STLCC Achieves Fundraising Goal in Opportunity for All Campaign

With an aggressive push amid the global pandemic, St. Louis Community College and its foundation have surpassed the goal set for their largest fundraising campaign ever, Opportunity for All: A Campaign for St. Louis Community College.

A pair of donations has helped STLCC eclipse its goal of raising $20 million during this campaign, which began in fall 2019.

• The College received a grant in the amount of $350,000 from the Enterprise Holdings Foundation to establish a Sisters in Tech cohort through the STLCC Tech Academy.
• Edward Jones has committed $500,000 to invest in STLCC initiatives that support underserved students pursuing careers in information technology, finance and business administration.

STLCC officials had hoped to reach the $20 million mark by the end of 2021 but topped it three months ahead of schedule.

STLCC’s estimated total through September is $22,425,878.62. The College raised $3,902,694 during the public portion of the campaign, which began aggressively in February.

The campaign is the largest effort STLCC has undertaken in its nearly 60-year history, as well as its first comprehensive campaign.

“We are so grateful for the support of both the private and public sectors in helping us cross the finish line for this campaign,” said Jeff L. Pittman, Ph.D., STLCC chancellor. “STLCC’s mission is to provide lifelong education for our community, to prepare students for transfer to four-year colleges and universities, and to educate students to directly enter the workforce in a variety of industries. The success of the Opportunity for All campaign is a tremendous vote of confidence in our purpose.”

The campaign effort spans all four campuses and focuses on high-demand, priority initiatives agreed upon by College and STLCC Foundation leadership. These areas include offering increased scholarships and other student support initiatives that get STLCC students through graduation and beyond.

In addition, funds from the campaign have helped scale up two key program areas that will power the St. Louis economy in coming years: health sciences and information technology. The effort also has brought in notable funding to grow the College’s workforce training initiatives, fueling increased partnerships with a diversity of businesses and industries.

“Achieving inclusive economic growth in our region is critical, and St. Louis Community College plays a vital role in preparing students for the workforce, increasing overall well-being and helping to reduce inequalities in our community,” said Vanessa Okwuraiwe, chair of the STLCC Foundation Board and principal at Edward Jones. “Achieving our fundraising goal enables us to increase our workforce training initiatives, continue to support our students and help fund scholarships. We are immensely appreciative of the support we have had from our community in achieving the Opportunity for All campaign goals.”

Despite the onset of the global pandemic in 2020, the College’s fundraising advanced steadily. New partnerships also emerged around the national movement for racial equity, recognizing the College’s critical role in educating a diverse population for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

For more information, contact Jo-Ann Digman, executive director of the STLCC Foundation, at jdigman1@stlcc.edu or 314-539-5358.