As we ended fiscal year 2015, we said goodbye and gave a sincere “thank you” to NIU Vice President of University Advancement and NIU Foundation President Mike Malone, who retired after 31 years of service to NIU. During his 16-year tenure as vice president, he led efforts that saw giving from alumni and friends increase from $3 million a year in the 1990s to a height of $14 million a year, an increase of more than 350 percent. As we build on this tremendous momentum and continue to extend our reach, we proudly welcome fellow Huskie Catherine Squires (’80) as our new Vice President of University Advancement and NIU Foundation President. As a successful development professional and executive leader with distinguished organizations such as Tufts Medical Center, the American Red Cross, and Advocate Healthcare, Catherine brings tremendous fundraising experience and a passion for her alma mater. Her strategic mindset, entrepreneurial spirit, and ability to energize and engage our stakeholders will light the way as we meet the challenges that our university and its students face today and anticipate the needs of the future. Over the past year, we saw the amazing power we have as a collective force to make a difference at NIU. Total fundraising activity, which totaled $15,935,561 in FY15, exceeded expectations. I’m happy to report that each of our generous board members is a donor.
Message from the Chair You are a shining example of the impact that philanthropy has on all of us–making a difference in the lives of students so they can do the same for generations to come.
As you flip through the following pages, you will see how our donors are building and innovating across campus. For example, the Crocker Program for Emerging Business Leaders continued to shape women leaders, and this year, every one of our Crocker recipients gave back to NIU. Donors created 66 new scholarship funds for our hardworking students, and the foundation’s Angel Touch program allowed 82 Huskies to return to NIU who couldn’t afford to come back without our support. On behalf of all those who benefit from your generosity, we thank you.
Sincerely,
GO HUSKIES! Dennis Barsema Chair, NIU Foundation Board
Contents Activity Report of Private Support
2
Scholarship Recipient Christian Villalobos
3
Scholarship Recipient Megan O’Brien
4
By the Numbers
5
Mike and Kristina McGrath Gift
6
Giving Tuesday / I Heart NIU
7
Northern Stars of Dance/Simmon Scholars
8
McKearn Fellows
9
The Red and Black
10
TEDxNIU
11
Venture Grants
12
NIU Foundation Board of Directors
13
ADAM HIGGINS (’18) Hometown: University Park, Illinois Recipient, Angel Touch Grant Before I received this scholarship, I didn’t know how I was going to pay my overdue balance. I wasn’t going to be able to attend school any longer. This scholarship’s name really speaks for itself. I really was touched by an Angel.
Every day, NIU students become changemakers, innovators, and ethical leaders with your support.
1
Activity Report of Private Support During fiscal year 2015, private support totaled $11,027,327 – surpassing last year’s total of $9,603,828. • Total cash gifts received in 2015 $10,756,582 • New multi-year pledges (signed in FY 2015) $1,693,500 • New expectancies (recorded in FY 2015) $6,926,344 Total fundraising activity $15,935,561 Visit niufoundation.org/donorlist for a full donor list.
