2022 Donor Impact Report

A Message from CAA’s Executive Director

2022 was a tremendous year for the Cal Alumni Association (CAA). The past few years have brought on unprecedented challenges, and I am grateful for the incredible support we have received from our donors, volunteers, and our Cal community as we navigated this post-pandemic world. Last year, we celebrated students’ return to on-campus learning, and we continued our mission to connect all alumni to our alma mater. I am proud to say nearly 200,000 alumni engaged with our alumni association through one or more of our programs in 2022. We launched the Cal Alumni Mentors program, matching alumni with underrepresented and underserved students, equipping students with professional and personal skills for success at and after Cal. We also continue to offer virtual programming, including alumni speakers, career development, and other special events to reach alumni worldwide. Our award-winning California magazine expanded its distribution by an additional 100,000 alumni, parents, and friends of the university.

In June 2022, CAA began a year-long celebration of our 150th anniversary. In 1872, members of the University of California’s charter Class of 1873 gathered to establish this alumni community. This simple act ensured that all graduating students of this great university would always have a connection to Berkeley. We have carried this vision to this day, and we are committed to the preservation of UC Berkeley as a world-class public, teaching, and research university.

This report highlights significant accomplishments in 2022 made possible with the support of donors like you. Every gift to CAA makes an impact: whether you are giving to our annual fund to support our greatest need, or to our scholarships to support students, you are making a difference to our campus community. I invite you to read how you are helping to keep Cal golden. Thank you for your dedication to CAA. We are truly grateful.

Fiat Lux and Go Bears!

Susie Cohen Crumpler
Executive Director

2022 by the Numbers

2022 by the numbers: 185,376+ California magazine readers; 98,823 CAA members, 11,622 Alumni Chapter members, 11,556 Berkeley Network participants, 8,805 Lair of the Golden Bear campers, 1,080 Cal Discoveries Travelers, 850 Alumni Scholars, 471 Cal Alumni Mentors participants, 270 Graduate Wine Collective members, and 63 chartered Alumni Chapters.

Thank You, Donors

We cannot begin to express our gratitude for our donors and the support you showed in 2022. CAA received gifts from donors near and far, representing neighbors here in Berkeley, our alumni community in New York, and even friends living in Japan. We continue our mission to reach alumni worldwide, and we are one step closer to our goal because of your generosity. Here are our fundraising results from 2022:

2,415 donors, including 2,288 alumni donors, raised $2,001,083 in 2022. Our 2022 donors live in Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, India, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, Norway, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, and 45 of 50 US states.

The CAA Fund Snapshot

2022 snapshot represents 2,444 total gifts to The CAA Fund. Total raised: $721,622, with a largest gift of $136,000. Alumni donors represent class years 1939–2023.

Alumni Scholars Program Donor Snapshot

Alumni Scholars Program donor snapshot represents $1,279,461 raised through 1,318 gifts, with a largest gift of $300,000. Alumni donors represent class years 1946–2023.

Total gifts by award: $32,299 to The Leadership Award; $646,663 to The Leadership Award endowments; $242,238 to The Achievement Award Program (TAAP) Annual Fund; $32,050 to The Achievement Award Program (TAAP) Diversity Scholarship; $281,412 to The Achievement Award Program (TAAP) endowments; $44,799 to The CAA Alumni Scholarship Fund.

Read on to learn how your gifts made an impact on campus and in our Cal community this past year. Thank you for your continued support.

Last summer, 8,805 campers were welcomed back to camp by the Lair’s amazing staff bearing warm cookies and—of course—bug juice! This was the Lair’s first full camp year since 2019, and the energy was boundless, as alumni and friends were ecstatic to return for the first time in three years. Many Lair campers return every year and carry on the tradition across generations.

2022 Lair campers came to Pinecrest from California and other places across the US: Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Washington, DC, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington; and internationally from Canada and England.

The Lair is very grateful to the dedicated campers who return year after year, and we are always excited to introduce new campers to the magic of the Lair. The Lair offers a robust lineup of activities, and all ages are welcome—in 2022 our youngest camper was one month old, and our oldest was 85 years old. There is something for everyone at the Lair: whether it’s hiking around the lake, tie-dyeing a t-shirt, or taking a nap under the tree canopy, campers have a wide variety of options.

