# Illinois Wesleyan University Endowment

Illinois Wesleyan University Endowment is an Endowment / Foundation based in Bloomington, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Bloomington, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Bloomington, IL, United States
- **Founded:** 1850
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** iwu.edu
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/school/illinois-wesleyan-university/

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Illinois Wesleyan University Endowment is a Bloomington-based endowment plan managing approximately $262 million in assets, primarily focused on North America.

## Sectors

- Education

## People

- Timothy J. Szerlong — Chair, Board of Trustees
- Robert K. Zimmermann — Treasurer, Board of Trustees

## Questions

### How is the endowment tied to State Farm Insurance?

State Farm's corporate headquarters is located in Bloomington, Illinois, blocks from the Illinois Wesleyan campus. Multiple trustees and alumni over the school's history have held executive roles at the insurer, and State Farm Hall is one of the prominent academic buildings on campus. This geographic and personnel overlap has historically influenced donor relationships and board composition, though the endowment exercises independent fiduciary control over its investments.

### Does Illinois Wesleyan operate a student-run investment fund?

Yes. The university maintains a Student Managed Investment Fund in partnership with the Student Managed Investment Fund Consortium (SMIFC), which gives undergraduates hands-on experience managing a carve-out of real endowment capital. Students conduct equity research and make portfolio allocation decisions under faculty and trustee oversight.

### What is the university's relationship with the United Methodist Church?

Illinois Wesleyan was founded in 1850 with Methodist affiliations and maintains a historical and ongoing connection to the Illinois Great Rivers Conference of the United Methodist Church. The relationship is reflected in campus traditions and governance history, but the university operates as an independent institution with a self-governing board.

### What is Illinois Wesleyan's known investment posture?

As a tuition-dependent private liberal arts college with a roughly 1,500-student enrollment, Illinois Wesleyan's endowment is managed for total return with a capital preservation orientation. The portfolio spans public equities, fixed income, and private market allocations, and performance is tracked through the annual NACUBO study of college and university endowments.

### Does the university hold illiquid assets beyond its financial portfolio?

The campus includes significant cultural holdings: the Ames Library, the Tate Archives & Special Collections, and a collection of ceramics and basketry. These assets are not part of the investable endowment pool but represent long-term institutional holdings that complement the university's financial resources.

## Related profiles

- [Illinois Student Assistance Commission](https://altss.com/profile/illinois-student-assistance-commission)
- [Illumination Wealth Management](https://altss.com/profile/illumination-wealth-management)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

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