ENDOWMENT FUND PERFORMANCE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2015
The Finance Committee reviews the asset allocation regularly using ranges approved annually by the NIU Foundation Board of Directors. The goal of setting asset allocation and expenditure strategy is to maintain the spending power of the fund, in inflation-adjusted (real) dollars, far into the future. As of June 30, 2015, the NIU Foundation managed total assets of $125 million, of which $71.2 million were endowment. ENDOWMENT MARKET VALUE (dollars in millions) $70.6 2.3 (1.7) $71.2
beginning of year gifts to endowment investment results and spending end of year
INVESTMENT RETURN
One Year
Three Years
Five Years
0.9% 1.9%
11.1% 10.1%
10.5% 10.9%
Annualized totals Target weighted return Long-term target return 8%
PROVIDED FOR STUDENT SCHOLARSHIPS AND PROGRAMS $2.2 million (2014-2015) ASSET ALLOCATION
$2.5 million (2015-2016) 10.9%
1.5%
17.8%
4.3% 2.8% 10.4%
22.7%
13.9% 6.3%
2
JULY 1, 2014 – JUNE 30, 2015
9.4%
$2.7 million (2016-2017)
Equities Domestic - Large/Mid
Fixed Income
Equities Domestic - Small
Natural Resources
Equities International
Real Estate
Equities Private
Diversifying Strategies
Equities Directional Hedge
Cash
NIU President Doug Baker had barely arrived on campus when he met Christian Villalobos. She was speaking on behalf of students who, like herself, are first-generation college students of immigrant parents. A friendship was born that day, one that grew as Dr. Baker learned more about Christian’s story. When she arrived in America, Christian was a six-year-old who spoke no English. She bounced from school to school with a learning disability that took years to identify, and until middle school, she struggled to earn even passing grades. It is a familiar story in her neighborhood on the far north side of Chicago, and many of her peers give up and succumb to the lure of the gangs. But not Christian. Even as she struggled, she knew that education could provide a path out. She sought help and worked harder. She graduated from middle school with honors and did the same at Lane Tech High School. She knew that paying for college would be difficult. Her mother, Belin, earned less than minimum wage and could provide no help. Christian threw herself into her studies and into pursuing scholarships that would pay for them. Ultimately, she paid for nearly her entire education through scholarships and covered the rest of her expenses through summer jobs at home and on campus during the school year. Despite all those demands, she was very active in campus life. At the business school, she was part of a team that took third place in a national sales competition and worked two internships for Visa Now Global Immigration. And through it all, she never let her grades slip. In a letter to her donors, she wrote, “Every day when I am working on projects, homework, or just attending class, I have you in mind. It reminds me to work hard to make you proud.”
CHRISTIAN VILLALOBOS (’15) Hometown: Chicago, Illinois Major: Marketing Recipient, Forward Together Forward Scholarship, Anthony E. & Christine Speiser Expendable Scholarship Fund
3
MEGAN O’BRIEN Hometown: Freeport, Illinois Major: Finance Recipient, Crocker Endowed Scholarship in Business I am so grateful, not only for the monetary support, but also the inspiration. It is important that young women have role models and mentors, and I want to be one of those figures for other young women. Because of the Crocker Program for Emerging Business Leaders program, I know this is possible, and receiving this scholarship will help me get there.
Your support impacts every student at NIU pursuing his or her dream for a better life.
4
FISCAL YEAR 2015 BY THE NUMBERS
Scholarships by the Numbers $14.9 million
in scholarship dollars provided to NIU students in past 10 years
90 percent
graduation rate of NIU Foundation scholarship recipients
66 scholarship funds
created by donors in FY15
750 thank you letters
written by students to their donors in FY15
5
MCGRATH GIFT HELPS DRIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP PROGRAM
Entrepreneurs know just how hard it is to earn a buck. So when they make a major gift, you know it’s a cause that they believe in. Such was the case when Mike McGrath, a 1970 alumnus of the NIU Department of Management and auto-dealer extraordinaire, and his wife, Kristina, made a $1 million gift to create the Mike and Kristina McGrath Entrepreneurship Initiative at the Northern Illinois University College of Business. The gift will support student activities, expand and develop entrepreneurship programs, and allow the college to invest in faculty. “Mike and Kristina and the entire McGrath family are heavily invested in the success of NIU and the College of Business. They regularly participate in classes, mentor students, and host events,” says Denise D. Schoenbachler, dean of the college. The entrepreneurship program has formally been part of the curriculum in the Department of Management for five years. Students of any major can earn a minor in entrepreneurship; a minor or certificate in social entrepreneurship is also available for those who wish to devote themselves to solving social problems such as poverty and hunger. The programs are built around innovative classes that not only teach business skills, but also cultivate creative thinking and problem-solving skills through exercises such as improvisational acting. One class within the sequence requires students to launch and operate an actual small business for eight weeks. In another, they work under the direction of an experienced entrepreneur to craft a complete business plan that they pitch to seasoned venture capitalists. In recognition of the gift, the Management Suite in the NIU College of Business will be renamed in honor of the McGraths.