New Year-Round Facilities

The Lair team finished construction on ten new, winterized cabins at Camp Oski where guests can enjoy the beauty of the Sierra Nevada foothills year-round. Each heated cabin sleeps up to six and includes an ensuite bathroom, microwave, coffeemaker, and mini-fridge. Two units are ADA-compliant, and five cabins are configured together in a circular formation with a fire pit in the middle. The Lair provides firewood and s’mores fixings for cozy, warm evening fun. During the snow season, guests can enjoy a winter wonderland getaway with a visit to nearby Dodge Ridge Mountain Resort for a day on the slopes, or hang around camp for snow angels and hot chocolate.

The doors to Alumni House opened once again, welcoming alumni, friends, and students back to campus. At Cal Day, CAA hosted its first on-campus events since the pandemic began. Incoming students and their parents visited CAA’s welcome center to learn about Cal, grab cheer cards, and take a break in the shade with refreshments. Later, an interactive mixer-style gathering created opportunities for current and incoming students to network with esteemed alumni. Everyone was truly delighted to return to Berkeley, and the campus was alive with energy and Cal spirit.

Pride in Community

In June, CAA partnered with the Gender Equity Resource Center (GenEq) to host UC Berkeley students, alumni, and friends at the 52nd annual San Francisco Pride Parade. More than 250 members of the Cal community joined in the celebration of love, diversity, and our commitment to universal equity. Participants received shirts bearing the phrase “Fiat Love,” and many created signs and sported Cal gear to show off along the parade route. We were honored to have such an amazing turnout to celebrate our diverse and inclusive community of Golden Bears in the Bay Area and around the world.

Find Your Cal Spirit, Near and Far

CAA has 63 official Alumni Chapters in the United States, totaling 11,622 members. In 2022, these Alumni Chapters hosted 164 events, including picnics, welcome parties, virtual gatherings, and fundraisers. We have regional, cultural, and special-interest alumni groups that are great to meet people who have Cal in common with you.

Our Alumni Chapters program fosters community relationships and connects fellow alumni and students to each other no matter where you live.

Are you interested in joining an Alumni Chapter?  Find your Chapter today.

Warm Welcomes for New Golden Bears

Over the summer, Alumni Chapters throughout California and across the nation welcomed hundreds of UC Berkeley’s incoming first-year and transfer students. 34 Alumni Chapters held Summer Welcome Parties where students met peers and connected with alumni, who shared stories of their time at Cal. Families were able to share in this exciting journey and learn about the community in which their students will soon be immersed.

The Cal Alumni Group of San Francisco brought 141 students to Fort Mason for its Summer Welcome Party. Students played icebreaker bingo to start the conversation, then enjoyed Top Dog while taking in some great Bay Area summer weather.

Left: Cal Alumni Club of New York (CACNY). Right: Chicanx Latinx Alumni Association, Los Angeles (CLAA, LA).

The Cal Alumni Club of New York (CACNY) hosted its Summer Welcome Party in Central Park, welcoming students from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Attendees shared lots of food, including New York staple Joe’s Pizza. Alumni answered students’ and parents’ questions. Students quickly bonded, exchanging contact information so they could meet up in Berkeley.

The Chicanx Latinx Alumni Association, Los Angeles (CLAA, LA) hosted its Somos Berkeley (We Are Berkeley) Summer Welcome Party at Vista Hermosa Park. Their event was conducted in Spanish and English to accommodate students and their families. Along with a group Q&A, the Chapter hosted trivia, Cal-themed loteria, and student/parent discussion groups.

New Alumni Mentors Program Launched

“This program is really about community. When you think about community and going home to your community, you think about laying your head down in peace. That’s where the soft landing spot comes from, that we’re creating a cycle of community and enhancing relationships across the globe for folks that may not ever have been able to meet each other.” —Jason Gant ’06

The new Cal Alumni Mentors program serves first-generation, low-income, underrepresented, and underserved students at UC Berkeley. Recruitment was a huge success, and by the end of the year, 255 Alumni Mentors and 216 students were active in the program. Students were matched with mentors from similar backgrounds, allowing students to build their networks. The relationships students form in the Cal community help them gain tactical and practical skills to thrive at and after their time at Cal.

