Year in Review
FY 2011
“Education is not filling a pail, but lighting a fire.” – William Butler Yeats
The NIU Foundation is pleased to present this Year in Review for fiscal year 2011. The following pages include reports on total private gifts to the NIU Foundation; endowment growth; the NIU Foundation award winners; and venture grant impact.
Table of Contents
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Message from the NIU Foundation Chair and President
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Fiscal Year Activity Report of Private Support
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Endowment Report
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NIU Foundation Award Winners
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Venture Grants
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Board of Directors
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“Philanthropy is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving.” – Henry A. Rosso
Message from the NIU Foundation Chair and President More than 150 years ago, poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning urged readers to “Light tomorrow with today.” That’s exactly what philanthropy does. Our investment in our philanthropic culture today will provide for a brighter tomorrow for our university, our students, and the communities we serve. For many, that brighter tomorrow can’t come soon enough. As state support continues to dwindle and students and their families struggle to make ends meet, the need for private support has never been greater. Yes, times are tough, but so is our NIU community. Even in the midst of economic and political uncertainty, our friends and alumni continue to step up. NIU is a much better place today because of donor generosity. There are more opportunities for more students; there are faculty members who would not be here without private support; and there are marvelous facilities that would not exist had we depended on the state to build them. Our NIU Foundation Board members are instrumental in our continued success. Thanks to their hard work and dedication, NIU donors know their investments are in good hands. Great nations need great leaders, and great leaders come from great universities. Donor generosity ensures that many of those leaders will come from Northern Illinois University. Thank you for supporting NIU students as they learn today and prepare to lead tomorrow.
Chair, Robert L. Bovinette
President & CEO, Mallory M. Simpson
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Fiscal Year 2011 Activity Report of Private Support During fiscal year 2011, private support totaled $10,910,564
While we all remain hopeful, the economy continues to cause some donors to postpone giving. The combination of market, economic,
Total Gifts Received $10,910,564* New Multi-Year Pledges (signed in FY 2011) $2,117,500 New Expectancies – Bequests (recorded FY 2011) $2,257,500 Total Fundraising Activity $15,285,564 *Realized bequests of $1,687,418 are included “Total Gifts Received”
Fiscal Year 2011 Highlights Cash gifts from alumni were up 117 percent The number of gifts of $100,000 - $249,000 was up 28 percent Total gift income was up 8 percent Cash gifts were up 16 percent
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and political uncertainty has created a perfect storm, keeping some donors waiting on the sidelines. Yet, in these challenging times, the need for private support is greater than ever. Fortunately, individual donors’ circumstances vary greatly, and many continue to step up to support NIU.
Endowment Report Total endowment funds managed by the NIU Foundation were at $48.9 million in market value as of June 30, 2011, an increase of $10.4 million over $38.5 million as of June 30, 2010. The endowment earned a total return, net of fees, of 22.3 percent for the year ended June 30, 2011.
Stellar Endowment Returns
Endowment Market Value $50
of the finance committee have paid
$40
off tremendously. As the preliminary results on university endowment returns across the nation come in, NIU’s returns beat both Harvard and Yale! For the year ended June 30, 2011: Yale University = 21.9 percent
Millions
The talent, expertise, and tireless efforts
48.9* 39.4 32.6
$30
21.8 14.1
$20 $10
3.3
$0 1993
1998
2003
2008
2009
2011
*New endowment gifts and portfolio returns.
Harvard University = 21.4 percent Northern Illinois University = 22.3 percent
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Endowment Fund Performance
The asset allocation is reviewed regularly by the Finance Committee using ranges approved annually by the NIU Foundation Board of Directors. Currently, the endowment portfolio is managed toward the goals represented in the pie chart.
The goal in setting asset allocation and expenditure strategies for endowment funds is to maintain the spending power of the fund, in inflation adjusted (real) dollars, far into the future.
