derail persistence.

 

2. It keeps the Basic Needs Center fully operational. Basic needs empowers students who would otherwise drop out to stay enrolled, attend class, and complete their educational goals.

· Provides thousands of meals through the food pantry. During the 2024/2025 school year, the two Basic Needs Centers were accessed over 55,600 times.

· Funds emergency grants helping upwards of 1,000 students avoid crises like eviction, utility shutoffs, or car breakdowns.

· Covers hygiene supplies, transportation support, and short-term housing assistance.

 

3. It improves retention and completion rates. Students who receive basic needs support are significantly more likely to stay enrolled, focused on their academics, and persist greater than their counterparts.

· 70% of students benefiting from the VC Promise Program are more likely to complete their studies than students who do not participate in the program.

 

$400,000 doesn’t just push the campaign to victory, it keeps hundreds of students enrolled, fed, and receiving vital wellness resources. It funds thousands of meals, hundreds of emergency grants, and full-year support for first-time college students.

Without this vital funding, many students may be forced to discontinue their educational and career plans. With it, they stay, persist, graduate, and succeed.

 

Would you like to invest in the success of Ventura College students, who face significant barriers, but are determined achieve their educational and career goals? Visit https://venturacollegefoundation.org/invest-in-success/ to learn more and make a donation. You are invited to contact Pete Parker, Director of Development (pparker@vcccd.edu, 805-289-6158), to learn more about the campaign and how you can make a difference.