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Newman University Endowment
Founded alongside the university in 1933, the Newman University Endowment serves as the long-term financial engine for a small Catholic institution sponsored...
Newman University Endowment
Founded alongside the university in 1933, the Newman University Endowment serves as the long-term financial engine for a small Catholic institution sponsored by the Adorers of the Blood of Christ. The Board of Trustees, chaired by Jenifer Stone, governs the pool through its finance committee, which Matthew T. Schippers leads. Unlike larger endowments that run multi-manager portfolios across private equity and venture capital, the fund's investment posture reflects the scale and spending-policy needs of a regional university — concentrated in a single investment pool on the Wichita campus. The endowment pool represents the investment vehicle for the university's unrestricted and restricted gifts. Physical campus assets, including the Bishop Gerber Science Center, Dugan Library, and Sacred Heart Hall, sit separately on the 3100 McCormick Avenue property and are not held inside the investment portfolio. The fund generates annual draws that flow into the Newman University Foundation and the Newman Fund, supporting academic programs, student scholarships, and facility maintenance. Geographic focus remains anchored to south-central Kansas, where institutional partnerships with Meritrust Credit Union and the Catholic Diocese of Wichita reinforce local ties. The pool operates just under $22 million (Altss estimate) managed through the finance committee's oversight. No dedicated investment staff appears on the university's organizational charts, suggesting a trustee-driven model with possible outsourced management. The broader governance structure includes Vice Chair Marcelo Casenove and J.T. Klaus, who previously served as board chair, alongside relationships with the Fred C. & Mary R. Koch Foundation as a co-investor in university priorities. The endowment does not publicly disclose manager relationships, asset-class allocations, or performance returns. The endowment's architecture differs from standalone foundation models by staying embedded within the university's trustee governance rather than operating as a separately incorporated investment office. This integrated structure — common among smaller Catholic colleges in the Midwest — means investment decisions run through the same board committee that oversees university audit and financial operations, creating a direct link between investment policy and annual operating budgets.
General information
Firm type
Endowment
Year founded
1933
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Wichita
Corporate office
3100 McCormick Ave, Wichita, KS 67213, United States
Principals
Matthew T. Schippers
Chair of the Finance Committee
Jenifer Stone
Chair of the Board of Trustees
J.T. Klaus
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Marcelo Casenove
Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at Newman University Endowment?
The Board of Trustees governs the endowment, with Matthew T. Schippers serving as Chair of the Finance Committee. The university does not disclose a dedicated chief investment officer or internal investment staff. Governance appears to follow a committee-driven model common among smaller endowments, where the finance committee oversees the pool's policy and manager relationships alongside broader university financial operations.
How is Newman University Endowment structured in relation to the university's operating budget?
The endowment functions as an integrated asset of the university rather than a separately incorporated foundation. Investment governance runs through the trustee-level finance committee, which also handles university audit and financial oversight. Annual draws from the endowment pool flow into the Newman University Foundation and the Newman Fund to support scholarships, academic programs, and campus maintenance.
Does Newman University Endowment participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The endowment publicly describes its assets as a single investment pool with no disclosed breakdown of managers, asset classes, or direct investment activity. Given the pool's scale at roughly $22 million (Altss estimate) and the absence of a dedicated investment office, it is unlikely to run a diversified multi-manager program of the kind typical at billion-dollar endowments.
How is Newman University Endowment related to the Adorers of the Blood of Christ?
The Adorers of the Blood of Christ (ASC) founded Newman University in 1933 and remain its sponsoring religious congregation. The endowment predates the current university name — the institution was originally called Sacred Heart Junior College — and the ASC maintains a continuing sponsorship role on the campus that houses the endowment pool.
What is Newman University Endowment's known posture on co-investments alongside external partners?
The endowment does not publicize co-investment activity, club deals, or limited-partner commitments. Institutional relationships appear philanthropic rather than investment-oriented, with the Fred C. & Mary R. Koch Foundation and Meritrust Credit Union connected through board ties rather than investment partnerships.
What investment stages or asset classes does Newman University Endowment typically target?
No asset-class allocation, stage focus, or manager roster is publicly disclosed. The university frames the endowment as a perpetual funding source for operations and scholarships, suggesting a conservative total-return orientation consistent with most small-college endowment pools.
Does Newman University Endowment maintain philanthropic structures separate from the investment portfolio?
Yes. The Newman University Foundation and the Newman Fund operate as giving vehicles that receive endowment distributions and direct donations. The endowment pool itself holds the investable assets, while the foundation structure handles donor relationships, the Monsignor McNeill Society, and scholarship disbursements.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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