Private support attracts faculty who inspire and motivate young minds, provides stimulating and challenging programs, and creates scholarships that put it all within our students’ reach.
6
WE ALL HEART NIU Judging by the participation in I Heart NIU Week, the love students and alumni have for their university runs deep. The week-long campaign, held in March, inspired participants to share their memories of NIU, perform random acts of kindness, and say thank you to those who influenced them. Alumni and friends provided $26,576 during the I Heart NIU Day of Giving, which capped the week’s festivities.
GIVING TUESDAY 24 hours.
157 donors. $35,212 raised for NIU students. On December 2, 2014, the NIU Foundation launched its first Giving Tuesday campaign. NIU provost Lisa Freeman and her husband Douglas Rose generously matched the first $10,000 raised, dollar for dollar.
7
NORTHERN STARS OF DANCE
Last year, an NIU Foundation Venture Grant gave students of the NIU School of Theatre and Dance the opportunity to work with world-renowned choreographer Bill T. Jones. The collaboration culminated in April with a spectacular performance at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts, Chicago. Students performed Jones’ iconic work Spent Days Out Yonder. The audience also enjoyed performances from Wade Schaaf’s (’01) Chicago Repertory Ballet and Chloe Jensen (’99) of Aerial Dance Chicago. After the show, performers, alumni, and donors enjoyed a stage-top reception, sponsored by NIU Foundation Grants Committee chair Chris Speiser. Pictured from left to right are 2014-15 Simmon scholars: Roxana Moraga, biochemistry; Theodore Weiner, computer science and applied math; Jayson Shiau, electrical and computer engineering; Zachary Howard, biological sciences, and Namra Aziz, biological engineering.
NEW SIMMON SCHOLARS NAMED
Double Huskies Jaymie and Harry Simmon were inspired by some of NIU’s best and brightest when they attended Undergraduate Research and Artistry Day in 2011. They were so impressed, they made a significant gift to support five students each year from a STEM or health field.
8
Pictured with NIU President Doug Baker and First Lady Dana Stover (bottom, left to right) are Wataru Hashimoto, physics; Jayson Shiau, electrical and computer engineering; Jake Swick, community leadership & civic engagement; Theodore Weiner, computer science and applied mathematics; Andrew Waite, business administration and political science. (top, left to right) Katie Denius, biological sciences; Christine Wang, accountancy; Jessica Cox, biological sciences; Margaret Miller, psychology and biology; and John Sauter, business.
NEW COHORT OF MCKEARN FELLOWS NAMED
The McKearn Fellows experience is designed to rival that of any top university. Sponsored by John and Cassandra McKearn, the program provides students with co-curricular and scholarship funding, academic programming, and personalized advising that will transform their undergraduate experiences.
TAD JUILFS (’15) Hometown: Lincoln, Illinois Major: Law Recipient, Jacob Baker Scholarship Award in Constitutional Law The Kenneth C. Chessick Civil Justice Endowed Scholarship Program First and foremost, I give my sincerest gratitude for this recognition. This scholarship has reaffirmed my interest in higher education and legal studies. It means the world to me.
9
Alumni and friends celebrated NIU with all the excitement and energy of a Broadway show at the 2015 Red and Black, held at the Swissotel, Chicago. Highlights of the evening included performances from award-winning Broadway actress Melissa Dye (’88) who shared the spotlight with students from the College of Visual and Performing Arts.
NIU FOUNDATION AWARDS FOR PHILANTHROPY
CINDY CROCKER, ’80 Award for High Impact Philanthropy Crocker was honored for her life-changing impact on students through the Crocker Program for Emerging Business Leaders in the College of Business.
STEVE KALBER, ’70 Lifetime Achievement Award for Philanthropy Kalber was honored for his longstanding, generous support of the Huskie Marching Band, the Yordon Center, and the Kenneth and Ellen Chessick Practice Center.
