About Cal Poly
As the university's nonprofit auxiliary, Cal Poly Partners (Cal Poly Corporation) exists to propel Cal Poly forward by elevating education, empowering individuals, and enhancing the university experience through mission-driven partnerships and services that support Learn by Doing.
Focus Areas
Higher education supportStudent services and basic needs (food insecurity)Faculty & staff housing developmentEconomic development and technology commercializationCampus dining and retail servicesResearch administration and sponsored programsReal estate development
Who They Fund
universities/higher education institutionsuniversity students (scholarship recipients)university researchers/faculty (subawardees)
About Cal Poly
Cal Poly Corporation’s recent grantmaking is dominated by direct support for California Polytechnic State University, including a $11,553,399 grant in 2024 and a $5,516,175 grant in 2025 for support of the university. That pattern fits its role as the university’s nonprofit auxiliary, where funding is tied to mission-driven partnerships and services that support Learn by Doing. Across the latest grants, the corporation also moves substantial dollars through sponsored programs and student support. In 2025, it awarded $1,164,919 for student grants and scholarships monitored by the university, alongside a $1,132,955 grant to California Polytechnic State University Foundation for support of the university. Its largest recent subaward outside Cal Poly went to CSU Long Beach Research Foundation for $1,210,945 under sponsored programs. The mix shows a funder that combines institutional support, scholarship administration, and research-related subawards with a strong internal university focus. The organization’s portfolio extends beyond the main campus into affiliated foundations, colleges, school districts, and research partners, but the center of gravity remains higher education support. Its grantmaking in the latest filings is consistent with an auxiliary structure that channels resources to university operations, student aid, and sponsored-program infrastructure.
What Cal Poly Funds
Higher education support is the clearest thread in the recent record. Cal Poly Corporation gave $11,553,399 to California Polytechnic State University in 2024 and $5,516,175 in 2025, both for support of the university. It also awarded $1,132,955 to California Polytechnic State University Foundation for the same purpose, showing support that reaches both the campus and its affiliated foundation. Student aid is another visible area. In 2025, the corporation granted $1,164,919 to California Polytechnic State University for student grants and scholarships awarded and monitored by the university. A similar grant of $804,136 in 2024 points to the same internal scholarship and aid function. Sponsored programs and research administration form a third track. The latest grants include $1,210,945 to CSU Long Beach Research Foundation, $1,043,093 to Allan Hancock College, and $303,274 to California Strawberry Commission, each identified as subawards under sponsored programs grants. Those awards suggest a role in moving restricted funds through university-linked research and program partnerships.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$19.3M
Total Assets
$426.8M
Total Revenue
$130.7M
Total Expenses
$116.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $20K and $80K, with a median of $36K.
25th Percentile
$20K
Median
$36K
75th Percentile
$80K
Geographic Reach
National25 states funded
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
DAN BANFIELD
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