Investment Return (year ending 6.30.11) 22.3% annualized total over one year
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Endowment Market Value (as of the 6.30.11 market valuation data) $48.9 million
“The capacity to care is the thing that gives life its deepest meaning and significance.” – Pablo Casals
NIU Foundation Awards Lifetime Achievement Award for Philanthropy
Lester Trilla View Video
At first glance, a discarded oil drum may seem like trash, but to some, it’s the raw material for a beautiful musical instrument. When Les Trilla, once owner of the Trilla Steel Drum Corp., saw that NIU students and faculty were interested in the old drums in back of his production plant, he decided to come to NIU to see what it was all about. Then Trilla witnessed the transformation from industrial drum to alluring steel pan and has generously supported NIU’s world-renowned Steel Band ever since.
“Mr. Trilla cares about me as a musician and a person. He asks how I’m doing and really listens to the answer. I wouldn’t be at NIU without his generosity. He’s a father-figure, and his support makes it easier to study so far from home. He motivates me to do my best.”
With a giving history that spans 15 years, Trilla has committed more than a quarter of a million dollars to NIU. His generosity has touched many students who have gone on to fame in the steel pan world. In fact, world-renowned steel pannist Liam Teague, co-director of the NIU Steel Band, was Les’ first scholarship recipient. Trilla’s gifts live on in the classrooms and concert halls as graduates take teaching positions across the globe. Today, former recipients of his scholarships teach in Trinidad, Tobago, St. Maarten, Denmark, and throughout the U.S. Mia Gormandy, gifted player and the most recent recipient of Trilla’s support, says she’s grateful, not only for the financial backing, but for Trilla’s thoughtfulness and sense of humor. “He’s always laughing and smiling,” she says.
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Mia Gormandy (BM ’09, MM ’11) Music Performance
NIU Foundation Awards Award for High Impact Philanthropy
Dennis (’77) and Stacey Barsema View Video
“Barsema Hall is the best environment a student could ask for. The Barsemas’ experiences and generosity make me realize I can overcome any obstacle.”
Dennis and Stacey Barsemas’ generosity has touched every corner of NIU. Their first gift made NIU history and laid the groundwork for True North, and they have contributed to every campaign priority since including the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center, the Yordon Center, student scholarships, faculty initiatives, and academic programs. After graduation, it took Dennis Barsema 20 years to reconnect with NIU. But when he and Stacey did, they changed the course of the university’s history forever. A few months after he walked under the leaky ceiling in Wirtz Hall, Dennis and Stacey made the largest gift in NIU history: $20 million.
Chandler Harnish (’11) Organizational Management
Three years later, the doors of the Barsema Alumni and Visitors Center opened, thanks to a leadership gift from the Barsemas. Since then, thousands have experienced its warm and impressive welcome. Dennis and Stacey also give NIU the gift of their time, which is as valuable as their financial support. Dennis has served the foundation board for more than a decade and helped make True North, the first campaign for NIU, a success as campaign co-chair. Inspired by the NIU professors who believed in him, Dennis now teaches in the College of Business. From her first visit to campus, Stacey became one of NIU’s greatest advocates. A member of the foundation board herself, she supports faculty and students through her work on the venture grants committee. A role model on campus, she also speaks to student organizations. Dennis and Stacey Barsema have changed countless lives with their contributions, and they have inspired thousands of alumni and friends to follow their footsteps and give back to the university they love.
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NIU Foundation Awards Award for Volunteer Service
William E. Taylor (’67) View Video
Bill Taylor has been a principal advisor in many of the largest corporate buyouts in U.S. history. He retired as partner of one of the most successful and influential accounting firms in the world, Deloitte & Touche. Taylor has also served the NIU Foundation tirelessly for years as an NIU Foundation Board member. And, as treasurer and chair of the finance committee, he has led the foundation through significant change and difficult economic times.
“I’m inspired by the Taylors. They do so much for NIU, everything from volunteering, to providing scholarships, to giving students like me career advice. They make me want to do the same from NIU as soon as I can.”
