year in review
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NIU Foundation Year in ReviewTRANSCRIPT
Northern Illinois University Foundation
FY 2010Year in Review
“Vision is the art of seeing
things invisible to others.”
Jonathan Swift
Message from the NIU Foundation Chair and President
True North Campaign Report
Fiscal Year Activity Report of Private Support
Endowment Report
NIU Foundation Award Winners
Venture Grants
Board of Directors
The NIU Foundation is pleased to present this Year in Review for fiscal year 2010. The following pages include reports on total private gifts to the university, endowment growth, campaign accomplishments, and board activity.
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Table of Contents
“The most useful and influential
people are those who take the
deepest interest in institutions that
exist to make the world better.”
Booker T. Washington
Message from the NIU Foundation Chair and President
We did it! The big news this past year, of course, is that we completed True North! Together, we raised more than $162.4 million for Northern, but we also raised something equally as important: our expectations.
Through True North:
n We proved we can engage alumni who haven’t been connected to NIU for 20 years or more. In fact, the majority of major gifts we received came from donors with little or no history of major giving to NIU.
n We discovered a great number of alumni and friends with the wherewithal and the inclination to make major gifts. We have just scratched the surface of the capacity and desire of our alumni to support NIU.
n We built a stronger volunteer and program infrastructure to encourage alumni investment.
This campaign would have not been possible without the support of the NIU Foundation Board. Your support as a leadership entity, a funding source, and as major donors has been instrumental. In fact, 20 percent of the True North total came from board members…that’s more than $33 million!
Together, we’ve raised the bar for private support at NIU, and we have learned so much about our donors and ourselves along the way. Perhaps the most important lesson we’ve learned is this: There is no turning back. We must continue our investment in private fundraising as we move NIU forward.
Chair, Robert L. Bovinette
President, Mallory M. Simpson
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When we embarked on a $150 million campaign, there were many who thought we should think smaller. And I could understand their caution. After all, True North was our first campaign. We had never tested ourselves, and to aim for $150 million in our first effort was, well, bold. Just like NIU.
The history of the campaign was marked by circumstances that made me think twice about whether we could achieve our goal: the tragic events of September 11, a tragedy on our own campus several years later on February 14, and a financial market meltdown resulting in the worst drop in the value of stocks since the Great Depression.
Despite it all, our alumni and friends rose to the occasion…more than 59,000 of them, and together, they:
n Built three state-of-the-art facilities: Barsema Hall, a new home for the College of Business; the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center; and the Jeffery and Kimberly Yordon Center for academic and athletic performance.
n Provided 14,700 scholarships, valued at more than $9.2 million, and
n Funded 26 professorships and faculty chairs to help us attract and retain our best and brightest teachers and researchers.
NIU is a much better place today than it was 10 years ago because of True North. There are more opportunities for more students; there are faculty members who would not be here without donor support; and there are marvelous facilities that would not exist had we depended on the state to build them.
Of course, it’s NIU’s students who benefit most, and they are profoundly grateful. They tell us in their thank you letters and in the way they achieve in the classroom, on the field, in the laboratory, and in the community. Our students are the reason we do all that we do, and it is on their behalf, that I thank you.
John G. Peters
President, Northern Illinois University
It’s a Wrap!
True North has been a Resounding Success
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How Donors Designated their Gifts
Campaign Total: $162.4 Million
Donor Designated Programs51%$83.3
Millions
Facilities22%$34.9
Expected Bequests10%$15.6
Unrestricted1%$2.1
Scholarships11%$18.4
FacultySupport5%$8.0
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Although we are holding steady, the economy
has impeded new major gift commitments,
similar to what universities across the country are
experiencing. National statistics for giving in 2009
reflect an extremely sharp 12 percent decline in
giving to colleges and universities.
Fiscal Year 2010 Activity Report of Private Support
During fiscal year 2010, private support totaled $10,138,645.18—surpassing our goal of $9.3 million.
