CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER'S MESSAGE

On Oct. 11, 2014, the university launched the public phase of DECLARE: The Campaign for CSULB — our first major fundraising campaign. A gala unveiling brought together more than 300 guests and featured exhilarating performances by some of our most talented student-artists and inspiring addresses by university leaders, friends and alumni, including Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia.

The Beach family responded to this unprecedented call to action with characteristic enthusiasm and generosity. Over the past 12 months, hundreds of friends, faculty, alumni, students, staff, sponsors and parents have stepped forward to DECLARE their support for The Beach. These partners contributed thousands of gifts worth millions of dollars and volunteered countless hours to make the campaign’s final year a success; they gave us the push we needed to cross the finish line and reach our $225-million campaign goal.

In addition to raising much-needed funds for student and program support, DECLARE also provided a platform for sharing our message about the importance of private giving with a larger audience. We are truly grateful to all of those who advocated on our behalf and/or set an example of support that inspired others to give or get involved. Thanks to your efforts, more policymakers, voters and prospective donors now understand that the university’s gain is also our community’s — and California’s — gain.

We certainly have a lot to be proud of. But CSULB is an ambitious institution by nature, so, in a sense, the completion of our campaign is really just a new beginning for us: We can and will build on our campaign success in the months and years ahead. I want to thank everyone who participated, and I encourage you to remain actively involved in the life of this great university — to continue to DECLARE.

Sincerely,
Andrea Taylor ’83
Chief Executive Officer