About Us

The Foundation, a 501(c)3 charitable organization, is an independent and separate nonprofit entity from the University of Illinois. Our mission is to encourage and administer private gifts and serve the UI System by working closely with alumni, faculty, corporations, foundations, and development staff to create fundraising programs and opportunities that benefit the University of Illinois.

At the University of Illinois Foundation, we are deeply committed to honoring the trust and generosity of our donors and all philanthropic investments in the University of Illinois. We understand that commitments and contributions are made with the intention of making a positive impact on the University of Illinois, its faculty, students, and programs, and we take that responsibility seriously.

Our Stewardship Commitment to Donors

Alignment with Your Intentions: We pledge to allocate your gifts in accordance with your specified wishes, whether it’s for a specific college, unit, project, or area of need. We will work in partnership with our universities to communicate openly about any necessary adjustments to ensure your donation continues to fulfill its intended purpose.

Accountability: Integrity and accountability guide our financial practices. We are dedicated to adhering to high ethical standards and will undergo regular audits to ensure compliance in our operations, with a particular commitment to ensuring donor intent is met.

Communication: We will maintain open lines of communication with university administrators, faculty, and staff responsible for spending and help ensure they have all the information, training, and tools necessary to spend gift funds according to donor wishes.

Impact Reporting: We will regularly share stories, metrics, and outcomes with our donors, potential donors, and stakeholders that illustrate how donor contributions are making a difference across the University of Illinois System and its three universities in Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield.

The Foundation Board of Directors, in support of this commitment, has designated the Stewardship Committee of the Board of Directors to provide oversight involving the stewardship of the University of Illinois Foundation’s donor funds. The Committee reviews and advises on matters of donor intent and monitors policies and practices that protect donor intent.

The University of Illinois Foundation also supports the national standard Donor Bill of Rights developed by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Giving Institute.

The Foundation offers leadership and coordination across the development program at the University of Illinois to identify strategic opportunities for continued growth and enhancement. Additionally, we provide leadership and guidance in areas that require specialized expertise, including campaign planning and deployment, donor engagement, marketing, and events management. The Foundation’s gift planning experts also share their extensive knowledge in matters of taxation, investments, estate planning and financial management, specifically as it relates to benefits donors can take advantage of through their giving to the University of Illinois.

The Foundation’s Investment Office oversees and manages a $3.06 billion endowment and leads efforts that focus on performance and the long-term, strategic management of the endowment, as well as the Foundation’s investment policies. The funds generated from the endowment are distributed annually to each university to support world-class faculty, staff, and students today, tomorrow, and into the future.