The Cleveland State Community College Foundation was chartered in 1971 by a group of civic, business and community leaders in cooperation with college officials.

Since 1971,with the generous and consistent gifts of local friends of education and supporters of Cleveland State, the Foundation has provided almost $2.7 million dollars in scholarships to almost 3,600 students attending Cleveland State Community College.

In 1986 Cleveland State became the first community college Foundation in Tennessee to reach a million dollar scholarship endowment, and the current assets of the Foundation are more than $5 million dollars.