CommUniverCity SJSU

What CommUniverCity SJSU does

CommUniverCity SJSU is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community-university-city partnership founded in 2005 in San José, California. It connects San José State University faculty and students with residents of underserved Central San José neighborhoods — primarily District 3 — to deliver approximately 40 community-defined projects annually. Programs are organized into three tracks: Engage (community health and environment), Learn (college-going culture and educational enrichment), and Build (urban infrastructure and neighborhood development). Core programs include the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, College Day, Garden Club and Garden Education, SEGWAY (Social Emotional Growth for Area Youth), Engineering in Action, Geology Rocks!, Record Clearance Project, and the Children and Youth Services Master Plan framework.

The organization operates as a volunteer-powered entity with a small core staff — currently including Executive Director Mike Oye, Associate Director Pamela Wells, Community Director Imelda Rodriguez, Department Analyst Mary Kay J. Floyd, Administrative Analyst Matthew Snyder, and Community Outreach Program Coordinator Alicia Allan — supplemented by SJSU student Project Coordinators and faculty volunteers. Funding flows from three sources: the City of San José (34%), San José State University (30%), and private/other contributions (36%). Donations are channeled through the Tower Foundation's 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsorship and are tax-deductible. Major corporate sponsors include Wells Fargo, Cathay Bank Foundation, PG&E, Umpqua Bank, and Excite Credit Union. A CommUniverCity Founders Fund was established with a $25,000 matching commitment from Professor Emeritus Dr. Stephen Kwan to support long-term sustainability.

Over its 20-year history, CommUniverCity has engaged more than 22,000 SJSU students across 20 academic departments, collaborated with 8 City of San José departments, 2 regional agencies, and 12+ K-12 school partners, and produced community work with a cumulative estimated value exceeding $9 million. Reported outcomes include a 10x return on every dollar invested and 81% of student volunteers gaining a strengthened sense of belonging. The organization received the 2020 SPUR Impact Award for Community Advocacy and has been documented in peer-reviewed publications in ScienceDirect (2015) and Practicing Anthropology (2012).

Name

CommUniverCity SJSU

Legal name

CommUniverCity SJSU

Website

https://cucsj.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CommUniverCity SJSU is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) community-university-city partnership founded in 2005 connecting San José State University faculty and students with Central San José residents to deliver approximately 40 collaborative service-learning projects annually across educational, environmental, and urban infrastructure programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development and Civic Engagement Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (6117), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Volunteerism, Service-Learning & Community Service (EDALAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Engagement & Service-Learning Partnerships (EDALAOAI), Cooperative Education (Co-op) Technical Universities (EDAHAEAF)

Keywords

• Community service learning
• Civic engagement programs
• Neighborhood revitalization services
• College readiness outreach
• University community partnerships

Headquarters

HQ city

San Jose

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: CommUniverCity accepts financial donations through its website. As a 501c3 through the Tower Foundation, donations are tax deductible. Donations fund events, materials for art projects, tools and seeds for gardening programs, and educational events.
2. Government Funding: Funding comes from City of San José (34%), San Jose State (30%), and private/other sources (36%).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CommUniverCity SJSU is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) partnership that engages San José State University faculty and students in collaborative service-learning projects addressing community-defined goals in underserved Central San José neighborhoods. It organizes its work into three program categories — Engage (community health and environment), Learn (college-going culture and educational enrichment), and Build (urban infrastructure and neighborhood improvement) — delivering roughly 40 named programs annually such as Young Entrepreneurs Academy, Garden Club & Garden Education, College Day, SEGWAY, Engineering in Action, Record Clearance Project, and Marketing Smarts: Advertising Campaigns.

