State of the KCC Foundation

KLAMATH FALLS — When Maria Fonseca Bigham got up to speak to donors and volunteers at the inaugural Klamath Community College State of the Foundation event, she told the gathering she decided to dress appropriately for the occasion.

Then, she tossed off her overcoat to reveal she was wearing blue medical scrubs, much to the delight and applause of the audience.

Bigham is a licensed practical nurse who credits the KCC Foundation with helping her get through school thanks to the foundation’s scholarship programs.

“Since I started taking classes to become a registered nurse, I have improved tremendously in the quality of care I provide to the community as a certified nurse assistant. I could not have done this without the help of the foundation. Understanding nutrition and anatomy and physiology advanced me to another level of service to our community,” she said.

The KCC Foundation has been around for just about as long as the college, nearly 30 years. It celebrated the support of its donors on Sept. 26 during the first State of the Foundation gathering. The event was sponsored by the KCC Foundation board.

Donors sipped a variety of wines and sampled various dishes from charcuterie boards while KCC President Dr. Roberto Gutierrez, KCC Foundation Board Chair Kathleen Walker-Henderson, and KCC Foundation Executive Director Charles Massie reported on campus progress.

Dr. Gutierrez spoke to the progress of the Childcare Learning Center, a planned 30,000-square-foot facility just northeast of the campus at South Sixth Street and Hilyard Avenue, that will offer childcare for 120 children, and classrooms for KCC students earning their early childhood education certificates and degrees.

“Partnerships are everything to how we build our campus,” he said. The college has partnered with the Oregon Child Development Coalition and Klamath County to draw up plans for the center and begin a fundraising campaign.

The foundation started the same year as the college, in 1997. The initial focus was on helping academic students stay in school and reach their educational goals.

The KCC Foundation now raises funding for scholarships, as well as equipment and capital construction projects that support KCC students and educational programming.

Over the past 27 years, the foundation has expanded its focus to include supporting students seeking non-credit and career technical education credentials, those in need of emergency assistance or technology to stay in school, capital construction to support new programming and services, organizing the KCC Alumni Association and assistance for the on-campus food pantry.

A full report on KCC Foundation activities, “State of the Foundation 2024,” is available to view at: www.klamathcc.edu/en-US/foundation/state-of-the-foundation.html

Here are some highlights:

• In July of 2022, the foundation was a big player in the Build the Basin capital campaign for the $11.1 million 30,000-square-foot Apprenticeship Center, which opened in May 2023.
• To date, the KCC Foundation has raised more than $2 million in scholarship funding and manages more than $1 million in invested funds expected to produce $50,000 annually for scholarships.
• Last year, the foundation provided grants for 306 students. Students who received foundation support are 33% more likely to graduate, according to college statistics.

“This event was a great opportunity to celebrate all of the contributors and community partners who give of their time and treasure to support KCC students and programming, without them the foundation would not be able to do the work it does,” said Charles Massie, Vice President of External Programs and Foundation Executive Director.

For more information about KCC and its programs, visit www.klamathcc.edu.