Why would someone with such impressive experience give so much of his precious time to Northern? “Because Bill Taylor loves NIU,” says John Bass, Executive Director of Gift and Estate Planning. “For Bill, the bottom line is simple: providing opportunities for students.” “Our finance committee works extremely hard,” says Jean Jagodzinski, foundation controller. “A typical finance committee meets quarterly, but under Bill’s leadership, and due to extenuating economic circumstances, ours often meets monthly.” Jagodinski says the results of all that hard work are worth it. “Our endowment returns have far exceeded our target returns under Bill’s leadership.” She adds, “That’s a big deal. Every tenth of a percentage we gain translates into thousands of dollars for our students.” Not only does Taylor devote an exceptional amount of time to NIU, he has been instrumental in persuading Deloitte & Touche to increase their matching gift level, a gift that gives back each time alumni from his firm give to Northern. Taylor has been a valued member of the NIU College of Business Board of Executive Advisors, and he and his wife, Dian (M.B.A. ’79), have been generous scholarship donors for years.
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Amanda Paterimos (’11) Accountancy
NIU Foundation Venture Grant Projects
Huskie Enterprise in Leadership and Philanthropy (HELP) Thanks to a venture grant, area high school student Erika Weeden will launch an organization to help clean up her community on the South Side of Chicago. Weeden, along with 12 other high school juniors and seniors, spent three days at NIU in July as part of the HELP camp. HELP is an innovative, interdisciplinary project to develop civic engagement in high-performing Illinois high school students, recruit these high-performing students to NIU, and cultivate the understanding and spirit of philanthropy. HELP tapped the expertise of the NIU Honors Program, the Office of Student Academic Success and the colleges of Business and Liberal Arts & Sciences. Student activities included:
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An interactive public speaking workshop
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A presentation about microfinance, a process in which organizations make tiny business start-up loans in the $50 to $100 range to the poorest of the world’s poor.
Dennis Barsema teaches young campers the joy of philanthropy.
An exercise to help the campers learn their leadership strengths and weaknesses
“I saw I can make a difference, even though I’m a kid,” said Weeden, who will start her senior year this fall. “It’s doing little things.” That’s exactly what HELP organizers want to hear.
Camp coordinators included Kate Braser, Alumni Association; Dana Gautcher (Office of Student Academic Success); Judy Santacaterina (director of the Bachelor of General Studies program in the College of LA&S); Nancy Castle (professor of rehabilitation counseling in the College of Health and Human Sciences and former interim director of the Honors Program); and Betsy Hendrey (Office of Student Academic Success).
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NIU Foundation Venture Grant Projects
Engaging Student Learning through Highly Interactive Virtual Environments in the 21st Century (HIVEs) By providing two immersive virtual learning environments (virtual world and video games), HIVEs will engage the digital generation as they respond to social issues by creating visual artifacts for digital storytelling in both formal and informal learning settings. Through creating, interacting, role-playing and collaborating, students will present their stories about social issues and invite the global audiences to “experience” and “participate” in the stories in the virtual environments. The project coordinators are Lilly Lu (assistant professor in the School of Art, Division of Art Education) and Aline Click (assistant director for NIU’s eLearning Services and codirector of the Digital Convergence Lab).
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NIU Foundation Venture Grant Projects
Exploring Earthly Realms for Humanity’s Future: A Data Acquisition and Management System for NIU’s Robotic Submarine With the help of a venture grant, NIU’s robotic submarine will have the communication systems it needs to make groundbreaking discoveries. About 2,500 feet below the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, exist areas critical to our understanding of the ice and its effect on global sea levels. These realms have never before been explored. NIU’s robotic submarine will explore this sub-glacial environment in Antarctica under the floating ice, approximately the size of Texas. Venture grant funding will provide “Earthly Realms” funding to design and develop hardware and software management protocols for NIU’s robotic submarine. The grant will help with the submarine’s data acquisition, management, and storage systems. The project has the potential to provide unparalleled opportunities to highlight the use of innovative technology that NIU is developing. In addition, it directly involves NIU’s students in a wide array of high-level research opportunities.
Photo caption: Project coordinator Ross Powell (right) and Reed Scherer, professors in the Department of Geology.
