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Doors To Success
George Crandell invests in opportunities for students

By John Kepley Photography by Mary Weikert


Last June, two veterans marched into a University Foundation Board meeting to present an idea.

The need was simple: Veterans who attended college using federal GI Bill benefits did not receive any money until after the semester was well under way. A scholarship fund for the state’s Troops to College program would help these students pay for books and living expenses until their benefits kicked in.

George Crandell and the other members of The University Foundation at Sacramento State saw the idea as an opportunity and responded immediately.

“Our eyes widened,” says Crandell, who has served on the Foundation board since 1986 and is the current chair. “That’s something we need to support. The troops are returning in increasing numbers, and we should be proud of them and express that pride every chance we get.”

The Foundation is Sac State’s primary philanthropic arm, and its board felt a scholarship fund could both help students and attract support from the entire community.

The presentation by Jeff Weston, an Air Force veteran and Sac State’s Veterans Affairs coordinator, and Austin Sihoe, a student and Navy vet, made a big impact. The Foundation board set a $100,000 fundraising goal.

And Crandell, as he had during his decades as a venture capitalist, made the initial investment. He personally donated $25,000 to Sac State’s Troops to College scholarship fund.

“My dad recently passed away, and given his interest in education and his service in the Navy in World War II, a gift in his honor seemed a fitting way to kick off the campaign,” Crandell says.

The campaign quickly exceeded all expectations. At the Green & Gold Gala in February, University President Alexander Gonzalez announced that more than $150,000 had been raised.

The awarding of the first Troops to College scholarships this fall will boost Sac State’s leadership in attracting veterans, Weston says.

Sihoe attended the Gala and was moved by the response. “We’re getting donations now from people outside the campus who don’t even know us,” he says.

A Wealth of Experience

Presentations and requests for funding are familiar territory for Crandell. Considered as one of Sacramento’s first professional venture capitalists, Crandell spent his career turning opportunity into success.

At Brentwood Associates, a Los Angeles-based venture capital firm, he focused on companies with experienced management and innovative products in growing markets.

In 1986, he retired from Brentwood and moved to Sacramento with his wife and two daughters to work on his own. “This was an underserved region at the time. There seemed to be good opportunities for young companies coming up,” Crandell says. “The Sacramento business community also was and still is a very open, welcoming community for anyone who wants to participate and get involved.”

In his view, the same was true for Sac State, and his affinity for strong products in growing markets made the University a natural fit. “Sac State was a campus with tremendous strengths and potential, but seemed underappreciated by the community. I enjoyed the people and was honored to be offered an opportunity to become involved.”

Now the Sacramento region has a thriving entrepreneurial community with several active venture capital firms, and Sac State, with its 180,000 alumni and talented, driven students, is succeeding right along with it.

Crandell credits the “vision and energy” of the University’s leadership for “the dynamic way that things are happening and allowing opportunities to bubble up to the surface.”

“President Gonzalez’ development of Destination 2010 was the catalyst. We knew the Foundation needed to play a significant role in making it happen,” he says. “It is exciting to walk around campus and see the changes actually taking place.

“The fundraising numbers have also been going up every year as well. It has been very rewarding to see the support and progress on so many fronts.”

Return on Investment

“I’d like to see Sac State become the flagship for the CSU system, with a culture of effective private fundraising throughout the campus community,” Crandell says. “This is an important characteristic of all great universities.”

To foster that culture, he and his wife, Linda, set up the Crandell Faculty Advancement Awards Fund. Each year, it will provide grants for two faculty members to attend fundraising workshops and seminars. Their new skills and insights can then be shared with colleagues and applied to advance philanthropy in their colleges.

“This approach to gifting is increasingly popular with entrepreneurs and business donors,” Crandell says. “Some call it ‘venture philanthropy.’ Rather than simply giving a gift as an endowment, the donor makes an investment that will multiply itself in some way.

“It seemed one of the best investments is to expand Sac State’s ability to raise private funds. As the cadre of talented faculty with fundraising expertise grows, the activity should become a more integral, productive and — hopefully — rewarding aspect of University life.”

The awards will benefit everyone at the University, Gonzalez says.

“It will help our dedicated faculty members who work most closely with students develop additional skills and resources that will ultimately benefit those students,” Gonzalez says.

It Begins with Education

For Crandell, education and the campus atmosphere have always been inspiring and energizing.

“I enjoy the student union,” he says. “It’s always fun to go up to the second floor where there are groups of students either talking about projects, working on their computers or sleeping or eating or just socializing. It feels very alive, the heart of student life. They are developing the tools and skills that will shape their lives.”

Crandell grew up in a family with a deep connection to higher education.