Fiscal Year Highlights
Total cash gifts from all sources were up 16.4 percent
Total giving from the Board of Directors was up 25.4 percent
Total Gifts Received
$10,138,645.18
New Multi-Year Pledges (signed in FY 2010)
$563,330.00
New Expectancies – Bequests (recorded FY 2010)
$5,015,301.00
Total Fundraising Activity
$15,717,276.18
*Realized Bequests of $1,475,273 are in “Total Gifts Received”
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Endowment Report
Total endowment funds managed by the NIU Foundation were
at $38.5 million in market value as of June 30, 2010, an increase
of $5.9 million over $32.6 million as of June 30, 2009.
The endowment earned a total return, net of fees, of 12.6
percent for the year ended June 30, 2010.
We are encouraged to see a positive
shift in the economic climate though we
remain cautious of the market’s ongoing
volatility. The positive return has
brought relief to the NIU endowment as
well as to our personal portfolios.
The NIU Foundation’s endowment
portfolio is positioned by design to
decline less in down markets but it
may lag in times of positive markets.
History shows this will produce a
more favorable result, over a very long
investment horizon.
Endowment Market Value
$0
$10
$20
$30
$40
$50
19981993 20082003 20102009
Mill
ion
s
3.3
14.121.8
39.4
32.6
38.5
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Bob and Mary English
Finding the perfect gift isn’t easy…it has to be thoughtful, unique…enduring.
Robert J. English, Ed.D. ‘74, had those criteria in mind when he set out to find the perfect birthday gift for his wife Mary in 2000.
Robert wasn’t sure if he could pull it off, but by the time he gave Mary her card, he was sure he’d hit the mark. In that card, Robert pledged to make a gift to the College of Education in Mary’s honor. “I felt like it was a tribute,” she recalls.
Originally, Robert intended to give an outright gift in Mary’s name. But, the couple’s vision quickly grew. “The more we thought about it, the more we wanted to start a program. Students were required to have computers, and I knew there must be many who can’t afford them,” Mary explains.
Soon, the couple had translated that thoughtful sentiment into a generous endowment, creating the Mary F. English Technology Award. Their endowment provides laptop computers, supplies, and training to disadvantaged education majors each year. During the 2009-2010 school year alone, 29 students received the award.
“I hope our gift inspires other donors,” Mary says. In order to encourage others to follow suit, the couple issued a challenge to leverage additional support. Although Bob and Mary are by far the largest contributors to the fund, hundreds of alumni responded. Their efforts raised more than a quarter of a million dollars.
Robert and Mary have been there for NIU through thick and thin. In the wake of the February 14 tragedy, they made a gift in memory of Julianna Gehant - the education major whose dreams were cut short that tragic day.
“Robert and Mary have touched countless lives with their generosity: current students, our graduates in classrooms across the country, and the students they now teach,” says Mallory M. Simpson, president and CEO of the NIU Foundation. “They have created a true legacy of impact and gratitude.”
NIU Foundation Awards
Lifetime Achievement Award for Philanthropy
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KPMG
Every college graduate has a favorite professor. The bond between great professors and grateful students is to be encouraged and nurtured, which is exactly what NIU alumni and visionary leaders at public accounting firm KPMG did when they endowed a professorship in accountancy at NIU.
That endowment will give accountancy students the benefit of great teachers forever.
The relationship between KPMG and NIU has been cultivated for decades. The firm was the first to name an accountancy suite; the first to create a term professorship; and with a historic gift, KPMG was the first to endow a professorship in the College of Business.
A group of NIU alumni, all of whom are partners in the public accounting firm, created the professorship with the support of the KPMG Foundation.
“KPMG’s commitment is truly a transformational gift for us,” says Denise Schoenbachler, dean of the College of Business.
“KPMG believes in NIU. They believe in our students, our faculty and our program,” she says.
