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Campanile Foundation
Established to support San Diego State University, The Campanile Foundation operates as the institution's primary philanthropic and endowment vehicle.
Campanile Foundation
Established to support San Diego State University, The Campanile Foundation operates as the institution's primary philanthropic and endowment vehicle. Board leadership includes real estate developer Julie Dillon as chair-elect, alongside Fred Pierce, CEO of Pierce Education Properties, and Greg Fowler, founder of FPA Multifamily, embedding deep multifamily and student-housing development experience into the foundation's governance. The foundation has also benefited from major donor support, including from Jessica Sarowitz. Real estate forms a visible component of portfolio activity, with exposure spanning the UBS Trumbull Property Fund and Crow Holdings Realty Partners IX. One impact-linked development tied to the university is the SDSU Mission Valley Innovation District, a mixed-use project in San Diego. The foundation has also committed capital to venture strategies — Conrad Gorospe, a Principal at Insight Partners, advises the investment committee, signaling access to growth-technology deal flow. A position in the First Eagle Institutional Gold Fund rounds out the disclosed holdings, adding a tangible-asset hedge. Beyond direct portfolio management, the foundation stewards the SDSU Public Art Collection. Its board and staff participate in benchmarking efforts through the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. The concentration of real estate operating principals among board leadership — particularly in the multifamily space through Fowler and Pierce, both active in the National Multifamily Housing Council — distinguishes the foundation's oversight model from endowment committees that rely primarily on consulting guidance. No specific AUM figure has been publicly disclosed. The Campanile Foundation's structural differentiator is its operating-heavy board composition. Rather than relying solely on academic and philanthropic appointees, the endowment's investment governance draws directly from real estate developers and a venture capital principal. This creates a line from deal-level operating judgment to portfolio allocation decisions, which is atypical for an institution of SDSU's endowment scale.
General information
Firm type
Foundation
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Diego
Corporate office
San Diego, CA, United States
Principals
Julie Dillon
Chair-elect of the Board
Greg Fowler
Board Member
Fred Pierce
Board Member
Conrad Gorospe
Advisor to the Investment Committee
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
How is The Campanile Foundation related to San Diego State University?
The Campanile Foundation is the official philanthropic auxiliary and endowment vehicle of San Diego State University. It manages charitable contributions and the university's long-term investment portfolio to support institutional priorities. Its board includes university stakeholders as well as professional investors.
Who runs investment decisions at the foundation?
Investment governance flows through a board of directors that includes active real estate developers and operators. Julie Dillon serves as chair-elect. Fred Pierce and Greg Fowler bring multifamily property development expertise, while Conrad Gorospe of Insight Partners advises the investment committee on venture allocations. The foundation does not publicly identify a standalone chief investment officer.
What does the foundation invest in?
Publicly traceable assets include institutional real estate exposure through vehicles like the UBS Trumbull Property Fund and Crow Holdings Realty Partners IX. The foundation has committed to venture strategies — an Insight Partners principal advises the investment committee — and holds the First Eagle Institutional Gold Fund. A direct university-linked asset is the SDSU Mission Valley Innovation District.
Does the foundation co-invest alongside its board members' firms?
The foundation has not publicly detailed its co-investment practices. The presence of active real estate operators and a venture investor on the board means deal flow and underwriting expertise are directly accessible to the investment committee, but any alignment of personal commitments with foundation capital has not been disclosed.
What is the SDSU Mission Valley Innovation District?
SDSU Mission Valley is a large-scale mixed-use development on the site of the former Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. It serves as a university-led expansion including academic facilities, housing, and commercial space. The Campanile Foundation's connection to the project stems from its role supporting SDSU's institutional and real estate development objectives.
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