Center for Philanthropy | Stories of Success

La Sierra University's Center for Philanthropy is the first of its kind in the Western states. It provides assistance to non-profit organizations in developing the skills and knowledge required to successfully cultivate friends and funds needed to carry out their mission. Seasoned professionals, those new to the world of fund development, and students can all benefit from the Center's programs.

The Center shares cutting-edge research and trends in fundraising and philanthropy with organizations, professionals, students, and the general public. It not only offers courses and classes, but also sponsors a lecture series featuring prominent major donors and executives with national foundations. It provides a place to network with peers and organizations doing critically important work locally and globally.

On Tuesday, April 12, Dr. James Erickson presented the work of the Center and its recent participants to an assembly of students, faculty, staff, and friends of La Sierra University. Dr. Erickson was joined by Cordell Thomas of the Axis Foundation, Becci Diaz of the Community Settlement Association, LSU Students Jaylene Chung and Courtney Yamanishi, Kevin McCarthy (CEO) of United Way of the Inland Valleys, and Dr. Jarvis Pahl of the Pahl Business & Educational Consortium (PBEC). To view the full forty-six minute presentation on the Center for Philanthropy, please click here. 

To learn more about the Center for Philanthropy, housed in the La Sierra University School of Business, please click here. And be sure to check out the following links to some of the organizations mentioned in the presentation:

Free Course in Philanthropic Strategies

Are you looking for new ways of increasing the revenues for your agency or organization? Are you committed to improving your fund raising results? Then consider the professional certificate course in philanthropic strategies, offered in the School of Business at La Sierra University.

The Center for Philanthropy at La Sierra University will be offering a philantrhopic strategies course instructed by Dr. James Erickson, who has over 50 years of experience in unviersity and non-profit fund raising. The course is being offered without charge, as are the text books and other course materials, thanks so the generosity of program sponsor, First 5 Riverside. The course will be offered from 3:30 to 5:00 on six consecutive Tuesday afternoons, starting on October 19, at La Sierra University. Dr. Erickson, who has served as vice Chancellor for Advancement at multiple University of California campuses and as President of the Community Foundation serving Riverside and San Bernardino Counties has led fund raising efforts that have raised over $250 million for various causes. He will also bring experienced and inspirational non profit leaders and major donors to address the class.

Those completing the course will receive a professional certificate in fund raising which has been approved for credit by the Certifying Fund Raising Executive Program, International, the authorized accrediting agency in the field of philanthropy. The course will review all areas of fund raising including donor cultivation, advisory board development, making the request for major gifts, and developing a fund raising campaign.

To register for this course or to request further information, please click here.

If you have any further questions, please contact Lovelyn Razzouk in the Center for Philanthropy at lrazzouk@lasierra.edu.

United Way Internships

Dear Students!

I will be offering an internship practicum this fall which will provide some interesting leadership and corporate experiences for students, and I wanted to bring it to your attention.

The Center for Philanthropy which I am directing in the School of Business will partner with the United Way of the Inland Valleys in offering La Sierra MBA and upper class business students opportunities to become account executives for United Way. These account executives will in turn serve the United Way as ambassadors for the fall quarter and this assignment will involve a ten-hour weekly commitment.

Following orientation from me and additional mentoring from Kevin McCarthy, the Executive Director of United Way, the participating students will