Firm Says the Fund is a ‘Natural Next Step’ in its Longstanding Relationship with Stan State
February 12, 2021

Over the nearly 50 years that Modesto’s Grimbleby Coleman Certified Public Accountants has been helping businesses and individuals manage their finances, the firm’s principals and team members have taken to heart the concept of giving back. 

The company’s mission statement places a high value on colleagues, present and future, as well as clients. It includes a commitment to community and lists two simple words as a core value: Do right.

As a reflection of company values, team members volunteer the equivalent of one full-time person a year to community service throughout Stanislaus County, and Stanislaus State has long been a recipient of the firm’s generosity and volunteerism.

“We’re looking to the future and making the future better,” said Jane Johnson, principal and chief operating officer at Grimbleby Coleman. “It’s about how can we make things better today than they were yesterday, not just for our organization but also for the community and the people who hopefully will be working for us.”

In keeping with its values, Grimbleby Coleman has established a $10,000 scholarship fund at Stanislaus State. Five $2,000 scholarships will be awarded over the next five years to students pursuing degrees in business administration with a concentration in accounting.

To qualify, applicants must be in their junior or senior year, maintain at least a 3.0 GPA and demonstrate a commitment to community service by participating in University-sponsored service activities, such as the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. The deadline for students to apply for the 2021 scholarship is Tuesday, March 2.

“We’re looking to the future and making the future better. It’s about how can we make things better today than they were yesterday, not just for our organization but also for the community and the people who hopefully will be working for us.”
- Jane Johnson, Grimbleby Coleman Chief Operating Officer

The Grimbleby Coleman Scholarship Fund is a natural next step in the firm’s longstanding relationship with the University. The company has a long history of partnering with the College of Business Administration by participating in Meet the Firms nights, serving on the Business Advisory Board, offering student internships, tutoring students and holding open houses and tours of the business for faculty and students.

The firm’s dedication to community service and the significance of including a community service requirement in its scholarship criteria are not lost on Dean Tomás Gómez-Arias of the College of Business Administration.

“This scholarship contributes to Stan State’s commitment to an affordable University education, but there is more to it,” he said. “It also acknowledges the value of community service in both professional and educational contexts.”

Scholarships funded by major local employers, he said, also serve to create or strengthen the links between the University and the business community, and they open the door to different ways for students to think about their career options.   

The firm regularly hires Stan State graduates, often after they complete an internship with the company. Over the 16 years Johnson has been with the firm, she estimates more than 50 Stan State grads have started their careers at Grimbleby Coleman. It’s a trend she expects to continue.

“We appreciate the graduates that are produced,” said Johnson, a Stan State alumna. “It allows us to have a continuing stream of talent coming in, and we definitely feel that, from the technical side, those people coming in are very well-qualified to start their careers.”