After a gradual restart in 2021, CAA’s travel program gained strong headway in 2022 in its recovery from the pandemic blight. In 2022, Cal Discoveries Travel hosted a total of 1,080 travelers on 80 trips around the globe: 576 of these were returning Cal Discoveries travelers excited to reconnect with other adventurers over a shared passion for experiential learning. 504 alumni and friends joined our trips for the first time, and we introduced them to the unique experience of group educational travel with Cal Discoveries. Take a look at all the locations Cal Discoveries Travel visited:

2022 US Destinations

2022 International Destinations

“. . . truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience. What we saw, the people we encountered, and the accommodations of the trip were extraordinary. I have not one complaint about any aspect of the trip from the time we departed until the moment we returned. And I would not have changed a single moment of our trip. All in all, it was a very impressive and well-executed trip and tour of a fascinating but challenging destination.” —2022 Circumnavigation of Iceland traveler

Eye-Opening Experiences for Thoughtful Travelers
When you choose to travel with Cal Discoveries Travel, we and our trusted tour operator partners take care of all the planning and logistics, from crafting the itinerary to arranging meals, excursions, and accommodations. Our tours are meticulously designed exclusively for small groups, ensuring a perfect blend of exploration, sightseeing, and cultural immersion. In addition to fostering camaraderie and flexibility, the small-group format allows for more authentic and meaningful experiences during your travels.

The Cal Discoveries Difference
Many of our tours are accompanied by knowledgeable lecturers from the Cal community who offer valuable insights and a deeper understanding of our destinations. In 2022, 74 lecturers and hosts joined Cal Discoveries tours to provide in-depth learning experiences and a special Cal connection.

“This is one of the two best-organized tours that I have ever been on. Mahmoud pulled together Egyptology, engineering, political history, and the world history surrounding Egypt into a comprehensible whole. By the end of the trip, we were recognizing hieroglyphics and distinguishing between the various gods and kings on our own. It was worth every penny that we paid.” —2022 Egypt and the Ancient Nile traveler

4.4
Guests’ average tour rating in 2022
(5 = Excellent, 4 = Very good, 3 = Good)

If you’re interested in joining us for an unforgettable experience with a group of thoughtful members of the Cal community, see trips still available for 2023 and 2024.

California magazine is an editorially independent general-interest magazine that has told the story of UC Berkeley for more than 125 years. Its stories inform readers about the world of Berkeley and about the impact of Berkeley on the world. In 2022, California reported on some of the most complex conversations happening on campus, including discriminatory bylaws and free speech in student organizations; the 50-year impact of Title IX and inequities in today’s women’s collegiate sports; and the psychedelics UC Berkeley experts are exploring for use as tools to probe the human brain and consciousness.

California also featured Cal alumni who are changing the world beyond Berkeley, including Berkeley’s women artist trailblazers, whose originality is creating new spaces in art. Erin Wade ’08, founder of Oakland restaurant Homeroom, shared how her mac and cheese restaurant developed a revolutionary tool for dealing with workplace harassment.

New Fiat Lux Section Adds More to the Story
In 2022, California began a new partnership with UC Berkeley’s University Development and Alumni Relations, introducing the new 8-page Fiat Lux section in its print issues, and expanding its readership by approximately 100,000 additional readers. More than 185,000 readers received 2022’s four print issues, and California’s talented editors and journalists published more than 100 stories in print and online.

Recent Awards and Accolades

University and College Designers Association (UCDA) Gold Award (Fall 2021 issue cover)

UCDA Excellence Award (“Blindsight” illustration)

UCDA Judges Choice Award (“Blindsight” illustration)

UCDA Honorable Mentions: Editorial Spread/Series of Spreads (“Blindsight” and “In the Heart of the Valley”)

UCDA Honorable Mention: Photography/News and Editorial (“In the Heart of the Valley”)

Society of Publication Designers Merit Award

Society of Professional Designers Merit Award

Broadcasts from The Edge

California’s podcast series The Edge released 6 new episodes with a total of 3,395 downloads in 2022. The Edge brings listeners the latest news in science, technology, and social change. Topics range from teenage sleep patterns to the impact of social media on society to the possibility of bringing back the wooly mammoth. Every episode features Berkeley experts who add new perspectives to each unique story. Interested in learning how AI is impacting dating apps or test-driving a car-free Telegraph Avenue?

Listen to The Edge online or on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

Cal Alumni Association Membership

CAA’s membership totaled 98,823 active members in 2022, with 85,838 Life Members, 7,951 Golden Bear Life Members, 3,654 annual members, and 1,380 other memberships.

