California Counties Foundation

The California Counties Foundation serves as the nonprofit and educational arm of the California State Association of Counties (CSAC). Founded in 1893, CSAC is a member-oriented advocacy group that has served as the voice of California’s 58 counties at state and federal levels. The California Counties Foundation strives to advance excellence in county government by offering professional development opportunities and services. Operating under the CSAC banner, we are an education-centric nonprofit dedicated to providing California counties with value-added member services. Our portfolio reaches rural, suburban, and urban counties across the state. Since inception, our primary programmatic focus designs and delivers courses through the William “Bill” Chiat Institute for Excellence in County Government (CSAC Institute). The CSAC Institute is a nationally recognized leader in providing local governments with high-quality, county-centric executive leadership development programming. Over the last 16 years more than 1,500 county leaders in California have received the CSAC Executive Credential—a coveted professional milestone that recognizes each graduate’s completion of 10 competency-based leadership sessions. The alumni network includes elected supervisors, CAOs, department directors, and other senior leadership.