Enthusiam Builds at CCBC for First Major Gifts Campaign in College History

Three-Tiered $12 Million Campaign to Support Regional Success through Student Learning

 Monaca, PA – A growing need for an educated workforce and a transformational vision that develops partnerships and pathways for progress have prompted the Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) to launch a comprehensive major gifts campaign entitled “Expanding Pathways – Achieving Success.” Administered through the CCBC Foundation, the five-year campaign has a goal of raising $12 million by June 30, 2022.

“The CCBC community is focused on becoming the most student-centered, workforce-ready institution of higher learning in the region,” observed George Pacinda, Chair of the CCBC Foundation Board of Directors. “The people who work everyday to that end – the professors and teaching staff, the administrators, the Board of Trustees, the security and janitorial staffs, and many others are contributing to this campaign because they believe in CCBC’s transformational mission.”

The campaign was developed following meticulous study and planning by a team of college and community leaders intent on developing strategies to raise funds to support the future of CCBC and its partnership approach to regional excellence in education. What emerged was a strategy that includes individual, corporate and foundation investments, alumni relationships, and an employee giving campaign launched by the CCBC faculty, staff and administration.

“For the past half-century, the Community of College of Beaver County has reached steadily increasing levels of excellence in achievement  and service to its students, the community, and local businesses. As a result, those of us who set policy, teach, counsel, and interface with the more than 6,800 students enrolled annually at CCBC want to be at the forefront of this important campaign,” said CCBC President Dr. Chris Reber.

Among the numerous internal efforts to support the campaign are several new scholarship endowments, including the CCBC Trustees Endowed Scholarship, Christopher M. Reber Endowed Scholarship, Justin Retsch Memorial Scholarship established by CCBC Trustee Frederick Retsch, and the Forrester Non-Traditional Student Endowed Scholarship, named for retired CCBC president Dr. Joe D. Forrester.

Community businesses and organizations are also harnessing the power of giving to change students’ lives and transform the region’s future workforce. A $1.5 million gift from Lincoln Learning Solutions as well as additional lead gifts from Shell Chemicals, C.J. Betters, the Laurel Foundation, the Monaca and Aliquippa Wolves Clubs, and others are supporting CCBC’s high school academies, process technology program, aviation program, and residency-based scholarship endowments, respectively.

Current and former trustees and Foundation Board members are donating generously to the campaign, as are employees of the college, students, their families, local businesses and residents. The CCBC Employee Giving Committee has raised over $63,000 to-date for student-focused intiatives such as student emergency funds, scholarships, and campus improvments.

The CCBC Foundation’s upcoming major gifts campaign will focus on three initiatives with a target of raising $4 million for each project.

 Expanding Student Access and Success seeks to improve the lives of students and create a better future for themselves and their families by expanding scholarship opportunities, including endowed scholarships, and providing innovative educational pathways.

Supporting Workforce Development will help the college continue to develop and refine programs that address short- and long-term workforce needs, grow partnerships to create educational opportunities in a variety of high demand career sectors, and recruit and train a diverse, skilled workforce for Beaver County and the surrounding region.

And, the Transforming Campus Spaces initiative will ensure that CCBC can provide state-of-the-art technology, active learning and inspirational environments for classrooms, labs, and other campus spaces that are designed to prepare students for success.

The campaign officially gets underway in celebration of the college’s 50^th anniversary with “50 Shining Stars – a Golden Gala and Dinner” on Saturday, May 13 at the CCBC Dome.

For more information about the CCBC Foundation and ways to give, please visit www.ccbc.edu/ccbcfoundation.