Cy Pres Funds Allocation
Cy pres awards are funds generated by a class action lawsuit that cannot be awarded or are unclaimed. Under the cy pres doctrine, courts can designate a nonprofit as the recipient of these funds, as long as the nonprofit’s mission furthers the purposes of the underlying causes of action or promotes justice for all citizens and/or consumers in the state of California. SFSU is such a nonprofit.
With a focus on academic excellence, community service and inclusion, SFSU has many programs that qualify for cy pres awards within its seven colleges and dozens of areas of study and concentration.
Cy Pres Fundable Areas at SFSU
Climate HQ and the Climate Justice Leaders Initiative
Climate change is the defining social justice and sustainability issue of our time. Climate HQ and the Climate Justice Leaders Initiative were created to support SFSU’s exceptional students, staff and faculty to become climate justice leaders. We are investing in people and community by cultivating an equity-minded, interdisciplinary leadership team. By training student leaders and creating empowering events, we are sowing the seeds for broader action.
Satisfies cy pres requirements for the following types of cases:
- Environmental justice
- Environmental pollution
- Toxic and nuclear pollution
- Climate: greenhouse gas emissions
- Water: toxic contamination
- Wildlife destruction
- Ecosystem destruction
- Hazardous waste
The Center for Ethical and Sustainable Business (CESB)
The Center for Ethical and Sustainable Business (CESB) was launched in 2011 to integrate ethics, corporate social responsibility and environmental sustainability beyond the classroom. CESB’s mission is to be the Bay Area epicenter for integrating ethical, environmental and social sustainability business practices through engagement between our Lam Family College of Business students and Bay Area businesses.
The University’s longstanding commitment to educating students about equity and social justice aligns CESB’s vision with its goal of honing best practices in business integrity, social impact and environmental sustainability through business leader presence on campus, business funding support for students’ CESB vision-related projects and developing CESB learning and research communities for students and faculty.
The Center offers three graduate certificates: in Sustainable Business, Ethical Artificial Intelligence, and Ethics and Compliance.
Satisfies cy pres requirements for the following types of cases:
- Defective products
- Consumer fraud
- Unfair business practices
- False advertising
- Deceptive advertising
- Bait and switch marketing
- Insurance, mortgage, billing, bank fraud
- Breach of contract
- Financial reporting
- Telemarketing fraud
- Breach of data privacy
- Ponzi scheme
- Defective cars
- Prize promotion fraud
Labor and Employment Studies Program in the Lam Family College of Business
Our Labor and Employment Studies program provides students with an introduction to and understanding of the study of labor and employment relations. The program offers a bachelor’s as well and minors. Department chair John Logan, Ph.D., is an internationally known expert on anti-union legislation and practices in the U.S. and comparative labor issues, particularly how multinational companies treat employees and unions differently in the U.S. compared to European countries.
Satisfies cy pres requirements for the following types of cases:
- Wage and hour violations
- Meal break violations
- Illegal procedures regarding layoffs
- Misclassification lawsuits
- Overtime pay denial
- Unpaid business expenses
- Failure to provide pay stubs
- Disability discrimination
- FMLA lawsuits
- Sexual harassment
- Failure to promptly deliver wages
- Race discrimination
SFSU's College of Health & Social Sciences
The College of Health & Social Sciences comprises a wide range of departments, programs and schools with a shared commitment to equity, health and social justice. The college’s alumni make up vast segments of the city’s workforce. Many members of San Francisco’s law enforcement community have earned their professional degrees at SFSU, as have a large percentage of the city’s nurses and mental health counselors. The college offers 14 undergraduate majors and 10 graduate degree programs.
Satisfies cy pres requirements for the following types of cases:
- Unlawful promotion of prescription drugs by pharmaceutical companies
- Unlisted drug side effects that cause significant harm
- Death or permanent injury caused by medical devices
- Medical tort
- Defective products in health care
- Criminal justice disputes
- Defective baby and bath products
- Malpractice and medical care
For more information about allocating cy pres funds to SFSU, contact:
Anjali Billa
Interim Vice President for University Advancement and Comprehensive Campaigns
President, San Francisco State University Foundation