The first NIU faculty member to hold the title of KPMG Endowed Professor is Pam Smith, who teaches advanced financial accounting. Smith has received many awards for excellence in teaching, and in 2008 received the Outstanding Educator Award from the Illinois CPA Society.
NIU Foundation Awards
Award for High Impact Philanthropy
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Jeffrey Yordon
Almost 30 years passed between graduation and the day Jeff Yordon reconnected with NIU. But after he watched the Huskies beat Bowling Green in 2002, he was hooked.
Once they rediscovered NIU, it didn’t take long for Jeff and Kimberly Yordon to see how victories on the field translated into wins for the entire school – increases in donor giving, greater media attention, and higher enrollment.
That realization inspired the couple to make a naming gift toward the Jeffrey and Kimberly Yordon Center. Their gift is the largest in NIU Athletics history and earned them the NIU Foundation’s Outstanding Philanthropists Award in 2006.
Jeff Yordon’s involvement with NIU goes well beyond the Yordon Center. “Not long ago, I wouldn’t have dreamed I would have five percent of my time to spend at Northern, Jeff says. “But the more I got involved, the more I was able to find time.”
Jeff has made a tremendous impact at NIU through his volunteer service. He lectures in business and political science classes and is actively involved on the boards of the NIU Foundation, the NIU Executive Club, and the Athletics Advisory Board. In 2007, he received the Alumni Association’s Distinguished Alumni Award. He was also recognized by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences with a Golden Anniversary Alumni Award.
As a model volunteer and philanthropist, Jeff Yordon continues to raise the bar for donors at NIU. He has said he considers it a privilege to be involved with NIU. However, the truest privilege belongs to Northern for having the support of such a dedicated alumnus.
NIU Foundation Awards
Award for Volunteer Service
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NIU Foundation Venture Grant Projects
Researching an Untapped Source of Biofuel
Professors Scott Grayburn and Gabriel Holbrook
There is a green and slimy treasure growing at the Rock River Water Reclamation District: Algae. These algae have the potential to produce a very valuable natural resource: biofuel.
An NIU Foundation Venture Grant will help NIU faculty and students identify the dominant species of algae, document their growth conditions, and evaluate harvest methods and sustainability.
By direct investigation of a renewable, green energy source, project coordinators hope to impact the region as well as the NIU students who participate in the research.
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Collaborative Research on the Impact of Wastewater Disposal in the Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Professor Melissa Lenczewski
Little is known about the extent of groundwater pollution in the Yucatan Peninsula, yet its implications are far-reaching.
As the population of the peninsula grows, so does the release of pathogens, pharmaceuticals, and caffeine through wastewater.
The current practice of disposing of wastewater directly into the ocean with little or no treatment is also of major concern. The impact of such sewage disposal methods has not been thoroughly studied, and this research aims to offer some insight into its effects.
With the help of a Venture Grant, NIU faculty and students will sample a series of sinkholes throughout the peninsula for contamination. Such contamination not only affects Mexico but may also impact portions of the U.S, such as Illinois, Florida, Missouri, and Kentucky.
Results will be used to obtain National Science Foundation or National Institutes of Health grants. It also will lay the groundwork for a potential NIU field station.
NIU Foundation Venture Grant Projects
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NIU Foundation Venture Grant Projects
Bringing Solar Power to School Children in Nyegina
Professor Andrew Otieno and Professor Kurt Thurmaier
The Engineers without Borders chapter at NIU is partnering with students in the Tanzania study abroad program in a five-year project to provide solar energy for a school in Nyegina Village, Musoma, Tanzania.
The project involves students from the Colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Engineering and Engineering Technology.
The students will design and construct a sustainable solar energy system for a new girls’ dormitory at the Nyegina Secondary School.
The Solar Energy Project will reduce the school’s energy costs, keeping tuition lower and enabling more students to attend. NIU students will also assess the feasibility of solar power as an auxiliary electrical supply for classrooms and water heaters for the dormitory and staff houses.
