The Santa Barbara/Ventura Counties Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals named Ventura College Foundation Executive Director Anne Paul King as its 2019 Professional Fundraiser of the Year. The award was announced at the association's National Philanthropy Day luncheon on November 12.

Each year, the award honors an outstanding fundraising professional who works for a nonprofit, charitable organization.

King's duties as executive director of the Ventura College Foundation are to oversee the foundation’s $2.4 million annual budget, with a focus on building a solid donor base to increase support for student scholarships, academic program enhancements, equipment, and other needs that build student achievement.

Under King, the success of Ventura College Foundation's VC Promise grew, enabling more students to attend their first year full-time at Ventura College tuition-free. The program gained attention by California state legislators, prompting passage of two state bills that now cover full-time students’ tuition costs for the first two years at all 115 California community colleges. With 60 percent of Ventura College’s 13,000 students living under the poverty line, the VC Promise opened educational opportunities that before didn't exist. Currently, over 2,000 students graduate annually with over 4,000 degrees and certificates, and over 800 students successfully transfer to Cal State and University of California schools.

"The Ventura College Foundation is extremely fortunate to have Anne spearheading our efforts," says Dr. Kimberly Hoffmans, Ventura College president and Ventura College Foundation board member. "Anne came to Ventura College five years ago. Since then, she has championed the VC Promise first year, tuition-free program, the college's textbook lending programs, scholarships and has greatly increased the foundation's endowment funding."

King, a Thousand Oaks resident, has 25 years of development experience in the nonprofit industry including local work to help found the Conejo Schools Foundation for the Conejo Valley Unified School District, and national experience as the director of affiliate advancement for Volunteers of America in the Washington D.C. area. King has raised over $34 million for both national and local organizations over the course of her career. Ventura College is the third institution of higher education that King has supported professionally.