Valencia College Foundation

Valencia College Foundation

The Valencia College Foundation was chartered in 1974 as a separate 501(c)(3) supporting Valencia College. Its sole mission is to fund educational needs that state appropriations and student tuition cannot cover. The foundation is governed by a board stocked with senior leaders from Central Florida's anchor institutions — Walt Disney World's Sheri Torres chairs the board, while Jeff Mock of Clancy & Theys Construction serves as vice chair. The foundation's deployment strategy is straightforward: raise, pool, and distribute. Its asset base includes a commingled investment pool, direct land holdings in Orlando, and a commercial property at 1800 S. Kirkman Road that serves as its headquarters. The organization also stewards Florida Prepaid Tuition Scholarships. Fundraising is deeply tied to Orlando's hospitality and healthcare economy through named corporate partnerships and an annual gala. The PepsiCo Foundation co-invests via the Uplift Scholars program, while Addition Financial serves as the title sponsor for the foundation's Red, Black and Boundless Gala. The board of directors functions as the investment and fundraising engine, with representation crossing hospitality, energy, healthcare, professional sports, and construction. Disney, Universal Destinations & Experiences, Orlando Health, Duke Energy, the Orlando Magic, and Rosen Hotels & Resorts each have senior executives seated on the board. ABC Fine Wine and Spirits, through Alexander Poreda, sponsors the foundation's Taste for Learning event. The foundation is a member of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, where it received a Circle of Excellence National Award in 2011. The foundation's structural differentiator is its governance model — it is a dedicated philanthropic vehicle for a single community college but operates its board as a convening table for the region's largest private-sector employers. That concentration of corporate fiduciary attention gives Valencia College a fundraising apparatus that mirrors a private university's development office, but focused entirely on the two-year degree pipeline and workforce readiness in Central Florida.