2022 Membership Revenue

Membership revenue totaled $1,325,265 in 2022: $213,945 from annual memberships, $149,510 from Life Membership installments, $761,485 from Life Memberships, and $200,325 from Golden Bears Life Membership upgrades. 

Our committed membership staff responded to more than 7,763 alumni inquiries in 2022. We are grateful to have a dedicated community of Golden Bears who seek to become more connected with their alma mater. We are happy to serve you virtually and in person.

Our Alumnihood in Pictures

The fifth annual #BerkeleyForLife photo contest received more than 230 submissions depicting alums’ favorite memories from their time on campus and how they stay connected with Cal as graduates.

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CAA thanks the donors and alumni volunteers who give generously to support its Alumni Scholars Program, providing scholarship funds and programming for UC Berkeley undergraduate students.

As UC Berkeley’s Enrollment Grows, Need Accelerates
In 2022, UC Berkeley admitted 11% of its first-year applicants.* With tuition, fees, and housing costs steadily rising, Cal Alumni Association scholarships provide much-needed financial support to students. By the 2023–24 academic year, the total undergraduate cost to attend Cal will range from $33,000 to $46,000.†

Empowering Students through Meaningful Support
The Leadership Award and The Achievement Award Program (TAAP) are the cornerstone awards of the Alumni Scholars Program. Aid provided by the Alumni Scholars Program through these awards helps relieve the financial burdens of incoming and continuing students at UC Berkeley. Thanks to generous donor support for scholarship programs like these, more than 60% of UC Berkeley’s undergraduate student body receives financial aid, and more than 70% of undergraduate students are able to graduate debt-free.

Our Impact for Scholars in
the 2022–23 Academic Year

Since 1934, CAA has supported more than 21,000 students through the Alumni Scholars Program, and awards more than $2 million to UC Berkeley students each year. In 2022, CAA provided support to 824 Alumni Scholars in 2022, and 592 alumni volunteers participated in interviews and selections.

With help from the greater Cal community, awards like The Achievement Award Program include holistic support that bolsters students’ success at and after Cal, playing vital roles in expanding access to top-tier university education and creating belonging for new generations of students.

Learn how the Alumni Scholars Program is advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging through scholarships and student support.

The Leadership Award is a one-year scholarship recognizing undergraduate students at UC Berkeley who demonstrate innovative, initiative-driven leadership impacting their academic, work, or community environments. Scholars receive $2,000 in monetary support toward their tuition and can apply for the annual award each year they are undergraduate students.

2022–23 academic year: More than 2,000 undergraduates applied for The Leadership Award. A total of 700 scholars received the Leadership Award in the 2022–23 academic year, including five Mildred Jordan Sharp Scholarship recipients, three CAA Native American Scholarship recipients, four Cal Pride Scholarship recipients, and three Lair Leadership Award recipients. More than 21,000 students have received The Leadership Award since its inception in 1934.

The 2022–23 cohort of Leadership Award scholars gathered on campus for the first time since 2020 for a special welcome event at Alumni House. More than 100 students attended, eager to meet fellow scholars in their Leadership Award cohort. Former Leadership Award Scholar Anh Tran ’06 delivered the keynote address and spoke one-on-one with students.

* Berkeley News, UC Berkeley offers nearly 20,000 students admission for 2022–23 August 10, 2022.

†UC Berkeley Financial Aid & Scholarships, Total Cost of Attendance.

Two-time Leadership Award recipient Mikela Lazari ’20 was one of our community-driven scholars. Thirteen years ago, Mikela’s family immigrated from Iran to the United States as Assyrian religious refugees. While she describes receiving the award as “a huge relief,” Mikela is also grateful for the recognition it provided to validate her chosen route. “Receiving this scholarship…made me feel like my work was recognized, like: ‘Yes, I am a leader.’” Knowing her alumni community was behind her also strengthened her resolve. “So often, people don’t realize they’re leaders, or they struggle to define what their leadership looks like,” she says. “I have Cal alumni constantly reminding me that I am on the right path.” Read about Mikela Lazari’s journey to Cal.

During the 2022–23 academic year, the program supported 95 Scholars, and has supported more than 500 Scholars since its inception in 1999.

