OREANDA-NEWS. June 20, 2016. Twelve Northern California colleges and universities have been selected to share \\$50 million from the Koret Foundation to pay for scholarships, improve technology and expand research.

But unlike the typical philanthropic approach, where a charity bestows money for its pet purposes, the foundation won’t tell the schools how to spend the cash that will be provided over five years. The schools were instead asked where they needed help the most.

“These funds will be a tremendous help to our students,” said Susan Lamb, chancellor of City College of San Francisco, where outdated technology has been a severe problem. City College will use its \\$1 million grant to enhance its Web technology and improve security on campus, Lamb said.

The idea of giving campuses freedom in spending the money came from Michael Boskin, president of Koret, a San Francisco foundation that focuses on Bay Area institutions and Jewish causes.

“This program is designed to be a catalyst for new approaches to optimize student success ... particularly among underserved populations,” Boskin said.

San Francisco State University’s \\$2 million will provide college prep workshops at the S.F. Junior Giants Urban Youth Academic Family Program, among other uses.

The largest grants go to UC Berkeley (\\$11 million) and Stanford University (\\$10 million). Berkeley will establish an undergraduate research program and a research collaboration with UCSF at Berkeley’s planned Global Campus in Richmond. Stanford will support its Koret Young Israeli Scholars program and help maintain its new Neuroscience and ChEM-H research complex.

Including Stanford, four recipients are private institutions. The University of San Francisco, a Jesuit school, will receive \\$5 million, in part for a new residence hall. Santa Clara University, also Jesuit, will use part of its \\$2 million for scholarships to first-generation college students and to support those studying science, technology, engineering or math.

Notre Dame de Namur, a Catholic college in Belmont, will add \\$1 million to its capital campaign to save the grand Ralston Hall, an 1868 national landmark that houses its admissions office and is rented out for weddings.

UCSF and UC Davis will each receive \\$6 million for medical programs and, at Davis, to help transfer students specializing in engineering and computer science.

San Jose State, Sonoma State and UC Santa Cruz will share \\$4 million, in part for scholarships.

The final \\$2 million will be set aside for the schools’ future priorities.