College Futures Foundation

Congratulations to JFF and American Student Assistance on the new ASA Center for Career Navigation at JFF focused on helping young learners find quality jobs. Beyond increasing postsecondary access, affordability, and completion, we must build the capacity to explore education and career paths that will lead them to meaningful, quality jobs. Education is about many things, including helping learners on their career paths. They are not separate, they should be powerfully integrated. #JFFHorizons

#ICYMI, Eloy Ortiz Oakley offered perspective on the 2024-2025 California budget deal.

Join us at @CalMatters' Ideas Festival! Eloy Ortiz Oakley, our president and CEO, will lead a session about the worth of a college education on Thursday, June 6, at 10AM. More about Ideas Festival: https://buff.ly/3R11bQ4.

"California Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration is trying to bolster career and trade education and is drafting a new master plan for that type of learning. But, the Texas State Technical College’s 'intentionality' gives it an advantage in job training and placement and could be 'a lesson for California,' according to Eloy Ortiz Oakley, [president and ceo of College Futures Foundation and former chancellor of the California Community Colleges]." "'At comprehensive community colleges, technical education is often at a disadvantage because 'there’s a competition for resources' with traditional academics, Oakley told EdSource. Texas’ technical colleges allow 'more time and attention paid to career advising, to bringing in faculty who are working in the field … and I think those students get a higher level of service.'” More from EdSource:

In 2020, College Futures Foundation launched a Policy and Advocacy Ecosystem (Policy Ecosystem) strategy intended to strengthen an ecosystem of grantee organizations working to improve equity in California’s higher education system and foster valuable connections among these organizations. Over the course of four years, the Policy Ecosystem brought 15 nonprofit organizations together to cultivate interactions, share learnings, and build collaborations that enhance their work. The Policy Ecosystem strategy, led by College Futures Director of Public Policy Ria Bhatt, aims to not only elevate the individual strategies of participating organizations, but also amplify their combined efforts. It prioritizes reducing silos within the higher education field and creating space for interactions that could lead to impactful collaborations. Beyond providing funding to each grantee, this multi-pronged strategy includes the following elements: quarterly convenings, enhanced one-on-one support, and converging pathways. The ecosystem participants share their stories of community, collaboration and support, movement building, and wins: https://buff.ly/3URrYAI

A warm welcome to Inanna Hazel, who joined our team in May 2024 as director of finance and administration. Under this role, Inanna is responsible for all finance, accounting, and reporting activities. Additionally, in partnership with the COO, Inanna is responsible for oversight of Foundation-wide operations, including human resources. “I am honored to be a member of the team at College Futures as the foundation lives into its new strategy in ensuring underserved learners of all backgrounds achieve their educational dreams and economic mobility,” said Inanna. “Everyone deserves the education that they need to follow their dreams, and should be provided the resources needed to achieve their goals. I am excited to be a part of College Futures' efforts to make that happen.” Inanna comes to us from Pesticide Action Network in Berkeley, California, where she was managing director for eight years. Prior to that, she was director of finance and administration at International Rivers, also in Berkeley, for over a decade. She brings more than 20 years of nonprofit finance, human resources, and operations management experience in organizations with national and international staff.

During the pandemic, when many grantees were forced to operate in crisis mode, College Futures deliberately aimed to foster a sense of care, support, and community, paired with stable and flexible funding. This was the start of a new policy grantmaking strategy that eventually grew to an “ecosystem” of 16 organizations, intentionally designed to advance connections, knowledge, and movement-building across higher education equity. We offer insights to the philanthropic community to strengthen equity-focused movement-building and grantmaking, especially in support of statewide policy and systems change: https://buff.ly/3WzEjuK.

Michael Itzkowitz, lead researcher and author of our new report, "Golden Opportunities," joined Eloy Oakley on The Rant podcast. They delved into the findings and implications for policy and institutional practices.

Eloy Oakley on Governor Newsom's proposal of a two-year plan that solves for 2024-25's remaining deficit of $27.6 billion and gets an early start on tackling the projected $28.4 billion budget deficit in 2025-26. 

Out Now: Webinar recording for "Golden Opportunities" report. College Futures President & CEO Eloy Ortiz Oakley and Michael Itzkowitz of the HEA Group delves into the findings and answers audience questions about the report. Watch the webinar and download the report at https://buff.ly/3ycTRud.