Fundraising

Purpose

The Staff and Board of The Children’s Center at Caltech are committed to the continued betterment of the Center and its ability to provide the best possible childcare environment for teachers and students alike. In order to finance major projects, the Center relies on the generosity of donors; the goal of each fundraise drive is specific and provides a tangible benefit to the community. As a private non-profit organization, tuition solely covers the operating budget with no provision for capital expenditures. Over 90% of the budget goes toward teacher & staff salaries, ensuring the Center’s ability to attract and retain the most talented personnel and maintain a low student-teacher ratio.

The Center has benefited tremendously from previous donation drives. Past projects include:

  • the Preschool Science Lab: provides a work space where children can investigate and form deeper understandings of STEM concepts and materials
  • Stroller Portico: keeps our Bunny buggies and strollers cool and safe from the outdoor elements
  • Sun Shade: provides a shady area for the children to escape the heat on warm days
  • Library Renovation: replaced damaged shelving to improve functionality
  • Digital Microscope: another tool in the Science Lab for the children to explore and learn with
  • Outdoor Play Yard Maintenance: new wood chips, sand, and grass to keep the grounds fresh
  • Replacement of Pre-School and Toddler Play Structures

Current Project

The current focus of the Center’s fundraising effort is a renovation of the kitchen. An update of the facility would allow the Center to provide hot, nutritious lunches to all 128 students (in addition to existing morning and afternoon snacks). This has several benefits for the CCC community:

  • the Children get hot food and shared experiences with their classmates
  • the Parents do not have to routinely pack a daily lunch
  • the Teachers can spend less time dealing with lunchboxes and more time with the children

The Center’s current kitchen has residential grade appliances and is unable to handle the scale needed to cook lunch for everyone. The re-imagined kitchen would have commercial grade appliances and an improved layout for efficient mass food preparation. It would allow the Center to provide meals such as pasta, steamed vegetables, and baked chicken.

CCC is currently working with Caltech Facilities on planning, and we will be able to share further details soon!

How to Donate

The Center’s flagship fundraising event is the annual Evening Under the Stars, a fun evening of food and socializing for parents, teachers, and staff. The event also features a keynote speech from a Caltech faculty member and a silent and live auction. See video highlights from the 2021 event here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nTYa2KHRXM

This year, the event will be held on Saturday, June 10, 2023 at Joann’s Art Space (1745 Orlando Road, Pasadena, CA 91106). Please register to join the festivities here: Purchase Tickets

The Center’s fundraising efforts are supported by the Fundraising Committee, which is comprised of staff and parent volunteers. If you would like to join or are interested in donating, please contact Megan Denison, Committee Chair, at mdenison@caltech.edu.

A special thank you to our generous business donors who have provided special auction items to support Evening Under the Stars 2023:

  • AAF Rose Bowl Aquatics Center
  • Ai+ Studio
  • Altadena Pie Lady
  • Apple Cart
  • A Way Home Collective
  • Be Pilates
  • Bellies Babies & Bosoms
  • Bistro Na
  • Bob Baker Marionette Theater
  • Boba x Ice Cream
  • Broad Museum
  • Bumo Childcare
  • Callisto Tea House
  • Chef Ronnie Woo
  • Chess at Three
  • Chipotle Mexican Grill
  • Color Me Mine
  • Descanso Gardens
  • Dinosaur Farm
  • Dream Dinners
  • Dynasty Typewriter
  • Edwin Mills Restaurant
  • Gibbon Conservation Center
  • Groundlings
  • Hollywood Wax Museum
  • Huntington Library & Botanical Gardens
  • Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream
  • Kidspace Children’s Museum
  • Langham Huntington Hotel
  • Los Gringos Locos
  • Lost Spirits Distillery (Las Vegas)
  • Lovebug and Me Music
  • Lucky Boy
  • Magnolia House
  • Malibu Wine Safari
  • Mamma’s Brick Oven Pizza
  • MyGym Atwater Village
  • Olive and June
  • Neon Retro Arcade
  • Panda Restaurant Group
  • Pasadena Sandwich Company
  • PlayLab Eagle Rock
  • San Antonio Winery
  • Saute Academy
  • Science of Smiles
  • Slater’s 50/50
  • Southern California Children’s Museum
  • Sunright Tea Studio
  • The Conrad Los Angeles
  • Tom Sawyer Camps
  • Total Wine
  • USC Pacific Asia Museum
  • WundaBar Pilates
  • Yoga House