Chapman University is proud to call the City of Orange home. We are committed to being a valuable partner and supporting our community. Below are just a few ways we contribute to our City on an annual basis.

Payments to the City of Orange

When Chapman purchased a motel in Orange and converted the property into Panther Village for student housing, the City stood to lose a significant amount of Transient Occupancy Tax. To offset this, Chapman voluntarily committed to contribute $500,000 to the City’s general fund each year since 2014.

We understand that at certain times of the year there is an increase in campus and student activity, and additional support from Orange PD might be needed. To not burden Orange PD’s resources, Chapman reimburses Orange PD’s overtime and officer requests during these times for a total of approximately $52,000 annually.

Additionally, Chapman leases and maintains the upkeep of the baseball diamonds at Hart and El Camino Real parks for an annual contribution of $43,000. These are NCAA regulation fields that are open to the public when not being used for practice or games.

Our staff, faculty and students enjoy the community programming the City provides and Chapman is honored to be an Orange Tree sponsor, contributing $10,000 annually to support these wonderful events.

Events on Campus

Chapman hosts a number of events on campus at no charge to the community for space rentals or attendance. These events include OUSD’s Visual & Performing Arts Showcase, Leadership Orange, State of the City, Congressman Correa’s Women of the Year, and Congresswoman Young Kim’s Congressional Art Contest. In the 2023-2024 academic year, Chapman waived $123,000 in campus events fees for Orange-based organizations.

Additionally, Chapman donates the land for the Orange Home Grown Educational Farm and the parking lot rental at the Beckett Building for the weekly Farmers Market at no cost to Orange Home Grown.

Propertyh Taxes revisedProperty Taxes

There is a misconception that Chapman does not pay property taxes; this is incorrect. While Chapman is a non-profit organization of higher education and is tax exempt on buildings used for educational purposes, Chapman pays property taxes on 124 properties it owns that surround the campus. Chapman paid $1.5 million in property taxes for the 2023-24 fiscal year and paid $11.1 million in property taxes since 2015.

 

Sponsorships and Charitable Giving

Chapman is proud to support non-profit organizations operating and helping people in the City of Orange. In 2023-2024, Chapman provided $82,000 in sponsorships and charitable giving to numerous non-profits in Orange, including Friendly Center, Youth Centers of Orange, The HUB, Orange Unified Public-School Foundation, Orange Police Foundation, and the Orange Chamber of Commerce.