Northern Illinois University Foundation
Year in Review
FY 2010
“Vision is the art of seeing things invisible to others.� Jonathan Swift
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.
Table of Contents Message from the NIU Foundation Chair and President
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True North Campaign Report
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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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“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
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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. 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. 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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It’s a Wrap! True North has been a Resounding Success
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
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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. Provided 14,700 scholarships, valued at more than $9.2 million, and 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
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How Donors Designated their Gifts Campaign Total: $162.4 Million
Millions Facilities 22% $34.9
Donor Designated Programs 51% $83.3
Expected Bequests 10% $15.6 Unrestricted 1% $2.1
Faculty Support 5% $8.0
Scholarships 11% $18.4
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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.
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”
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
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.
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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.
Endowment Market Value
We are encouraged to see a positive shift in the economic climate though we
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remain cautious of the market’s ongoing
well as to our personal portfolios. The NIU Foundation’s endowment portfolio is positioned by design to decline less in down markets but it
Millions
brought relief to the NIU endowment as
32.6
$30
21.8 14.1
$20 $10
38.5
39.4
$40
volatility. The positive return has
3.3
$0 1993
1998
2003
2008
2009
2010
may lag in times of positive markets. History shows this will produce a more favorable result, over a very long investment horizon.
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NIU Foundation Awards Lifetime Achievement Award for Philanthropy
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.”
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NIU Foundation Awards Award for High Impact Philanthropy
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.
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NIU Foundation Awards Award for Volunteer Service
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.
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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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NIU Foundation Venture Grant Projects
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.
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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
OFFICERS Robert L. Bovinette, Chair M.S. Ed. Educational Administration ‘65 Retired CEO & President Emeritus, Commonfund Group Jaymie F. Simmon, Vice Chair B.S. Education ‘70 Owner, Twinbrook Ltd. William E. Taylor, Treasurer B.S. Accountancy ‘67 Retired Partner, Deloitte & Touche Mallory M. Simpson President, CEO & Secretary, NIU Foundation Chief Development Officer, Northern Illinois University DIRECTORS Ty Ballou B.A. ‘78 President, Public Labels Brands, Inc. Dennis L. Barsema, True North Co-Chair B.S. Management ‘77 Chairman, BlueLane Technologies Instructor, NIU College of Business Stacey Barsema President, Barsema Foundation Robert T. Boey Partner, American Bare Conductor, Inc. Partner, Sycamore Industrial Park William A. Boston B.S. Marketing ‘70, M.B.A. ‘71 Chairman & CEO, Dynamic Signals, LLC Brent R. Brodeski B.S. Finance ‘88, M.B.A. ‘91 Managing Director, Savant Capital Management, Inc.
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John W. Castle, True North Co-Chair Chairman of the Board, Castle Bank, NA Kenneth C. Chessick M.D., J.D. J.D. Law ‘84 Medical Attorney Chairman, Restaurant.com Carol Y. Crenshaw B.S. Accountancy ‘78 Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Chicago Community Trust Michael A. Cullen B.S. Finance ‘84, B.S. Accountancy ‘87 President & CEO, The National Bank & Trust of Sycamore Dean A. DeBiase B.S. Marketing ‘80 Chairman Reboot Partners Rege S. Eisaman, CFA M.B.A. Finance ‘91 Principal Chief Investment Officer InterOcean Capital, LLC John Thomas (Tom) Futrell M.B.A. ‘79 Senior Managing Director and Chief Investment Officer Claymore Securities, Inc. Anthony L. Kambich B.S. Education ‘59 Deerfield & Riverwoods Montessori Schools Gaylen N. Larson B.S. Accountancy ‘62 Retired Group Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer of Household International Paula M. LeRoy B.S. Elementary Education ‘66 Retired President, Pension Benefit Information, Inc.
Jeffrey T. Liesendahl B.S. Accountancy ‘87 CEO, Accertify LLC Cherilyn G. Murer J.D. J.D. Law ‘78 President & CEO, The Murer Group Elizabeth Plotnick B.A. Art History ‘77 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 & CEO, Castle Bank, NA 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
“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
Northern Illinois University Foundation Altgeld Hall 135 DeKalb, Illinois 60115-2882 815.753.1386 www.niufoundation.org
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