With Gratitude: CCS Exceeds Its Give Day Goal

Collective generosity of the CCS community empowers student learning and connection

‘“To every parent, alum, faculty member, staff, and friend of CCS, I just want to say thank you. You really showed up for us this Give Day. Because of you, we can better support our amazing students here at CCS — and that means the world to us.”

—Timothy Sherwood, Dean, College of Creative Studies

Through an act of collective generosity, the College of Creative Studies (CCS) community exceeded its Give Day 2026 goal on April 9, 2026. Alumni, parents, faculty, students, staff, and friends of CCS joined UC Santa Barbara in support of the students, research, and programs that make the University unique, raising $25,200 from 59 donors for the College and $6,750,544 from 4,601 donors for the broader University.

This year’s campaign centered on the Dean’s Fund for Excellence, the College’s most flexible resource for supporting students. This fund supports programs like the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships, which enable student research and creative work, as well as the shared spaces and experiences that foster connection.

By meeting the CCS Give Day goal of 50 gifts, the community unlocked a $5,000 challenge gift from CCS parents of an alumnus, Chris and Julie Proctor, who reflected: "As parents of a CCS Biology graduate, we have seen firsthand how this college transforms passionate students into true pioneers. We chose to contribute to the CCS Dean’s Fund because it provides the unrestricted support necessary to meet immediate needs and seize unique opportunities for students.”

Additionally, thanks to strong engagement from the CCS community on UCSB’s Give Day social media campaign, the College was selected as an additional recipient of a $250 gift from a UCSB alumna.

The College is deeply grateful for the philanthropic support of its generous donors throughout these 36 hours and looks forward to sharing the impact in the coming year.

Watch a post-Give Day message to the community from CCS Dean Timothy Sherwood, Apr 10, 2026.