LOS ANGELES — ECMC Foundation announces its founding gift of $100,000 to California State University, Northridge (CSUN) to create the Peter J. Taylor Scholarship Endowment. Beginning in Academic Year 2024–25, the endowment will disburse funds to full-time CSUN students pursuing a baccalaureate degree in business administration, science, technology, engineering, or mathematics, with preference for those who have transferred from a California community college.

“As organizations dedicated to helping students succeed, ECMC Group and ECMC Foundation are proud to support this new scholarship fund in honor of Peter’s service,” said Dan Fisher, president and CEO of ECMC Group. “We look forward to the impact this fund will have on CSUN students as they progress along their chosen postsecondary pathways toward meaningful careers.”

“It is particularly significant that these scholarships will support students who transfer from community colleges,” said Jacob Fraire, president of ECMC Foundation. “As an organization committed to equity in higher education, we believe that supporting community college students will allow CSUN to benefit from the many contributions this important population has to offer.”

From 2014 to his 2023 retirement, Mr. Taylor led ECMC Foundation to become a nationally recognized strategic grantmaker. A former investment banker and chief financial officer for the University of California, Mr. Taylor served as a volunteer, as a donor, as president of the UCLA undergraduate alumni association Board of Directors, as chair of the UCLA African American Recruitment, Retention and Graduation Task Force, and as a member of the University of California Board of Regents and the California State University Board of Trustees.

“I am honored to be the namesake of a program so emblematic of what we have worked toward at ECMC Foundation: catalyzing opportunities and removing barriers for underserved students to complete their higher education journeys and proceed to great careers,” said Mr. Taylor. “California’s community colleges offer an incredible inroad to a bachelor’s degree, and I am deeply moved to be part of expanding this pathway for more students at CSUN.”

The Peter J. Taylor Scholarship Endowment will begin accepting applications in the spring of 2024 for the next academic year, with future application rounds following the same calendar. Created to exist in perpetuity, the endowment will accept additional contributions from other individuals and organizations.

“Peter’s service to the CSU, and his work to open the doors of possibility through higher education, will benefit our communities for generations to come,” said CSUN President Erika D. Beck. “And by honoring his impact with scholarships at CSUN, ECMC Foundation is making a real difference in the lives of students and the communities they go on to serve.”

About ECMC Foundation

ECMC Foundation is a Los Angeles-based, nationally focused foundation whose mission is to improve higher education for career success among underserved populations through evidence-based innovation. It is one of several affiliates under the ECMC Group enterprise based in Minneapolis. ECMC Foundation makes investments to remove barriers to postsecondary completion; build the capacity of institutions, systems and organizations; and transform the postsecondary ecosystem using a spectrum of funding structures, including strategic grantmaking and program-related investments, to support both nonprofit and for-profit ventures. Working with grantees, partners and peers, ECMC Foundation’s vision is for all learners to unlock their fullest potential. Learn more about ECMC Foundation by visiting www.ecmcfoundation.org and ECMC Group by visiting www.ecmcgroup.org.

About California State University, Northridge

One of the largest universities in the country, California State University, Northridge (CSUN) is an urban, comprehensive university that delivers award-winning undergraduate and graduate programs to more than 36,000 students annually and counts more than 400,000 alumni who fuel the region’s economy. Since its founding in 1958, CSUN has made a significant and long-term economic impact on California, generating nearly $1.9 billion in economic impact and nearly 12,000 jobs each year. CSUN is a Hispanic Serving Institution ranking amongst the top twenty in the nation in graduating Latinx students. More than 70 percent of CSUN students are first-generation college students, and 60 percent come from historically underrepresented groups. Money magazine consistently ranks CSUN among the nation’s “most transformative” colleges for putting diverse students on the path to higher career earnings.

Media Contact
Joanna Rosenthal
jrosenthal@ecmc.org
(317) 910-4968