His elementary school was on the UCLA campus and was used to educate prospective teachers. His father graduated from UCLA, and his grandmother was known as “Ma Crandell” for helping out with football players’ laundry and attending all the practices. Both were big boosters.

Crandell also attended UCLA and majored in mathematics and physics. The physics lab introduced him to computers during his senior year, and he went on to earn a master’s degree in business, focusing on computer and quantitative methods.

“I loved physics because it strove to mathematically describe real-world processes,” Crandell says. “It felt natural to apply the same methodology to business problems, such as setting optimal inventory levels, or assessing investment portfolio risk.”

While working as a management information systems designer at Planning Research Corporation and later a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, he earned a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola Law School and became a member of the California Bar.

However, business was the more appealing venue, and he saw an opportunity.

“It became clear that there were a lot of smart lawyers who understood business, but there weren’t too many businessmen who understood the law. In the end, the combination of business, technical and legal training led me to the venture capital industry.”

A Future of Opportunity

Crandell sees both challenges and opportunities in the current economic situation.

He recommends that graduates looking for jobs should stay positive and work with the University’s Career Center.

“Hone your interviewing skills and résumé to highlight the contributions you can make to a prospective employer,” he says. “You may have to send out a hundred résumés and do many interviews before the right job comes along. Success is the intersection between preparation and opportunity.”

Crandell has recruited CEOs and directors for boards and looks beyond the résumé for critical thinking and communication skills.

“I am a huge believer in the ability to speak and write clearly because if you can’t do that, you’re probably not thinking clearly. And the ability to communicate clearly and confidently will impress any potential employer.”

The economy poses challenges to philanthropy as well as job seekers.

“A tremendous amount of wealth has evaporated in the last couple of years. People are feeling much less affluent, and that will affect their comfort level in supporting philanthropic opportunities,” Crandell says.

“We must prepare an even stronger case for why education and the programs at Sac State deserve support,” he says. “Given the budget situation and the impact of the economy on the students and the institution, continuing community support is critical.”

Crandell cites the success of the Green & Gold Gala and Troops to College as proof that the community can still unite behind a great cause.

“When things seem grim, the perfect tonic is to contribute to a worthy cause and help someone else,” he says. “It is extremely rewarding to support a veteran coming back to college from Iraq or Afghanistan, or nursing students dedicating their lives to the care of others, or a Guardian Scholar attending college after growing up in foster care.

“And these are just a few examples of the outstanding programs at Sac State which, now more than ever, need and deserve support.”

The benefits of philanthropy
Through their eyes

In addition to being a Sac State alumnus, Sheley is the University’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. He is Sac State’s chief academic officer.

Q: How will the Crandell Faculty Advancement Awards help Sac State’s students?

A: These awards will help us connect faculty with potential donors and get those donors excited about our potential to take what we now do well for our students to even higher levels.

How do the awards fit in with the larger effort to improve the University?

Everybody has begun envisioning a Sacramento State that is much more proactive in shaping all elements of the university experience. This helps bridge that excitement over into something very tangible. A gift that comes on the heels of direct faculty involvement — that is what you need to turn the corner.

As someone who has seen a lot of change at Sac State, do you think the University is ready for this type of award?

This is the right time because our University is maturing. The campus community understands that in the huge competition for students in the West and especially in the Sacramento area, we need to be active, and we need to be able to enrich our programs.

What does George Crandell’s work mean to Sac State?

When it was announced that he would be presented with the President’s Medal for Distinguished Service at Commencement, I thought it was highly deserved. Here’s a guy who is not only willing to talk about philanthropy but is very involved in it himself. He is somebody who speaks by action, not by words alone.

Sihoe is a junior from San Francisco, majoring in physical therapy. He spent five years in the U.S. Navy, serving aboard the U.S.S. Kitty Hawk, an aircraft carrier stationed in Japan. He helped launch the fundraising campaign for Troops to College and works in the campus Veterans Affairs office.

Q: What was it like presenting to The University Foundation?

A: I’ve never been in a meeting like that. It was a little overwhelming. I was there to represent the student veteran population and give a voice to what’s really going on at the student level.

How did you get to Sac State?

I applied while I was still deployed. What brought me back to Sac State was talking to (Veterans Affairs Coordinator) Jeff Weston. He was really helpful in all the necessary steps to attend Sac State.

What does Troops to College mean to you?

I’ve seen it go from having nothing to basically having scholarships now in the works. It’s wonderful to see the community taking notice and helping out.

What do you tell veterans considering Sac State?

We realize that some vets have a hard time adjusting to the collegiate world. I’ve gotten calls from Baghdad and Afghanistan, and it feels good to tell them about the services that are available. They expect to be one of a very few veterans, but we tell them we have an entire student veteran organization.