The Achievement Award Program provides high-achieving, community-minded students from low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented backgrounds access to higher education and resources for their personal, academic, and professional growth. Scholars receive $6,000 for tuition each year for up to four years, a one-time $1,000 tech stipend, and one-to-one advising support throughout their undergraduate journey.

Who TAAP Serves

TAAP Scholars are: 100% from low-income backgrounds, 87% first-generation college students, and 30% transfer students from community and 2-year colleges.

While at Berkeley, students face financial challenges to meeting their basic needs, including food and rent, mental health support, and unexpected medical expenses. The Achievement Award Program provides individualized support for student needs, such as emergency grants and assistance navigating campus and government resources.

Achieving Community at Cal
TAAP Scholars participate in community-building and professional development workshops. “Our programming constantly changes because student needs are always changing,” says Dr. Fritzie de Mata ’05, director of student support for the Alumni Scholars Program. “There’s no one-size-fits-all approach in supporting students because they have many intersectional identities and come from different contexts.”

TAAP Scholars go on to secure highly competitive internships and jobs at companies such as Meta, Google, EY, Oracle, and Genentech. They are McNair Scholars, Public Policy and International Affairs Program alumni, and Cal in the Capital participants. They are entrepreneurs and have started nonprofits as undergraduates.

In 2022, incoming TAAP Scholars kicked off the academic year with orientation at the Lair of the Golden Bear. For many Scholars, this was their first camping experience. Plans are underway to formalize this as an annual TAAP Scholars community-building event.

“[T]he Alumni Scholars Program gave me much more than just the financial assistance that I so desperately needed. It gave me the environment to feel welcomed, appreciated, acknowledged, but more importantly, accepted. I felt like a complete outsider as a new student and believed that I was only accepted to Cal because the university was trying to become a Hispanic-serving institution. But when I attended our welcoming event and saw the diversity in the students that were a part of this program, I already began to loosen up and feel more comfortable. It became a community where I could become vulnerable. It was soon that I realized how important it was to have a community that you could rely on for support, a community where you could just be you and no one would judge you or penalize you for being yourself. I can confidently say that the Alumni Scholars Program ignited my motivation to create Latinos In Law at Berkeley because it opened my eyes to the importance of having the right community.” —Eric Esparza ’22, TAAP Scholar

Read Against the Odds to learn Alumni Scholar Eric Esparza’s story in his own words.

Since 2018, the Cal Alumni Association has managed the scholarship application, interview, and award process for the African American Initiative (AAI) Scholarship. Funded by the San Francisco Foundation and administered by the Cal Alumni Association, the African American Initiative Scholarship provides Black, African American, and African students with financial support to help make their Cal education more accessible. The scholarship is awarded to incoming first-year admits who demonstrate leadership potential and a genuine willingness to contribute positively to the Black community at Cal.

“I sense a renewed interest from AAI volunteers to ‘give back’ and many are seeking more opportunities to engage with Cal. I will continue to help build community not only with students but also among volunteers, as we serve as role models and assure students and ourselves that they are wonderful, talented, and worthy.” —Dana Stevenson Lang MBA ’77, Co-chair, AAI Scholarship Selection Committee

Led by the AAI Scholarship Selection Committee, Cal alumni play a key role in selections by reading applications, interviewing prospective students, and personally encouraging admitted students to choose Cal. In 2022, 88 alumni volunteers gave their time to the program.

Now in its third year, CAA’s Graduate Wine Collective sources wine exclusively from wineries owned, operated, or founded by Cal alumni. The Graduate Wine Collective encompasses more than one hundred wineries with roots in the Cal community and proudly supports Golden Bears in the wine industry.

Graduate Wine Collective members receive three shipments per year with tasting notes and recipe pairings. Shipment cost ranges from $150 to $175. In 2022, 270 club members received The Graduate Wine Collective shipments at their front doors. All proceeds from the wine club support CAA programming for alumni and students.

Club wine is selected from feedback provided by CAA and wine club members at annual blind-tasting events. The club also collaborates with on-campus partners to host wine-tasting events that raise awareness for The Graduate Wine Collective’s incredible Cal alumni-powered wineries.

Let us know if you would like to receive information on upcoming events and learn more about The Graduate Wine Collective.

To the wonderful alumni, students, volunteers, and donors who made all of this possible in 2022: we could not have done it without you, and we are grateful for your partnership. We will continue our mission to connect alumni and students to UC Berkeley and the Cal community.

Go Bears!