UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA FOUNDATION,THE

What UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA FOUNDATION,THE does

The University of Georgia Foundation is a nonprofit charitable organization established in 1937 to advance the teaching, research, and public service mission of the University of Georgia. Operating under the policies of the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, the foundation serves as the fiduciary steward of more than $2.35 billion in donated assets, a large portion of which is endowed, and distributes an average of more than $155 million annually to UGA through scholarships, endowed chairs, professorships, and other donor-funded programs. Leadership comprises a Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations and Executive Director (Jill S. Walton), a Chief Financial Officer (Elizabeth Prince), and a Chief Investment Officer (Jason Bull), supported by senior directors spanning investments, gift accounting, gift agreements, expenditure control, revenue operations and data analytics, and planned giving. The foundation's investment portfolio has consistently outperformed key benchmarks, and growth in assets has translated into greater annual support for the university.

The foundation's core offering is comprehensive planned-giving and endowment management, accepting cash, publicly traded stock and bonds, real estate, retirement assets, life insurance, IRA charitable rollovers, bequests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder unitrusts, charitable remainder annuity trusts, and operating donor-advised funds and giving societies (Cumulative Giving Societies, Presidents Club, The 1961 Club, Heritage Society). Its business model is philanthropic rather than fee-based: no fees are charged to donors for making gifts, and capital for UGA is generated through contributions and investment returns on the endowed corpus. The foundation runs the Board of Visitors (established 2010), an advisory program of business and community leaders, and operates exclusively in a fundraising and asset-stewardship capacity, with no public-facing product or commercial revenue stream.

Named beneficiaries within UGA include the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, the Odum School of Ecology, the Terry College of Business, and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, alongside the Georgia Commitment Scholarship Program — the flagship channel translating the foundation's largest private gift (a $30M contribution from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation in 2017) into more than 740 need-based scholarships supporting over 1,100 students. The foundation is governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees and affiliated with the UGA Office of the Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations, maintaining an operating geography centered on the Southeast United States while accepting gifts globally through its online giving portal and planned-giving channels.

Name

UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA FOUNDATION,THE

Legal name

University of Georgia Foundation

Website

https://ugafoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The University of Georgia Foundation is a 1937-established nonprofit that manages over $2.35 billion in donated assets, distributing more than $155 million annually to the University of Georgia through scholarships, endowed chairs, and a broad set of planned giving vehicles.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Endowment Management

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), College Access, Scholarships & Student Success Nonprofits (BPAGADAE), Fundraising & Annual Giving (EDALAOAB)

Keywords

• Endowment management
• Planned giving services
• Charitable foundation services
• Investment portfolio management
• Donor stewardship services

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations and Gifts: The foundation receives various types of charitable gifts including cash donations, bequests, planned gifts, stocks, bonds, real estate, and other assets from donors to support the University of Georgia's mission.
2. Endowment Investment Returns: The foundation manages a $2.35 billion endowment portfolio, a large portion of which is endowed, generating returns that provide annual distributions to UGA.

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The University of Georgia Foundation is a private, nonprofit charitable foundation that manages donated assets exceeding $2.35 billion and distributes approximately $155 million annually to the University of Georgia. Its core work involves stewarding endowment funds, administering planned giving instruments, and channeling donor contributions toward scholarships, endowed faculty positions, and academic programs.

Product overview

The University of Georgia Foundation operates as a unified platform for philanthropic giving, managing over $2.35 billion in assets and distributing approximately $155 million annually to UGA. The core offerings include Planned Giving Services (bequests, IRA rollovers, charitable annuities, real estate gifts, stock donations), Scholarship Programs (primarily the Georgia Commitment Scholarship Program with 740+ scholarships), Donor-Advised Funds, Gift & Estate Planning consultation, and recognition through Giving Societies. The organization also supports a Board of Visitors advisory program. Together these services enable donors to support the university's mission through various giving vehicles tailored to their financial and estate planning needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Planned Giving Services A service for individual alumni and supporters of the University of Georgia to arrange charitable gifts through wills, trusts, annuities, and other estate-planning vehicles, with the Foundation serving as fiduciary and long-term steward.
• Georgia Commitment Scholarship A scholarship program funded by Foundation endowment assets that provides financial support to University of Georgia students, reflecting the Foundation's annual disbursement of roughly $155 million to the University.
• Donor-Advised Funds A charitable giving vehicle allowing individual donors to contribute assets to the Foundation, receive immediate tax benefits, and recommend grants over time to support University of Georgia programs and priorities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Provides $155 million annually to UGA
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2016Partnered with Wells Fargo to administer the $50,000 Environmental Solutions for Communities grant for UGA's Carl Vinson Institute of Government project in Gainesville, GA.
• UGA Board of VisitorscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Established in 2010, the Board strengthens ties between UGA and elected officials, business leaders, and community organizations. Members serve three-year terms and attend two programs annually in Athens or Atlanta.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Ohio State University Foundation: Large public-university-affiliated foundation stewarding a multi-billion-dollar endowment and distributing funds for scholarships, faculty, and research. Comparable in scale, donor acquisition model, and planned-giving services.
• University of Florida Foundation: SEC peer and large state-university-affiliated foundation managing a multi-billion-dollar endowment and distributing funds for scholarships, faculty, and programs at UF — comparable scale and donor base to UGA Foundation.
• Emory University Foundation: University-affiliated private foundation stewarding donated assets and providing annual distributions to support Emory's teaching, research, and scholarship programs — structurally identical to the UGA Foundation.
• Georgia Tech Foundation: Private foundation supporting Georgia Tech through fiduciary management of an endowment and donor-funded scholarships, chairs, and programs. Operates within the same University System of Georgia as the UGA Foundation, making it an unusually close structural and geographic peer.
• University of Alabama Foundation: Private foundation supporting the University of Alabama through endowed scholarships, chairs, and donor engagement. Comparable SEC institution with similar gift-planning, endowment management, and annual distribution model.
• University of Tennessee Foundation: Southeast regional university foundation with endowment management, planned giving, and annual distributions to UT — directly comparable in mission, governance tied to a public university system, and donor segments.
• Michigan State University Foundation: University-affiliated private foundation managing endowed assets and funding scholarships, faculty, and programs at MSU — directly analogous structure, revenue model (donations + investment returns), and donor engagement platform.
• Vanderbilt University Foundation: Private foundation supporting a major research university through endowment management and donor-funded programs, including scholarships and endowed chairs. Direct structural and operational parallel to UGA Foundation.
• Clemson University Foundation: University-affiliated foundation stewarding endowed assets and distributing funds for scholarships and academic programs at Clemson — analogous structure, donor segments, and South/Southeast regional focus.
• Auburn University Foundation: SEC peer and Alabama-based university foundation managing endowed assets, scholarships, and donor-funded programs for Auburn. Same cooperative-style structure tied to a state university system, comparable regional donor base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ugaalumniassoc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UGAAlumniAssoc
• Facebookfacebook.com/UGAAlumniAssociation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-georgia-foundation-the
• Instagraminstagram.com/ugaalumni

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA FOUNDATION,THE