Product overview

CommUniverCity SJSU operates as a single unified community engagement initiative rather than a platform product. The organization facilitates collaborative service-learning projects organized into three program categories: Engage programs (community health and environment projects), Learn programs (college-going culture and educational initiatives), and Build programs (urban infrastructure and neighborhood development). Core programs include the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, Garden Club, College Day, SEGWAY, Engineering in Action, Record Clearance Project, and the Children and Youth Services Master Plan alignment initiative. These programs connect SJSU faculty and students with community residents to address neighborhood-defined goals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Engage Programs Community engagement projects benefiting Central San José residents by expanding understanding of and capacity to improve community health and the environment; includes Young Entrepreneurs Academy, Garden Club & Garden Education, Green STEM Fair, Spartan Keyes Egg Hunt, Cooking Matters, Record Clearance Project, SUN Halloween Fair, Community Leadership Program, Candidate Forum, and related projects. Targeted at neighborhood residents, K-12 students, and SJSU student volunteers.
• Learn Programs Educational programs that build college-going culture by using SJSU student experience as a living lab and enhancing curricular instruction in English, STEM, and the social sciences; includes College Day, Engineering in Action, Geology Rocks!, SEGWAY, Writing Partners, Campus Tours, Aerospace Engineering, Social Issues Theater, and Watershed in a Box. Targeted at K-12 students in underserved Central San José schools with SJSU students delivering the programming.
• Build Programs Urban infrastructure projects addressing priorities of local low-income neighborhoods and directing city resources to community aspirations; includes Marketing Smarts: Advertising Campaigns, Community Planning, Alum Rock Corridor, Food Waste Warriors, Friends of Five Wounds Trail, Public Litter Can Study, Sustainability Fairs, Northern California Environmental Justice Network, Promotores Program, La Avenida Community Streetscape, and Small-Business Training for Entrepreneurial Progress. Targeted at neighborhood residents, local small businesses, and city of San José departments.
• Young Entrepreneurs Academy Provides elementary and middle school students with opportunities to learn fundamental entrepreneurial and business skills through interactive workshops delivered by SJSU business students. Targeted at K-12 students at partner schools including Bachrodt, Empire Gardens, Sacred Heart Nativity, and Washington Elementary.
• Garden Club & Garden Education Inspires children to grow their food while cultivating connections to nature, nutrition, climate change, and sustainability through hands-on experiences in partnership with Valley Verde and the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. Targeted at elementary students and Central San José residents.
• College Day Introduces elementary and middle school students to the value of higher education by connecting them with SJSU students through poster presentations and personal storytelling. Targeted at K-12 students at Lowell, McKinley, and other Central San José partner schools.
• SEGWAY (Social Emotional Growth for Area Youth) Connects SJSU students with local K-5 elementary schools to promote Social Emotional Learning (SEL), providing youth with skills for healthy identities, emotion management, peer support, and self-respect. Delivered in partnership with CORAL. Targeted at K-5 students at McKinley, Empire Gardens, Olinder, and Washington Elementary schools.
• Engineering in Action Provides elementary students with opportunities to explore engineering fundamentals through interactive workshops led by SJSU students, in collaboration with CORAL/Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County. Targeted at K-12 students in underserved Central San José schools.
• Record Clearance Project Aids San José State University students in helping California residents clear felony and misdemeanor records, with students supporting interviews, research, and legal paperwork preparation through SJSU Justice Studies Department courses JS 141 and 142. Targeted at California residents needing record clearance and SJSU Justice Studies students earning course credit.
• Children and Youth Services Master Plan Alignment framework bridging SJSU faculty, students, the City of San José, and the community to address identified challenges across early learning, health, education, employment, and community safety for children and youth in Central San José.
• Marketing Smarts: Advertising Campaigns Provides customized advertising campaigns and marketing support — including Adobe product training — for Central San José small businesses such as Campus Burgers, Sueños Restaurant, K&J Sweets and Bakery, Artesanias Mexicanas Morelia, and Filomena Farms. Targeted at local small businesses in underserved neighborhoods.

Quantifiable outcome

• 81% of SJSU student volunteers reported gaining a sense of belonging through CommUniverCity projects
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and supporting.