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NIU Foundation Board of Directors Fiscal Year 2011 OFFICERS
Brent R. Brodeski
John Thomas (Tom) Futrell
Robert L. Bovinette, Chair
B.S. Finance ‘88, M.B.A. ‘91
M.B.A. ‘79
M.S. Ed. Educational Administration ‘65
Chief Executive Officer,
Senior Managing Director and
Retired CEO & President Emeritus,
Savant Capital Management, Inc.
Chief Investment Officer,
Commonfund Group
Claymore Securities, Inc. John W. Castle
Jaymie F. Simmon, Vice Chair
Chairman of the Board, Castle Bank, NA
B.S. Education ‘70 Owner, Twinbrook Ltd.
Anthony L. Kambich B.S. Education ‘59
Kenneth C. Chessick M.D., J.D.
Deerfield & Riverwoods Montessori
J.D. Law ‘84
Schools
William E. Taylor, Treasurer
Medical Attorney Chairman,
B.S. Accountancy ‘67
Restaurant.com
Retired Partner, Deloitte & Touche
John Landgraf B.S. Biological Sciences ‘74
Carol Y. Crenshaw
M.S. Biological Sciences ‘75
Dennis L. Barsema, Chair Designate
B.S. Accountancy ‘78
Executive Vice President
B.S. Management ‘77
Vice President and Chief Financial
Nutritional Products Global Nutrition
Instructor, NIU College of Business
Officer, The Chicago Community Trust
Abbott
Mallory M. Simpson
Cynthia Crocker
Gaylen N. Larson
President, CEO & Secretary,
B.S. Marketing ‘80
B.S. Accountancy ‘62
NIU Foundation
Retired Senior Vice President,
Retired Member of the Financial
Chief Development Officer,
Investor Relations and Corporate
Accounting Standards Board
Northern Illinois University
Communications Equity Group Paula M. LeRoy
DIRECTORS
Michael A. Cullen
B.S. Elementary Education ‘66
Ty Ballou
B.S. Finance ‘84, B.S. Accountancy ‘87
Retired President,
B.A. ‘78
President & CEO, NB&T
Pension Benefit Information, Inc.
Jeffrey A. Eckmann
Jeffrey T. Liesendahl
Stacey Barsema
B.S. Accountancy ‘74
B.S. Accountancy ‘87
President, Barsema Foundation
Retired Group President,
CEO, Accertify, LLC
President, Public Labels Brands, Inc.
Reynolds American, Inc. Robert T. Boey Owner, Sycamore Industrial Park, LLC William A. Boston
Cherilyn G. Murer J.D. Dean A. DeBiase
J.D. Law ‘78
B.S. Marketing ‘80
President & CEO, The Murer Group
Chairman, Reboot Partners
B.S. Marketing ‘70, M.B.A. ‘71 Chairman & CEO, Dynamic Signals, LLC
Elizabeth Plotnick Rege S. Eisaman, CFA
B.A. Art History ‘77
M.B.A. Finance ‘91
Consultant
Chief Investment Officer, InterOcean Capital, LLC
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Melvin J. Simon B.S. Accountancy ‘68 Owner, Melvin J. Simon & Associates Raymond G. Smerge B.S. Political Science ‘67 Founder, Savrola Development Co., LLC Retired Executive Vice President and Chief Legal Officer, Centex Corporation Christine Speiser B.S. Ed., Education ‘73, M.S. Ed. Education ‘83 Consultant Timothy A. Struthers B.S. Finance ‘84, M.B.A. ‘88 President, Castle Bank Jeffrey A. Yordon B.S. Political Science ‘70 President & CEO, Sagent Pharmaceuticals EX-OFFICIO John G. Peters Ph.D. President, Northern Illinois University Michael P. Malone Vice President, University Advancement, Northern Illinois University Mallory M. Simpson President, CEO & Secretary, NIU Foundation Chief Development Officer, Northern Illinois University
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” – Benjamin Franklin
Northern Illinois University Foundation Altgeld Hall 135 DeKalb, Illinois 60115-2882 815.753.1386 niufoundation.org
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