Fresno Unified administration found a solution to a public relations crisis after it cut field-trip spending by tapping into resources from the district’s relatively young foundation.

A $1.5 million gift to fill the gap in the district’s $1.66 billion budget represents possibly the single-largest expense for the foundation, which says it has taken an intentionally slow approach to spending.

For comparison, the foundation’s student scholarships have totaled $1.6 million over the course of its lifetime.

Field-trip spending will not go away when the year ends, and whether the board votes to hand over the money — Fresno Unified Superintendent Misty Her announced the gift before getting official foundation board approval — remains to be seen. The foundation board is almost entirely made up of Fresno Unified contractors and staff.

Four years after the $20 million gift from billionaire MacKenzie Scott that jumpstarted the foundation, the district and the foundation still don’t have a memorandum of understanding outlining duties and mission, according to public records of questions posed by Fresno Unified Trustee Susan Wittrup to the district on Sept. 9.

Scott’s $20 Million Gift in 2022

When Scott in 2022 made the donation to Fresno Unified, the district looked at what it could do with this potentially life-changing amount for students preparing for college.

Donations from Scott’s foundation to nonprofits and school systems nationwide often come with few strings attached. In January 2023, the district said Scott’s money would triple the amount of scholarships for Fresno Unified students.

The district put Wendy McCulley, a Harvard graduate, at the helm as the foundation’s CEO, although she is on paid administrative leave, according to multiple sources. Attempts to reach McCulley for comment were unsuccessful. Sources close to the matter tell GV Wire that former Fresno Unified Superintendent Bob Nelson is interim CEO.

Former Fresno Unified Board President Brooke Ashjian said on KMJ radio last week that Nelson gets paid $5,000 a month by the foundation and took a $20,000 consulting fee. Ashjian said that given the district’s pension to Nelson and his Fresno State salary, he doesn’t need the foundation’s money.

Multiple calls and emails to Nelson seeking comment on the matter were not returned.

In the years since Scott’s donation, a 2025 audit obtained by GV Wire shows that the foundation has grown by investing its money while also undertaking programs such as suit drives and mental health services, and granting scholarships.

Though the foundation would not make anyone available for a one-on-one interview with GV Wire, a foundation spokesperson replied to questions via email.

“The Foundation wants this gift to have a lasting impact,” the spokesperson said. “That means continuing to provide scholarships and other opportunities to students today while also preserving the Foundation’s ability to support future generations of Fresno Unified students.”

Only One Board Member Appears to Not Have Financial Ties to District

Public records reveal that nearly all of the board members have financial ties to the district, either directly or through contracts. Board members contacted by GV Wire did not respond to calls or emails for comment.

Executive Director McCulley is also the chief engagement and external partnerships officer for the district.

Board chair Antonio Avila is the managing principal of Darden Architects, which is the district’s most utilized architectural contractor. Darden designed the Juan Felipe Herrera Elementary School, the Edison High School Academic Building, the Patiño School of Entrepreneurship, multiple facilities at Duncan Polytechnical High School, and the new district headquarters, to name a few projects.

Superintendent Her serves as vice chair for the foundation, and Nelson is also a board member.

Elizabeth Dooley, treasurer of the board, is the president and CEO of Educational Employees Credit Union, which has deep financial ties to the district.

The Fresno Center, led by foundation secretary Pao Yang, contracts with the district as one of three community organizations to host Parent University.

Board member Laura Schlundt also contracts with Fresno Unified through Net Positive Consulting Engineers, of which she is controller. The firm was chosen as a consultant for the district’s $60 million district-wide renovation effort. It’s also worked to modernize the Bullard High School gym and the HVAC systems at Starr and Vinland elementary schools.

Net Positive donated $10,000 to the $500 million Measure H school construction bond in 2024. Darden Architects gave $20,000.

Fresno Unified has partnered with foundation board member Babatunde Ilori since 2022 on an ongoing contract with Parsec Education, where he’s the CEO, to provide data management for the district.

DJ Criner, who is pastor of Saint Rest Baptist Church, appears to be the only board member without a financial interest with the district.

The foundation did not respond to GV Wire’s questions about whether there are potential conflicts of interest among the board members.

What Audit of Foundation Records Shows

GV Wire obtained an audit of the foundation’s financials through a California Public Records Act request.

Shortly after Scott’s gift, the foundation reported $20.8 million in net assets in fiscal 2023, an amount that grew to $22.4 million by fiscal 2025.

The ability to grow the foundation comes out of a strategic decision to limit giving.

In an email response to GV Wire, the foundation spokesperson said that “rather than providing a large amount of funding to a smaller number of students over a short period of time,” leaders chose to stretch out those dollars.

“The original $20 million gift was unrestricted, which gives the Foundation the ability to thoughtfully determine how those resources can have a meaningful and lasting impact to best support students,” the spokesperson said. “The Foundation also recognizes the importance of communicating that vision clearly, particularly as discussions about the Foundation continue.”

The amount directly given from Scott’s gift has been relatively small. For fiscal year 2025, the district gifted $447,200 in scholarships to students, granting about one-in-four student applications, according to the foundation website. Since its inception, the foundation has awarded $1.6 million in scholarships.

The foundation also gifted $821,149 in school supplies, of which 96% came from in-kind donations, meaning just over $33,000 came from the foundation’s financial chest.

The foundation also provided $136,654 in mental health services that year, of which $19,170 came from an outside source.

“Scholarships are one part of the Foundation‘s broader work supporting Fresno Unified students,” the foundation spokesperson said. “The Foundation also supports Suit Drives that provide professional clothing to students, school-site projects, student programs, and other opportunities and resources across Fresno Unified.”

Of the $2.31 million in program-service expenses in fiscal year 2025, about $1.57 million went to scholarships, grants, stipends, school supplies, or mental-health services.

After excluding direct donations for school supplies and donated mental-health services, spending from the foundation totaled $764,000 in 2025.

District Pulls in $472,197 in Donations After $762,840 in Fundraising Costs

In 2025, the audit reported $762,840 in fundraising expenses — though it should be noted that the $433,383 in staffing costs were largely donated by the district.

For that effort, the audit reported $472,197 in total support for 2025. Subtract the $329,457 the district paid in staffing costs and fundraising efforts, and the net gain was $142,740.

However, investments paid off handsomely for the foundation, bringing in nearly $1.5 million that year.