Building a Legacy of Success

Cal Poly Pomona was founded by philanthropy.

We first opened our doors in 1938 in San Dimas at a site donated by educator and legislator Jerry Voorhis. Eleven years later, cereal magnate W.K. Kellogg deeded 813 acres in nearby Pomona to be the university’s new home. From these acts of generosity, the nation’s most diverse polytechnic university has grown. And whether it be our original location in San Dimas or our current home in Pomona, Cal Poly Pomona’s history is a living example of how philanthropy can change lives.

The legacy that began with Voorhis and Kellogg continues today. Year after year, the generosity of donors like you helps countless students succeed at Cal Poly Pomona. Our most impactful programs are possible only because our alumni and friends believe in this university and its mission. In our classrooms, our laboratories, our Rose Float entries, and our Pumpkin Festival, the fingerprints of philanthropy are visible in everything we do. 

The demand for a Cal Poly Pomona education has never been higher, and your giving is rising to meet the need. In the past year, philanthropic giving increased by 45 percent compared to the previous year, and for the first time in our history the total value of our endowment exceeded $100 million. Riding the wave of this support, we are laying the groundwork for our next fundraising campaign, which promises to be the most successful in our history. 

The names Voorhis and Kellogg appear on plaques and programs across campus — from our ecological reserve to our famed Arabian Horse Center. But where their most lasting legacy lies is in the hundreds of thousands of students since 1938 that have studied here.

You, too, are part of that legacy. On behalf of the entire Cal Poly Pomona community, I thank you for your support and look forward to joining you in continuing the tradition of philanthropy that founded our university and sustains it today.

Sincerely,

Soraya M. Coley
President