The California State University conforms to data reporting procedures for reporting voluntary support established by the Council for Aid to Education (CAE). CAE reports include only outright gifts, grants and pledge payments received during the fiscal year from individuals and organizations. The CSU voluntary support report follows CAE guidelines and represents the work of development offices at each of the 23 campuses. CAE reporting does not include any unpaid pledges. CAE publishes national comparison data that helps track giving to higher education in public and private colleges and universities and two- and four-year institutions.

Combined income from voluntary support and special revenue represents the total external support of the California State University. In determining the nature of gifts and the proper accounting of voluntary support, the CSU follows the standards developed by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education as outlined in CASE Management Reporting Standards (1996). CASE standards have been developed in cooperation with the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO).

In addition to private support represented in the voluntary support section, the CSU also tracks external support derived from other sources that are not counted under CAE policies or reported in the voluntary support report. Data included in the special revenue report includes sponsorships, bequest expectancies and revocable trusts, multi-year pledges, contracts, sponsored research, government grants, property transfers, and funds that are distributed to campuses from endowment. Income from special revenue sources are reported according to
procedures established by the Division of University Advancement of the Office of the Chancellor.

Information on alumni is obtained from data submitted by each campus to CAE. Alumni are defined by CSU campuses in one of three ways: former students—full- or part-time, undergraduate or graduate—who have earned some credit toward one of the degrees, certificates, or diplomas offered by the reporting institution (CASE, 1996); all graduates and degree holders of the institution; all graduates, degree holders and credential holders of the institution. Addressable alumni are defined as those alumni for whom the university has a current address.