About Us | Who We Are & What We Do
At KU Endowment, we have a passion for helping the University of Kansas achieve its aspirations.
We are the official foundation for raising and managing private funds on behalf of KU. Our motto is “To create a greater university than the state alone can build.” We are proud of our history, mission and core values.
The support our donors provide helps make KU a world-class institution. State financing covers only about 23 percent of KU’s total operating expenses. Therefore, private gifts play a major role in virtually all activities of the university.
Operating expenses
While many university foundations cover operating costs by charging a fee on gifts, we allocate 100 percent of the principal of every gift for the purpose designated by the donor. We cover our operating expenses through a small number of unrestricted funds, as well as a portion of the return on our investments.
An independent organization
KU Endowment is a nonprofit organization, separate from the university and the State of Kansas. This helps to assure that gifts will be used as donors intended and will not be reallocated by the state. Moreover, this allows us to keep donors’ personal giving and financial records private.
While we work closely with the KU Alumni Association, we are two distinct organizations.
Endowed funds
Each year, KU Endowment transfers income from endowed funds, along with gifts from donors, to the university’s four campuses. The university’s endowment is made up of approximately 2,700 individual funds. In the overwhelming majority of cases, these funds were restricted by donors. Therefore, they can be used only for the purpose designated by the donor. The goal for endowed funds and other long-term investments is to provide a consistent level of support for the university in perpetuity.
People
About 190 people carry out KU Endowment's daily work. They include more than 140 full-time staff members and about 50 KU students who call potential donors as part of our annual giving telephone campaigns. In addition, more than 70 people serve on the KU Endowment Board of Trustees, which governs KU Endowment.
More information
Feel free to contact us with any questions, or you may access our FAQs.