JAYMIE SIMMON, ’70 Award for Volunteer Service Simmon’s service to the NIU Foundation Board as vice chair, as well as her tireless efforts leading the Red and Black committee and producing the event itself, earned her this honor.
Vanguard Medal of Distinction
MIKE MALONE Retired Vice President of University Advancement and President of the NIU Foundation This award, which was established in 2015 to recognize extraordinary achievements that bring honor and benefit to NIU, was given to Mike Malone (pictured right) for his exemplary contributions during his 31-year career at NIU.
10
See these philanthropists’ impact in action at niufoundation.org/award-winners
TEDxNIU You could have heard a pin drop in Altgeld auditorium when Tim Brown, a firefighter who was among the first 9/11 emergency responders, described the heroism of everyday people on that fateful morning. And there was hardly a dry eye in the house as Meggan HillMcQueeney told of the gentle, healing spirit of her cherished Hank, a therapy horse who helps children with disabilities. These powerful moments were brought to NIU by students who produced a TEDxNIU event in April. Thanks to NIU Foundation support, lead event organizer and psychology major Maria Senf and her faculty advisor attended the TEDActive conference in Whistler, Canada. “The event doubled in size this year and best practices learned at the conference inspired us to improve logistics. We have a great team,� Senf says.
11
FUNDING INNOVATION: NIU FOUNDATION VENTURE GRANTS Helping Athletes, Parents, and Teachers Better Understand and Treat Concussions A Venture Grant will help Matt Wilson, a hearing scientist in NIU’s Department of Audiology, as he examines how auditory attention and memory are affected in athletes who are frequently exposed to concussions. The Venture Grant will aid this endeavor by providing additional equipment for the Northern Illinois Human Auditory Physiology Lab (HAPL). Wilson’s research will make it possible for audiologists and speech pathologists to better treat these types of injuries. While the problem of concussions has a much higher profile than in the past, there is little evidence to say whether coaches, athletes, and parents better understand how to handle the injury. Wilson plans to use a portion of the grant to raise awareness about the seriousness of concussions. Helping Theatre and Dance Students Light the Way Associate professor of lighting and design, Brandon Wardell, and an interdisciplinary team will create a mobile lab that will allow students to practice with aspects of incandescent lighting, color changing, LED fixtures, moving lights, and a full-size lighting control board. The “light lab” will allow scenic design students, technical directors, and lighting designers to master their crafts on campus as well as be a tool to attract new students to the School of Theatre and Dance.
12
Helping Improve Drugs and Other Treatments for Infectious Diseases Chemistry professor Timothy Hagen and his colleagues will benefit from a second year of Venture Grant funding as they design and test new chemical compounds that may lead to improved drugs and other treatments for infectious diseases. “New drugs are desperately needed to combat the development of multi-drug-resistant bacteria and other infectious diseases, such as malaria,” Hagen says. “This research makes use of a unique enzyme pathway that is found only in certain types of infectious disease-causing agents, but not in human beings.” The scientists’ research is primarily funded through an Academic Research
Biological sciences professor Rangaswamy Meganathan and chemistry professors Timothy Hagen and James Horn
Enhancement Award of $356,000 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. Graduate students, undergraduates in a seniorlevel research course, and students in the Research Rookies program are participating in the research.
NIU FOUNDATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS OFFICERS Dennis L. Barsema, Chair B.S. Management ‘77 Instructor, NIU College of Business
Brent R. Brodeski B.S. Finance ‘88, MBA ‘91 Chief Executive Officer, Savant Capital Management, Inc.
