A Message from Leadership
Welcome to the Indian River State College Foundation. For more than 60 years, we have partnered with Indian River State College and our community to expand opportunities, strengthen the local workforce, and fuel economic mobility across the Treasure Coast. The College’s mission is bold—but it cannot be achieved alone.
The Foundation exists to ensure that open access truly means open to everyone — whether it is a single parent returning to school, a veteran transitioning to civilian life, or a high school graduate who never thought college was financially possible.
Every dollar raised by this Foundation is a direct investment in human potential. By aligning donor passion with student purpose, the Foundation helps create lasting impact, building a legacy of success that strengthens lives, families, and our entire region.
Our History
A Legacy of The River’s Spirit
Since its establishment in 1965, the Indian River State College Foundation has grown from a modest fundraising arm into a cornerstone of opportunity on Florida’s Treasure Coast. Founded as part of Indian River State College’s mission to make higher education accessible to residents of Indian River, Martin, Okeechobee, and St. Lucie counties, the Foundation was built on a belief that college should be within reach for every student, regardless of background or means.
In our early years, the Foundation’s focus was straightforward — helping students afford books and basic tuition. Today, that vision has expanded significantly through a strong investment portfolio and a growing endowment that supports long-term sustainability. As the Foundation has evolved, it has led comprehensive capital campaigns that created transformative learning environments, including the Eastman Advanced Workforce Training Center and the Brown Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, established endowments to fund faculty positions, and driven transformational programs such as the Promise Program.
Through economic cycles and global challenges, the Indian River State College Foundation has remained a steady and trusted pillar of support for students, the College and the communities we serve. We are proud of our past, but we are building for the future.
Mission & Vision
Our Guiding Principles
Indian River State College Foundation is a Florida corporation not for profit, organized and operated exclusively to receive, hold, invest and administer property, and to make expenditures to, or for the benefit of Indian River State College. To accomplish this the Foundation actively supports the long-range plan of Indian River State College by providing, but not limited to scholarships, faculty chairs, support of capital projects, and improvements to further enhance student accessibility, and improve the learning environment.
Strategic Plan: 2026 and Beyond
Our roadmap for the next three to five years focuses on three critical pillars of growth.
Expanding Access
Building on the success of the Promise Program, we are expanding eligibility and support services to all our students to ensure that enrollment growth is matched by retention and graduation success.
Workforce Innovation
We are aligning fundraising with regional industry priorities, investing heavily in academic support for advanced manufacturing, healthcare, and technology to ensure our graduates are workforce-ready and equipped to meet employer demands.
Sustainable Growth
We are diversifying our investment strategies and launching new giving initiatives to ensure the Foundation’s financial health remains robust for the next 60 years.