Clippers Owner's $110M Gift To SoCal Universities Aims To Boost Mental Health Services

LOS ANGELES, CA — Three Southern California universities have been awarded a $110 million donation aimed at bolstering mental health resources amid budget cuts and a shortage of support services.

University of California Los Angeles, Cal State Los Angeles and Cal State Dominguez Hills will receive the philanthropic gift, which come in the form of grants used to fund scholarships and programs focused on behavioral health, Cal State Los Angeles announced on Monday.

The $110 million gift came from Ballmer Group, co-founded by Los Angeles Clippers owner and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer and his wife, Connie. The grants will be disbursed over five years to help train about 2,600 new mental health professionals.

Cal State Los Angeles will receive $48 million — the largest donation in the university's history — to help expand its master’s programs in social work and hire new faculty. Cal State Dominguez Hills will receive $29 million to provide scholarships to mental health students. UCLA will receive $33 million, part of which will be used to expand three postdoctoral fellowships, and a minor in youth behavioral health, as well as support and grow its partnership with the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.

The $110 million gift is also the largest donation of its kind in the history of the Cal State University system, school officials said.

College administrators hailed the donations as a significant boost that will have an impact in and out of the classroom.

In a news release, Cal State Los Angeles said the five-year investment strengthens its partnership with K–12 districts and community agencies "to increase access to high-quality, culturally responsive mental health services for children, adolescents, and families in under-resourced areas."

"By growing our extraordinary MSW and SBFC programs, we will prepare more graduates who are academically excellent, culturally responsive, and deeply committed to public service," said Heather Lattimer, provost & vice president for academic affairs at Cal State Los Angeles. "The impact will be felt in schools, public agencies, and nonprofit organizations across Los Angeles for years to come."

School officials said starting immediately, the grants will help Cal State LA prepare more than 1,000 new social workers and family counselors through its Master of Social Work MSW and School‑Based Family Counseling (SBFC) programs, which have a history of providing assistance to East Los Angeles and nearby communities.

Ballmer Group said it is "committed to improving economic mobility for children and families in the United States, funding leaders and organizations that have demonstrated the ability to reshape opportunity."