CSU Endowment Exceeds $100 Million Milestone

For the first time in Columbus State University’s history, its donor-supported endowment has exceeded $100 million. “This high-water mark is another testament to the trust and support of the donors who invest in Columbus State University, its students and its programs,” said Turner College alum Tim Money, Chair of the CSU Foundation. “It also speaks directly to the seriousness with which the foundation’s volunteer trustees steward those funds.” The university’s endowment portfolio includes nearly 300 individual endowment funds, 70 of which were created in just the past five years. Recent endowment gifts like Ellen Roberts’ demonstrate the popularity of creating scholarships to support students’ academic studies. Roberts, who retired from the College of Education & Health Professions, chose to create endowments funding both undergraduate scholarships and graduate fellowships. Other recent endowments include the Hallock Endowment for Military History based in the Department of History, Geography & Philosophy. That helped recruit to Columbus State a world-class military history scholar, David Kieran, who holds the title of Colonel Richard R. Hallock Distinguished University Chair in Military History. It also funds various lectures that enhance student learning and community engagement. Another recent endowment created the Swift Distinguished Chair in the Joyce & Henry Schwob School of Music. Its current director, Scott Harris, holds that title, which is named in honor of support from Barbara Carlton “Bobsie” and her late husband, Clifford J. Swift III.

     Donors create endowments with a gift of at least $25,000 to support various university priorities, from scholarships and student programs to academic programs and faculty initiatives. These can be one-time gifts, pledges fulfilled over multiple years, or planned gifts like real estate, stocks, or other assets pledged through a donor’s estate. When a donor creates an endowment, the original gift is invested, and only the investment income is used to support the endowment’s established purpose. This preserves the donor’s original gift in perpetuity, guaranteeing they will benefit the university for future generations. Donors may establish an endowment to support practically any area of the university. They may also contribute gifts of any amount to an existing endowment fund. As the principle in existing endowments grows, so does the investment income it produces. Endowments also provide donors with naming opportunities to attach themselves, their business or someone of their choosing to scholarship funds, named professorships or buildings. Those opportunities are defined by the university’s fundraising policies and commensurate with the donor’s contribution.

     The Columbus State University Foundation and its volunteer trustees advise on how to invest those endowment funds. The foundation’s Investment Committee, comprised of seasoned banking professionals and financial advisors, counsels foundation and university leadership on Columbus State’s investment strategy. “We’re grateful for our volunteer trustees’ expertise as they guide our investment and fundraising strategies,” said Columbus State’s president, Stuart Rayfield. “Thanks to their leadership, our endowment investment returns pace with, and sometimes exceed, University System of Georgia and national benchmarks—even during the market’s volatile seasons resulting from the pandemic and factors.” Rocky Kettering, CFRE, vice president for advancement, noted that Columbus State is seventh among the University System of Georgia’s 26 public colleges and universities in terms of the size of its endowment. That puts it above its state university peers and second only to USG’s research and comprehensive universities. “We are the smallest school in that category of top seven, but by far the strongest, and that’s because of our loyal and faithful donors,” he said. “The state funds good universities, but it’s the community and private giving that funds a great university—and [Columbus State] has support that is unmatched across the [University System of Georgia],” Rayfield added.