About
Contact Information
Old Main 430, MS 9034
516 High Street
Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 650-3027
forwestern@wwu.edu
Tax Identification Number: 91-6073519
About the Foundation
The Foundation was established in 1966 as a vehicle to receive and encourage private giving to WWU. In the past year, donors have provided over $24 million to the University in the form of annual gifts, endowed gifts, estate gifts, and gifts in kind like real estate, equipment, and works of art. Gifts fund student scholarships, as well as provide support for programs, faculty, clubs, and teams.
Impact on WWU
The Foundation for WWU & Alumni was formed in 2023 when the Foundation merged with the WWU Alumni Association. The Foundation for WWU & Alumni serves all alumni, donors and members of the WWU community from a single, streamlined organization.
The Foundation is led by a group of dedicated board members who grow awareness of the importance of private support to public institutions. These alumni, parents, and community leaders bring their experience in business, education, science, and non-profits, and share the common mission of engaging new friends for Western while also stewarding the more than $145 million in assets under the Foundation’s management.
Read about Western's Alumni History
Accountability to Donors, Alumni, and the Public
To achieve our mission and goals, The Foundation for WWU & Alumni must earn and maintain the trust of donors, alumni, and friends of Western Washington University. We are committed to transparency and accountability. Please feel free to contact Nicole Ebersole, Director of Donor Relations, at 360-650-2972 or eberson@wwu.edu if you have any questions about the following information.
Financial Information
Learn more about how Western Washington University donors make a difference on campus, in Washington, and around the world in our annual reports.
Endowment Management Polices
Legal And Governance Information
Other Policies and Guidance
Foundation Endowment Overview
The Endowment Fund for WWU is comprised of gifts from thousands of donors, with the purpose of generating consistent and predictable income to be used to support scholarships, programs and faculty at Western Washington University. The Foundation for Western Washington University & Alumni seeks to include responsible investing practices into its investment selection and management duties. As a responsible investor, the Foundation works to grow the endowment in a way that appropriately balances the risks we assume with the returns we achieve. The Foundation’s approach to responsible investing focuses on three key activities:
Maximizing investment returns while managing investment risks;
Considering the University’s values while also minimizing any associated investment risks; and
Reporting the Endowment’s financial performance, and its alignment with responsible investing guidelines, as appropriate.
The Foundation for WWU & Alumni’s Endowment Investment Policy sets forth guidelines for the management, standards of conduct, and investment targets for WWU’s Endowment Fund. The Foundation Board’s Finance Committee is responsible for developing the Endowment Investment Policy, for establishing investment policies and procedures, and is additionally responsible for the development of target asset allocations, benchmarks, investment strategies, guidelines, and restrictions for the Endowment Fund. Foundation Management (i.e., the President and CEO of the Foundation and the CFO of the Foundation) are responsible for ensuring the investment policies and procedures are followed as stated in the Endowment Investment Policy.
The Foundation employs an outsourced CIO model for investment management and works with Russell Investments of Seattle, WA, and Commonfund of Wilton, CT, to manage our endowment investment fund.
The Foundation charges a 1.5% annual fee on the value of the endowment assets which serves as a source of operational revenue for the Foundation. This revenue is used to support the various activities of the Foundation as well as provide some discretionary support to the university. The endowment also incurs an investment management fee of approximately .25%. The foundation does not charge an assessment on any new gifts or contributions to the endowment fund.
Additional information regarding the Foundation’s investment policy can be found in the Investment Policy Statement and in the FY24 Sustainability Performance Report.