• San Jose State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Founding partner of CommUniverCity since 2005. SJSU provides faculty expertise, student volunteers, and academic infrastructure for service-learning projects across multiple departments including engineering, urban planning, education, business, and environmental studies. Over 22,000 SJSU students have participated in CommUniverCity projects.
• City of San JosecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Founding partner providing 34% of funding and municipal resources. The City Manager originally responded to partnership proposal with 'I've been waiting for this call for 30 years.' Eight City departments collaborate on neighborhood improvement initiatives, urban planning projects, and community engagement programs.
• District 3 Community Leadership CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2005Key community partner representing underserved neighborhoods in Central San Jose. Residents identify neighborhood priorities through District 3 board members and community organizations, ensuring CommUniverCity projects address resident-identified needs.
• Santa Clara Valley Open Space AuthoritymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government agency partner supporting CommUniverCity environmental programs including Garden Club, Garden Education, Cooking Matters, and Green STEM Fair. Focuses on open space preservation and environmental education.
• Valley VerdemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner for Garden Club and Garden Education programs, providing expertise in sustainable gardening and environmental education for elementary students.
• Keep Coyote Creek Beautiful (KCCB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental nonprofit partner collaborating on Watershed in a Box program to educate local schoolchildren about Coyote Creek and waterway protection.
• Valley WatermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater district partner in Watershed in a Box program, providing water quality education and resources about Coyote Creek watershed protection.
• SJSU Environmental Resource CentersupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSJSU department partner in Watershed in a Box environmental education program.
• CORAL (Communities Organizing Resources to Advance Learning)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity-based organization partner providing after-school enrichment programs. Collaborates with SEGWAY (Social Emotional Learning), Geology Rocks!, and Engineering in Action programs to deliver hands-on educational activities.
• SJSU Justice Studies DepartmentmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for Record Clearance Project, where students in JS 141 and 142 courses assist in clearing felony and misdemeanor records for California residents.
• CORAL (Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization partner collaborating with SJSU professors on Engineering in Action program to provide K-12 students with hands-on engineering activities through after-school programs.
• Five Wounds Brookwood Terrace Neighborhood AssociationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEarly partner in CommUniverCity's founding, working with SJSU students to develop neighborhood 'top ten' priority lists based on intensive investigations.
• Alum Rock Santa Clara Street Business AssociationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness association partner collaborating on Community Leadership Training Workshops and small business development initiatives.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Destination: Home: Silicon Valley public-private partnership addressing homelessness and housing instability. Regional peer given overlapping community-development objectives and San Jose/Silicon Valley footprint, though focused on housing rather than education.
• Working Solutions: Bay Area nonprofit providing microloans and small business development services. Peer given CommUniverCity's Small-Business Training for Entrepreneurial Progress and Marketing Smarts programs that operate in an overlapping Bay Area small-business support space.
• Catholic Charities of Santa Clara County: Major regional nonprofit delivering social services across Santa Clara County, including the CORAL after-school program that is itself a CommUniverCity partner. Peer because it operates comparable community-development and education programs in the same geography.

Emerging players

• Imagine LA: Los Angeles nonprofit pairing volunteers with families experiencing homelessness to achieve self-sufficiency. Emerging player peer given its community-driven casework model with university-affiliated volunteers, intersecting with CommUniverCity's volunteer model.

Broad incumbents

• Campus Compact: National coalition of 1,000+ colleges and universities committed to civic and community engagement. Broad incumbent that operates at the system/policy level for service-learning, providing resources and advocacy that support entities like CommUniverCity.
• Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities: Association of urban-serving research universities advancing place-based community engagement. Comparable because it represents the macro ecosystem of university-city partnerships CommUniverCity exemplifies at the local level.
• Stanford Haas Center for Public Service: Stanford's center coordinating community-engaged learning, service, and research. Broad incumbent peer because it runs the larger-scale institutional version of what CommUniverCity delivers for SJSU students and faculty.

Direct peers

• Bonner Foundation: National foundation funding student service programs at 75+ colleges focused on low-income communities. Direct peer in the service-learning-as-community-development space, though operating as a funder network rather than a single-site operator.
• Netter Center for Community Partnerships: University of Pennsylvania's anchor for university-community partnerships in West Philadelphia. Direct peer because it operates the same university-city-resident collaboration model that delivers service-learning, faculty-led research, and neighborhood-defined projects — virtually identical structure to CommUniverCity.
• UCLA Center for Community-Based Learning: UCLA's hub for service-learning and community-engaged coursework across Los Angeles. Direct peer given its parallel role of integrating university students and faculty into neighborhood-defined projects with measurable community impact.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/communivercity-san-jose

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CommUniverCity SJSU