Russel Statham: Every dollar leaves a lasting impact

Russel Statham’s philanthropic roots go back to his days as a Fresno State student. Sitting in a classroom, he decided to give after his own life was changed by a donor’s generosity. “I was super blessed to receive the Smittcamp Scholarship while I was a student,” Russel said. “Because others invested in me at an early age, I wanted to give back to pay it forward for other young people to be beneficiaries of the community’s philanthropy as well.”

Russel Statham, Ed.D. first started his journey as a donor by giving $5 to $10 a month to the Renaissance Scholars, a Fresno State program that supports undergraduate and graduate students, who are former foster youth, as they earn their degrees and become leaders in the community.

 Russel started giving at a young age, and he encourages millennials and Generation Z to do the same. “Young donors can start now and grow their giving as their capacity builds over time,” Russel said. “The exciting thing in opening a fund as a younger person is for the assets to grow over time. In 20 years, with compounding interest, the fund can have even greater impact. I want my contributions to have a long-term impact and to have the capacity to give larger donations in the future.”

Russel is a proud Fresnan, who has always felt called to support the region he calls home. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration, an MBA and a doctor of educational leadership, all from Fresno State. That hometown pride drives his commitment to giving back to the community that invested in his success. Russel opened a donor-advised fund at CVCF to strengthen his ability to financially contribute to lasting, transformative change. “To me, investing in an organization that is local and has worked with other nonprofits in the area is really valuable,” Russel said. “I was really excited about the opportunity to understand how to best support nonprofits right now. CVCF knows where the needs are and can bring this forward to donors in a way a national organization can’t.”

Russel grew up understanding the power of nonprofits to help people to prosper. His disabled sister’s experiences showed him firsthand “the importance of the services nonprofits provide.” “My sister shaped me into who I’m today and determined what I wanted to do in my career,” he said. “I had a strong sense of contributing to things that impacted people’s lives.”

As a CVCF donor-advised fundholder, Russel envisions investing in young people, a passion he shares with higher education and youth development. “I had so many incredible opportunities at Fresno State and know the power of mentorship,” he said.

Russel’s career has also shaped his giving. He served as the CEO of Girl Scouts of Central California South for more than eight years, where he was passionate about securing donations for the organization. He was motivated in part by learning, that only about 2% of philanthropic dollars nationally go to women and girls, with more money given to animal causes, according to The Women & Girls Index 2026: Measuring Giving to Women’s and Girls’ Organizations. “As a male CEO, one of my goals was to change that narrative,” Russel said. “Particularly in an organization like the Girl Scouts, I saw firsthand the importance of every dollar contributed. Those regularly given small contributions really make a difference to serve girls.

Inclusion was a top priority for Russel during his time with the Girl Scouts. “One of our mission imperatives is that every girl, in every zip code, no matter where she is from, has access to the Girl Scout experience,” he said. The organization provides financial support for girls who can’t afford memberships, uniforms and travel. Russel is most proud of the scholarship endowments that support Girl Scouts through college, a lasting investment in the girls he served.

Today, Russel has pursued his interest and expertise in philanthropic work to now own a consulting company, Grant Ridge Advisory, LLC, where he offers fractional Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and interim CEO services and provides nonprofit consulting, in partnership with Cresent Leadership.

To learn more about opening a donor-advised fund at CVCF, contact Senior Philanthropy Officer Caty Perez at Caty@centralvalleycf.org or 559-226-5600.