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NIU Foundation Board of Directors
Fiscal Year 2010
OFFICERSRobert L. Bovinette, ChairM.S. Ed. Educational Administration ‘65Retired CEO & President Emeritus, Commonfund Group Jaymie F. Simmon, Vice ChairB.S. Education ‘70Owner, Twinbrook Ltd. William E. Taylor, TreasurerB.S. Accountancy ‘67Retired Partner, Deloitte & Touche
Mallory M. SimpsonPresident, CEO & Secretary, NIU Foundation
Chief Development Officer, Northern Illinois University
DIRECTORSTy BallouB.A. ‘78President, Public Labels Brands, Inc. Dennis L. Barsema, True North Co-ChairB.S. Management ‘77Chairman, BlueLane TechnologiesInstructor, NIU College of Business Stacey BarsemaPresident, Barsema Foundation Robert T. BoeyPartner, American Bare Conductor, Inc.Partner, Sycamore Industrial Park William A. BostonB.S. Marketing ‘70, M.B.A. ‘71Chairman & CEO, Dynamic Signals, LLC Brent R. BrodeskiB.S. Finance ‘88, M.B.A. ‘91Managing Director, Savant Capital Management, Inc.
John W. Castle, True North Co-ChairChairman of the Board, Castle Bank, NA Kenneth C. Chessick M.D., J.D.J.D. Law ‘84Medical AttorneyChairman, Restaurant.com Carol Y. CrenshawB.S. Accountancy ‘78Vice President and Chief Financial OfficerChicago Community Trust Michael A. CullenB.S. Finance ‘84, B.S. Accountancy ‘87President & CEO, The National Bank & Trust of Sycamore Dean A. DeBiaseB.S. Marketing ‘80ChairmanReboot Partners Rege S. Eisaman, CFAM.B.A. Finance ‘91Principal Chief Investment OfficerInterOcean Capital, LLC John Thomas (Tom) FutrellM.B.A. ‘79Senior Managing Director and Chief Investment OfficerClaymore Securities, Inc. Anthony L. KambichB.S. Education ‘59Deerfield & Riverwoods Montessori Schools Gaylen N. LarsonB.S. Accountancy ‘62Retired Group Vice President and ChiefAccounting Officer of Household International Paula M. LeRoyB.S. Elementary Education ‘66Retired President, Pension Benefit Information, Inc.
Jeffrey T. LiesendahlB.S. Accountancy ‘87CEO, Accertify LLC Cherilyn G. Murer J.D.J.D. Law ‘78President & CEO, The Murer Group Elizabeth PlotnickB.A. Art History ‘77 Melvin J. SimonB.S. Accountancy ‘68Owner, Melvin J. Simon & Associates Raymond G. SmergeB.S. Political Science ‘67Founder, Savrola Development Co., LLCRetired Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Centex Corporation Christine SpeiserB.S. Ed., Education ‘73, M.S. Ed. Education ‘83Consultant Timothy A. StruthersB.S. Finance ‘84, M.B.A. ‘88President & CEO, Castle Bank, NA Jeffrey A. YordonB.S. Political Science ‘70President & CEO, Sagent Pharmaceuticals EX-OFFICIOJohn G. Peters Ph.D.President, Northern Illinois University Michael P. MaloneVice President, University Advancement, Northern Illinois University Mallory M. SimpsonPresident, CEO & Secretary, NIU Foundation
Chief Development Officer, Northern Illinois University
“As we express our
gratitude, we must never
forget that the highest
appreciation is not
to utter words, but to
live by them.”
John F. Kennedy
Altgeld Hall 135DeKalb, Illinois 60115-2882815.753.1386www.niufoundation.org
Northern Illinois University Foundation
Northern Illinois University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, marital status, national origin, disability, status based on the Victims’ Economic Security and Safety Act or status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran.
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