The Taco Bell Foundation is awarding a record-breaking $28 million in Community Grants in 2025 – marking the first time that the Santa Ana College Foundation has been selected as a grant recipient.
(Santa Ana, CA) The Santa Ana College Foundation was selected as a recipient of a 2025 Community Grant from the Taco Bell Foundation. The funding will support the Foundation’s President's Circle and Innovation and Student Success Grant Program. These critical philanthropic dollars will elevate the most pressing needs across Santa Ana College’s academic programming and will assist students in achieving their goals. Serving around 70,000 students annually, Santa Ana College continues to provide access to education for its community as the college has a robust offering of over 265 degrees and certificates which is continuously expanding.
“I'm completely overjoyed that we have forged a new partnership with a global organization that shares the same values as the Santa Ana College Foundation: supporting our youth in the most impactful ways possible," shared Christina Romero, Executive Director of College Advancement and Foundation, Santa Ana College. “With Taco Bell's passion around youth driven programs and scholarship work, along with having such a local presence here in Santa Ana, it all was very fitting, and I have high hopes that this is the beginning of something great. It is a honor be forging and expanding our mission with Taco Bell Foundation. I have a feeling this is going to be long lasting relationship, one in which Santa Ana College student's will benefit from tremendously."
The Taco Bell Foundation awarded a record-breaking $28 million in Community Grants this year to nearly 500 nonprofit organizations nationwide. The Community Grants program uplifts youth in the communities that matter most to Taco Bell – those of its fans and Team Members. True to the brand's spirit, the Taco Bell Foundation supports nonprofits that think differently and take bold approaches to creating new opportunities for young people.
The Santa Ana College Foundation was nominated for the grant by the local Taco Bell franchisee whose continued commitment to uplifting youth has helped expand access to education, mentorship, and career readiness programs across the community.
"We believe that empowering young people is one of the most meaningful ways we can invest in the future," said Lisa Lane Cardin, Executive Director of the Taco Bell Foundation. “This record investment is a testament to the power of community-driven change and the limitless potential that exists when we remove barriers and open doors."
Through this grant, the Santa Ana College Foundation will be able to enhance faculty and staff innovation and experiential learning both inside and outside of the classroom so that faculty and students can innovate and follow along pathways of academic success and career readiness.
To learn more about the Santa Ana College Foundation please visit givetosac.org. To learn more about the Taco Bell Foundation and the Community Grants program, please visit www.tacobellfoundation.org/who-we-support.
Questions about this press release can be directed to Ethereal Violet Reyes, Public Information Officer at reyes_ethereal@sac.edu.
About Santa Ana College
Santa Ana College (SAC), founded in 1915, serves more than 70,000 students yearly for credit and noncredit classes. At present, SAC students can work toward completing an associate degree, university transfer, career/workforce training or a bachelor's degree in occupational studies. In 2025, the college will offer a second bachelor's degree in Paral egal Studies. As part of Santa Ana College, the School of Continuing Education located at Centennial Education Center offers free classes throughout the community for adults of all ages and academic backgrounds. Santa Ana College is an award-winning college and was recently ranked as one of the nation's top two-year colleges awarding associate degrees to Latino and Asian students and named one of the best community colleges in California by Intelligent.com for a 2nd consecutive year. The college is also recognized throughout the state for its comprehensive workforce training programs for nurses, firefighters, law enforcement and medical personnel.
About Taco Bell Foundation
Taco Bell Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) public charity that empowers the next generation to pursue their passions by breaking down barriers to education and providing resources to help young people chase their boldest ambitions. Since 1992, the Taco Bell Foundation has reached nearly 9 million young people across the country and has awarded more than $203 million in grants and scholarships, focused on education and career readiness. For more information about the Taco Bell Foundation, visit www.tacobellfoundation.org.
