Samuel M. Ciccati and his wife, Kristine, have built their fortune on savvy investments in stocks and real estate, but it’s their investments in people that bring them the greatest satisfaction. From establishing endowed scholarships for unhoused youth at San Diego’s Monarch School to supporting the arts at Cuyamaca College where Samuel once served as president, their generosity will continue to create opportunities for generations to come.
“I’ve been very fortunate to succeed financially and accumulate enough to help others,” Samuel says. “I truly believe these scholarships assist students who will, in turn, go on to help others.”
Samuel and Kristine have partnered with San Diego Foundation (SDF) since 2015, when they established their first endowed fund to support scholarships at the Monarch School. “We looked at a couple other places but went with the Foundation because of the breadth and depth of the organization,” says Sam. “We’re honored to work with them and they’ve really helped us make our donations more impactful.”
Philanthropy in Action
Through several endowments established by the couple at SDF and other commitments, they have strengthened organizations they deeply care about. Their giving has created sustainable sources of support for community treasures such as:
- Water Conservation Garden: A $500,000 endowment supporting a six-acre living classroom at Cuyamaca College that promotes water conservation through native plant exhibits, workshops and tours. It is operated through a joint powers agency that includes the San Diego Water Authority, several local water districts, the City of San Diego, and Cuyamaca College.
- Heritage of the Americas Museum: A $1-million endowment sustaining this cultural institution next to the Garden, preserving and exhibiting art and artifacts that trace the history and prehistory of the Americas – from Maya pottery and ancient Peruvian art to fossils and indigenous artifacts. The Ciccati Endowment helps sustain the museum’s operations through a reliable funding source.
- Samuel M. Ciccati Performing Arts Center: A $500,000 endowment to support the Cuyamaca College Samuel M. Ciccati Performing Arts Center. The center, which includes a 364-seat auditorium designed for classical music, hosts more than two dozen performances annually, many by world-renowned chamber musicians.
In addition, Samuel committed $1-million in 2018 to the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges. This gift provides 100 perpetual scholarships to Cuyamaca College students, complementing the district’s Promise Plus program that opens doors to higher education. The $1-million donation was the largest ever received by the college foundation when it was made in 2018.
“Dr. Samuel M. Ciccati’s impact on Cuyamaca College cannot be overstated,” said Sally M. Cox, CEO of the Foundation for Grossmont & Cuyamaca Colleges. “As the second president of Cuyamaca College, Dr. Ciccati built an inspiring foundation for the college – quite literally, he and faculty laid the sod on the fledgling campus. Under his leadership, the Water Conservation Garden and the Heritage of the Americas Museum were created. He built a student-centered culture at Cuyamaca that remains today. And after his retirement, Dr. Ciccati has been an important philanthropist, supporting scholarships for students that will continue in perpetuity.”
Samuel previously funded four endowed scholarships for students at Cuyamaca and Grossmont colleges through a campaign matched by the Bernard Osher Foundation. He also previously endowed five scholarships at the San Diego State University College of Education and one for men’s basketball.
“Community colleges and education mean so much to me because of what they have meant to my life,” he says.
Rooted in Philanthropy
Samuel and Kristine both grew up in households where generosity was a family value. “My parents did not have much,” Samuel says, “but they were very generous people, so I learned from a very early age what it meant to give.” Kristine, too, said educational causes were dear to her parents’ heart.
After his family moved from the Rust Belt to San Diego, Samuel became the primary breadwinner following his father’s passing. He began as a stockroom clerk at SDG&E. It was at SDG&E where a colleague encouraged him to enroll at nearby San Diego City College. He later transferred to San Diego State College (now San Diego State University), earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial arts. He began his education career teaching drafting and woodworking at El Capitan High School in Lakeside, where he would later become a counselor. After completing a doctoral program in Leadership and Human Behavior at United States International University (now Alliant International University) in San Diego, Samuel joined Grossmont College as a counselor, was named Vice President of Student Services in 1976, then Vice President of Instruction and Student Services in 1982, and became President of Cuyamaca College in 1984.
Kristine, a graduate of the University of Michigan, has a deep appreciation for music and music education. She studied piano for many years and later taught privately. During her career she has worked with a number of music organizations including the San Diego Youth Symphony, the San Diego Young Artists Orchestra and the La Jolla Symphony and Chorus. Kristine and her family have had a longtime association with the Interlochen Center for the Arts near Traverse City Michigan and there she recently established the Kristine J. Ciccati Endowed Academy Scholarship in Music.
Although Samuel’s highest annual salary was $100,000, which came in 1993 during his last year as Cuyamaca College president, his prudent investments allowed the couple to contribute more than $3 million to various funds held at SDF to support organizations near to their heart.
Building a Future
Samuel and Kristine have long embraced the philosophy of “give while you live.”
“The whole idea is leaving behind a charitable legacy,” Kristine says. “You give a lump sum and it’s gone. By establishing an endowment at the Foundation, the money can continue to grow, without eating into the principal, which ensures it will keep on giving in perpetuity.”
Their story reflects a life guided by gratitude and vision; values they hope will inspire others to invest in community. As SDF celebrates a half century of building a better future through its Fifty & Forward Campaign, Samuel and Kristine’s example reminds us how one couple’s commitment to giving can ripple across generations.