John Thomas (Tom) Futrell M.B.A. ‘79 Senior Vice President, First Trust Advisors, LLC
Jaymie F. Simmon, Vice Chair B.S. Education ‘70 Writer
Kenneth C. Chessick M.D., J.D. Law ‘84 Medical Attorney Chairman, Restaurant.com
Montel M. Gayles, J.D. B.S. Communication ‘83
Kathy Blair, Secretary Special Assistant to President & CEO, NIU Foundation Northern Illinois University Michael P. Malone (until 6/30/15) President & CEO, NIU Foundation V.P. University Advancement, Northern Illinois University Catherine B. Squires (effective 7/1/15) B.A. Music ‘80 President & CEO, NIU Foundation V.P. University Advancement, Northern Illinois University John (Jack) F. Tierney, Treasurer B.S. Marketing ‘75, M.S.E. ‘78 Executive Director, Unit Trust Division, Invesco Ltd. DIRECTORS Stacey Barsema President, Barsema Foundation Robert T. Boey Owner, Sycamore Industrial Park Trustee Liaison to Foundation William A. Boston B.S. Marketing ‘70, M.B.A. ‘71 Chairman & CEO, Dynamic Signals, LLC
Chris Cole B.S. Accountancy ‘75 Retired Senior Vice President US Strategy, McDonald’s USA, LLC Carol Y. Crenshaw B.S. Accountancy ‘78 Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, The Chicago Community Trust Cynthia Crocker B.S. Marketing ‘80 Retired Senior Vice President Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, Equity Group Michael A. Cullen B.S. Finance ‘84, B.S. Accountancy ‘87 President & CEO, NB&T Jeffrey A. Eckmann B.S. Accountancy ‘74 Retired Group President, Reynolds American, Inc. Rege S. Eisaman M.B.A. Finance ‘91, CFA Principal Chief Investment Officer, InterOcean Capital, LLC
Anthony L. Kambich B.S. Education ‘59 Deerfield & Riverwoods Montessori Schools Jeffrey T. Liesendahl B.S. Accountancy ‘87 Co-Founder, Accertify, Inc. Nicholas Lumley B.S. Marketing ‘16 Student Director
Christine Speiser B.S. Education ‘73, M.S. Education ‘83 Timothy A. Struthers B.S. Finance ‘84, M.B.A. ‘88 Illinois Market President, First National Bank William E. Taylor B.S. Accountancy ‘67 Retired Partner, Deloitte & Touche Janet Viane B.S. Management – Human Resources ‘80 , M.B.A. ‘83 Vice President, Marketing Operations, Sears Holding Corporation
John McKearn, Ph.D. B.S. Biological Sciences ‘75 Managing Director, RiverVest
Jeffrey M. Yordon B.S. Political Science ‘70 Retired CEO, Sagent Pharmaceuticals
James B. Pick, Ph.D. M.S. Education ‘69 Professor, School of Business, University of Redlands, Redlands, California
Ex-Officio Douglas Baker, Ph.D. President, Northern Illinois University
Elizabeth Plotnick B.A. Art History ‘77 Janet Pucino B.A. Music-Voice ‘76 CIO, Prolacta Bioscience Founder & CEO, Deep Canyon Media Manny Sanchez, J.D. B.S. Political Science ‘70 Founder & Managing Partner, Sanchez & Daniels
To learn how you can make an impact at Northern Illinois University, visit niufoundation.org. Graphic design by: Wendy Tritt, Trittenhaus Design B.F.A. Visual Communications ‘89 M.A. Visual Communications ‘95 On the cover: Will Strale B.S. Kinesiology ‘16 Cover photo by: Milo Barsanti-Gonzalez B.A. Time Arts ‘15
Joy Valentine (M.S. Outdoor Teacher Education ’68 ) lived to share her love of the outdoors with others. She loved hiking, camping, birdwatching, stargazing, and cross-country skiing. She also loved NIU and the Lorado Taft Field Campus. When she died in 2008, she left the Lorado Taft Field Campus in her estate. Now, her gift will continue to nurture curiosity, adventure, and appreciation of nature in generations of students to come.
To discover how you can leave your legacy at Northern Illinois University, visit niu.planmylegacy.org or call 815.753.1386.
Altgeld Hall
DeKalb, Illinois 60115
niufoundation.org