SIU Foundation

What SIU Foundation does

SIU Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1942 and headquartered in Carbondale, Illinois, with a secondary office in Springfield. It functions as the exclusive central fundraising and gift-management entity for Southern Illinois University Carbondale, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding private contributions on the university's behalf and serving a constituency of more than 250,000 SIU alumni, current and prospective students, faculty, and staff.

The Foundation operates centralized advancement services spanning annual giving, planned giving, corporate and foundation relations, major gifts, endowment management, and scholarship administration, administered by a 14-person staff. It manages more than 3,200 donor-restricted accounts and runs the multi-year Imagine SIU 2030 campaign, launched January 2017 with a $500M goal and a target close of June 30, 2028; as of April 2026 the campaign had surpassed $464M in commitments. The operating technology stack is conventional: Raiser's Edge NXT as the donor CRM, a Power BI reporting portal, JotForm for constituent data intake, and Google Analytics for web traffic. No AI/ML capabilities, custom models, or public APIs are disclosed.

Revenue is generated through four mechanisms: a 6% retention on all gifts, a 1.4% annualized fee on endowment fair value, in-kind support from SIU for fundraising services, and investment income on non-endowed funds. No fees are charged to donors. Major FY2025 commitments include a $6M gift from Roger and Sally Tedrick (which funded the Tedrick Welcome Center that opened May 2026), a $4.5M anonymous gift, a $3M planned commitment from Craig Englert, $2.1M from Harvey and Collie Michaels, and a major commitment from Charlotte Thompson Suhler that named the School of Journalism and Advertising.

Name

SIU Foundation

Legal name

Southern Illinois University Foundation

Website

https://siuf.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SIU Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1942 that serves as the exclusive fundraising and gift-management entity for Southern Illinois University Carbondale, managing 3,200+ donor-restricted accounts and the $500M Imagine SIU 2030 campaign with a 14-person staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

University Fundraising and Endowment Management Services

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Major Gifts, Planned Giving & Endowment Development (EDALAOAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Endowments (Universities, Foundations, Nonprofits) (FSAAAGAC), Corporate & Foundation Relations (Sponsorships, Grants, Partnerships) (EDALAOAE), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• University fundraising services
• Endowment management
• Scholarship administration
• Planned giving programs
• Donor relations

Headquarters

HQ city

Carbondale

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Private Contributions and Donations: The Foundation receives private gifts from alumni and friends, including annual gifts, major gifts, planned gifts (wills, trusts, estates), and endowed scholarships. Operating budget is funded through in-kind support from the University as payment for fundraising services, endowment fees (1.4% of fair value), and 6% retention on all gifts.
2. Gift Management Services: The Foundation manages approximately 3,200 established accounts directed by university staff. Contributions are deposited into accounts aligned with donor restrictions and are used for scholarships, faculty support, academic programs, and facility upgrades.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SIU Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1942 that serves as the sole preferred channel for private gifts to Southern Illinois University Carbondale. It manages private contributions, endowment accounts (over 3,200), planned gifts, and donor stewardship; provides online giving infrastructure, annual giving programs (including Day of Giving), planned giving coordination, corporate and foundation relations, scholarship administration, and donor recognition programs. Its operating budget is funded through in-kind support from the University, a 1.4% annualized endowment fee, and a 6% retention on all gifts.

Product overview

SIU Foundation is the preferred channel for private gifts to Southern Illinois University Carbondale, functioning as a university advancement organization rather than a commercial software product. Its core offerings center on fundraising services including an online giving platform, annual giving campaigns (e.g., Day of Giving), planned giving coordination, corporate and foundation relations, and scholarship administration. Operational infrastructure includes Raiser’s Edge NXT for donor CRM, a Power BI internal reporting portal, and JotForm-based constituent data collection. The Foundation also produces The Impact Report television series and operates the Saluki Takeover Tour regional engagement program. No commercial software products or public APIs are offered; all systems serve internal advancement operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Forever SIU: A comprehensive fundraising campaign launched in January 2017 with a goal of $500 million by June 30, 2028, supporting student scholarships, programs, facilities, research, and faculty.
• Imagine SIU 2030
• The Impact Report
• Saluki Takeover Tour

Products and services

• Online Giving Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• Imagine SIU 2030 campaign has raised over $464 million toward $500 million goal
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• WSIU Public TelevisioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-producer of The Impact Report TV series showcasing SIU innovation, research, and student success.
• SIU Alumni AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization that allows alumni and friends to maintain ties to SIU Carbondale through programs, events, and the Southern Alumni magazine.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• University of Illinois Foundation: Foundation serving the University of Illinois system, structurally separate 501(c)(3) organization managing major gifts, planned giving, and endowments for a major Illinois public university. Closely comparable given geographic and public-university parallels.
• Purdue Research Foundation: Fundraising and endowment management arm for Purdue University, a fellow R1 public university. Directly comparable as a 501(c)(3) entity handling major gifts, planned giving, and endowment administration for a single public research university in the Midwest.
• University of Missouri Foundation: Foundation supporting the University of Missouri, comparable as a Midwestern public research university advancement organization handling major gifts, planned giving, endowments, and scholarship administration.
• University of Wisconsin Foundation: Official fundraising and gift-management organization for the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Comparable in operating model — major gifts, planned giving, endowment management for a single public flagship university.
• Indiana University Foundation: Fundraising entity for Indiana University, a major state university with an extensive alumni base. Directly comparable scope of activities (major gifts, planned giving, scholarship administration) and similar public-university donor model.

Broad incumbents

• Ohio State University Foundation: Larger-scale foundation serving The Ohio State University with significantly greater endowment and campaign size. Comparable business model (501(c)(3) support for a single public R1 university) but operates at materially greater scale.
• Michigan State University Foundation:

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SIUFoundation1942
• Facebookfacebook.com/SIUFoundationCdale
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/siu-foundation2
• Instagraminstagram.com/siufoundation

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SIU Foundation