KU Endowment

 10/24/08

Donors to KU Break Fundraising Record (continued)

Seuferling added that the unprecedented amount of support KU Endowment transferred to the university—$112 million—is a powerful demonstration that the endowment’s spending policies are serving the university well. “We continue to maximize spending while remaining vigilant to protect the value of the endowment for future generations.”

Despite the difficult financial environment, investment performance declined by just 2.6 percent as of June 30. The decline was modest compared to a loss of more than 13 percent in the Standard & Poor’s 500 and the general economic downturn. The market value of endowed funds totaled $1.22 billion. KU Endowment invests its endowed funds in a diversified portfolio with a long-term perspective.

“We remain confident in our investment strategy,” Seuferling said. “These are volatile times in the stock market, but we intend to stay the course. The diversification of our investments protects us; when the market turns around we will be positioned to benefit.”

The single largest area of distributions from KU Endowment—$40 million—was for facilities. That amount fluctuates depending on the university’s construction projects. A new policy of the Kansas Board of Regents stipulates that universities must identify funding for maintenance of new construction projects.

KU Endowment announced these results at the annual meeting of its Board of Trustees on Oct. 24.

Other highlights for fiscal year 2008 include:

• Of the 45,014 people who made gifts, 7,932 were first-time donors, and 25,854 were Kansas residents.
• Support for faculty totaled $19.6 million. KU Endowment provides funding for more than 80 professorships at KU. Donors established 11 new professorships, which help attract and retain top scholars and researchers.
• Three major construction projects were completed, thanks to private donors: the Anderson Family Football Complex, Krehbiel Scholarship Hall and the Sabatini Multicultural Resource Center. This continues a long-standing tradition of private giving, which has provided more than two-thirds of campus buildings and 85 percent of the land for expansion.
• Annual telephone and mail campaigns raised a record $4.59 million, a 14 percent increase from last year. The average gift from annual donors was $117.65, compared to $111.40 in fiscal 2007.

Since its founding in 1891, KU Endowment has provided $1.5 billion in support to KU. It is the independent, nonprofit organization serving as the official fundraising and fund-management foundation for KU. Back

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