FAIRMONT FOUNDATION

Name

FAIRMONT FOUNDATION

Legal name

Fairmont State Foundation, Inc.

Website

https://fsufoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Fundraising

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Fairmont

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, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donation Processing: The foundation collects charitable donations from alumni, friends, and corporate partners on behalf of Fairmont State University. Donations are processed through online giving portals, check/credit card payments, stock transfers, and estate planned gifts. The foundation applies a 4% advancement fee on all applicable gifts to support development operations.
2. Endowment Management: The foundation manages endowed funds invested in pooled investment portfolios overseen by professional investment managers. A 1.5% annual investment/management fee is charged on endowment funds to defray foundation operations.
3. Planned Giving: The foundation facilitates planned gifts including wills, estate bequests, charitable gift annuities, and beneficiary designations to support long-term university funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Fairmont State Foundation, Inc. is the independent fundraising arm of Fairmont State University. It solicits and administers private donations from alumni, friends, corporate partners, and foundations, managing more than 200 named scholarships and endowments. The foundation supports student scholarships, academic programs, athletics, and community education initiatives such as the Academy for the Arts and the West Virginia Folklife Center, while providing donor recognition programs (Victory Bell Society, Column Society, 1865 Heritage Society) and planned giving services.

Product overview

Fairmont State Foundation is the independent fundraising arm of Fairmont State University, offering a portfolio of donor engagement programs including scholarship funds, donor recognition societies (Victory Bell Society, Column Society, 1865 Heritage Society), and college-specific giving programs. The Foundation supports student success through the Datha & Gene Smith Fellows Program for first-generation students, the LEAD Center academic support services, and community programs including the Academy for the Arts and the Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center. These programs work together to create a comprehensive ecosystem supporting student access, persistence, and success at Fairmont State University.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scholarship Programs Need-based and merit-based scholarship programs supporting students across all Fairmont State University colleges, including endowed scholarships, impact scholarships, and first-generation student support. Donors fund scholarships and the Foundation administers them for the benefit of Fairmont State students.
• Victory Bell Society Annual donor recognition society for individuals making cumulative gifts of $1,000 or more in a fiscal year. Members may also join through a monthly recurring gift of $75 ($900 annually) or with $250+ gifts for graduates of the past 10 years.
• Column Society Lifetime giving society honoring cumulative donations of $25,000 or more, including the President's Circle tier for donors with $500,000+ cumulative giving. Members receive annual donor appreciation and Scholarship & Stewardship Banquet invitations.
• 1865 Heritage Society Society recognizing individuals who have included Fairmont State University in their will or estate plan, honoring legacy giving and providing lasting support for future students.
• Academy for the Arts Community arts education program offering instruction in visual art, music, dance, and theatre for students of all ages, from toddlers to adults. Supported by Foundation fundraising.
• Frank and Jane Gabor West Virginia Folklife Center Cultural preservation center housing archives of West Virginia folklore, undergraduate minors in folklore and museum studies, and community cultural events including acoustic music jams and storytelling performances.
• Falcon Fund Unrestricted giving fund supporting the University's greatest needs and emerging opportunities across all programs.
• Datha & Gene Smith Fellows Program A comprehensive four-year fellowship supporting first-generation college students with financial assistance, mentoring, academic resources, and cultural experiences from orientation through graduation.
• College-Specific Giving Programs Targeted giving programs allowing donors to direct contributions to specific colleges within Fairmont State University, including Business & Aviation, Education/Health/Human Performance, Liberal Arts, Nursing, and Science & Technology.
• Estate Planning Services Planned giving services through the GiftLegacy.com portal facilitating wills, estate bequests, charitable gift annuities, and beneficiary designations to support long-term university funding.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 named scholarships and endowments managed
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Griffin Aerospace SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership and lease arrangement enabled Aviation Center of Excellence to become first university in West Virginia to offer primary helicopter training.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• West Virginia Wesleyan College: A private liberal arts college in West Virginia with its own advancement/foundation operations. Comparable as a higher-education fundraising entity operating in the same regional donor market.
• Marshall University Foundation: The fundraising foundation for Marshall University, another West Virginia state university. Comparable structure and mission—private fundraising, scholarship administration, and donor stewardship for a regional state university.
• WVU Foundation: The fundraising arm of West Virginia University, the state's flagship public university. Directly comparable as a West Virginia-based university foundation managing scholarships, endowments, and donor recognition programs for a state university system affiliate.
• Glenville State University Foundation: Foundation serving Glenville State University, a small regional state university in West Virginia. Comparable as a peer state-university fundraising organization in the same regional market.
• Shepherd University Foundation: Foundation supporting Shepherd University, a smaller West Virginia state university. Closely comparable in scale, regional focus, and scholarship/endowment management role to Fairmont State Foundation.
• West Liberty University Foundation: Fundraising arm of West Liberty University, a small public university in West Virginia. Comparable in mission, scale, and structure to Fairmont State Foundation.
• Concord University Foundation: Foundation supporting Concord University, another West Virginia state university with similar regional scope, scholarship programs, and donor recognition tiers.

Regional players

• Pitt-Greensburg / University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg: A regional public university campus outside West Virginia that operates its own advancement and foundation activity. Comparable as a small regional university fundraising operation but in a different geography (Pennsylvania).

Broad incumbents

• Indiana University Foundation: Fundraising arm of Indiana University, a much larger public research university. Comparable as a university-affiliated grantmaking/donor stewardship operation, but at substantially greater scale and scope.

Others

• Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE): A nonprofit membership association serving educational fundraising and advancement professionals. Comparable as an ecosystem participant that the foundation interacts with for benchmarking, training, and standards, though not a fundraising competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fairmont-state-foundation

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about FAIRMONT FOUNDATION