Dear Friends and Supporters,
As I begin my role as President & CEO of the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation, I am filled with gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility. In my short time here, I’ve already seen the commitment of our faculty, staff, partners, and donors – and I’m inspired by what we can accomplish.
This year brought meaningful progress for our colleges. Because of supporters like you, students received essential scholarships, emergency aid, food pantry resources, and access to innovative programs that lead to life-changing careers. Every gift represents a story of impact and a student moving closer to their goals.
Walking into a new year, I’m committed to strengthening our partnerships, expanding our fundraising capacity, and ensuring every investment directly supports student success. With growing needs across our colleges, your generosity is more important than ever.
If you are considering a year-end gift, please know your support removes barriers and helps students stay on track. To be counted for this tax year, please remember that contributions must be received by December 31.
Thank you for welcoming me into this role and for your trust. I look forward to meeting many of you and working together to expand opportunities for every student we serve.
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a bright start to the new year.
With appreciation,
Julie Dunnigan
President and CEO,
Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation
“I am pursuing a Bachelor’s in Elementary Education and Special Education. With a child of my own who has autism, I see the need for special education teachers. I would like the opportunity to make a difference in students’ lives, as my son’s teachers did in his. This scholarship will allow me to focus on my studies and help me prepare for my day. I will be able to purchase food for myself and allow my body to gain more healthy nutrition. Which in return, will help me build healthy living skills and promote more motivation to complete my academic goals.”
Daniella, Rio Salado College Student
Unfortunately, food insecurity is a common thread among many of our students. Worrying about where their next meal will come from, while focusing on coursework, is a hardship they shouldn’t have to face.
In a national Hope Center #RealCollege survey conducted in 2023, 43% of the 6,000 Maricopa Community Colleges students who responded indicated that they experienced limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe food, or the ability to acquire food in a socially acceptable manner.
Your support of the Food Assistance Fund, ensures meals are covered, and academic success is within reach by helping us to stock college food pantries, distribute emergency grocery cards for students in crisis and to provide critical relief to students across all ten Maricopa Community Colleges.
The Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation’s Heroes of Education fundraising event was a big success, bringing together 400 supporters at the Heard Museum. The evening was a powerful demonstration of the community’s commitment to expanding access to higher education and ensuring student success, raising $209,200 for student scholarships and emergency assistance, thanks to the generosity of supporters and including Platinum Sponsors, APS and Peter Banko.
The 2025 Heroes of Education honorees were:
Individual Hero: Todd Sanders, President and CEO, Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce
Corporate Hero: APS
Honorary Heroes: Ak-Chin Indian Community, Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation, Gila River Indian Community, Pascua Yaqui Tribe, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Tohono O’odham Nation.
Ten College Heroes were also recognized:
Chandler-Gilbert Community College: Dr. Maria Hesse
Estrella Mountain Community College: Rosio Robison
GateWay Community College: Lisa Andrus
Glendale Community College: Dr. Phillip Randolph
Mesa Community College: Francis Tesmer
Paradise Valley Community College: Dr. Casey Durandet
Phoenix College: Peter Banko
Rio Salado College: Education Design Lab
Scottsdale Community College: Virginia L. Korte
South Mountain Community College: LaSetta Hogans
The funds raised from Heroes of Education come at a critical time. During the 2024-25 fiscal year, MCCF awarded 5,682 scholarships totaling $4.1 million, a 4% increase from the previous year. However, this meets only a fraction of the demand, as only two out of every five students who apply for a scholarship receive one. Furthermore, MCCF saw a 27% increase in the need for emergency assistance, providing nearly $700,000 to help students with basic needs, including food, transportation, childcare, and rent.
Check out the Heroes of Education photo album by visiting our Flickr page. Here you’ll find pictures and video recognitions from the evening. Also be sure to view our Impact Video which highlights the wonderful work the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation is accomplishing together with our supporters, on behalf of the students and community we serve.
In 2023, the Foundation along with the Maricopa Community Colleges District launched EmpowerED for Student Success – a three-year, $20 million fundraising campaign to help students overcome financial barriers and achieve their educational dreams. Funds raised by the campaign support each of the 10 individual college initiatives and four focus areas: scholarships and stipends, basic needs resources, workforce development, and innovative programming to sustain existing College Promise Programs.
We are thrilled to share that we are nearly at our goal, raising $18 million thanks to the investments of donors and industry partners who have generously supported student access to career education, preparing them for today’s in-demand jobs.
Visit mcccdf.org/empowerED to learn more about the campaign and to contribute.
The Maricopa Community Colleges District (MCCCD) has launched A Better Way To Do College, a podcast dedicated to discussing the practical resources, unique perspectives and actionable ideas that challenge us to think differently about postsecondary education and the role it plays in strengthening communities.
Hosted by MCCCD Chancellor, Dr. Steven Gonzales, each episode will feature candid conversations with educators, thought leaders and students on the shifting higher education landscape and how it’s shaping access, opportunity and the communities we serve.
