# The Southern Illinois University Foundation

The Southern Illinois University Foundation is a Foundation based in Carbondale, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Carbondale, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Carbondale, IL, United States
- **Founded:** 1942
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** siuf.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-southern-illinoisan

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The Southern Illinois University Foundation was established in 1942 to manage private gifts supporting SIU Carbondale. CEO Matt Kupec oversees the entity, working alongside a board that includes President Dan Korte, Chairman Andy Glenn, and past investment committee chair Diane R. Compardo. The foundation's board draws heavily from alumni in finance and industry, notably former Caterpillar CFO F. Lynn McPheeters, who serves as an emeritus board member and major donor. Unlike endowments that operate primarily as fund-of-funds allocators, the SIU Foundation holds a diversified mix of direct real assets and operating-entity interests. Its real estate holdings include the Nelson Manufacturing Complex in Edwardsville, alongside raw land in Johnson County and Springfield. The foundation also oversees a commodities and natural resources pool, and it holds a patent on the Swine-O-Meter, a livestock weight-estimation device. The venture capital allocation is tagged broadly, covering generalist strategies. Board leadership reflects a blend of wealth management and operating experience. Chairman Andy Glenn and past chair Diane R. Compardo are both partners at Moneta Group, a large independent RIA. Immediate past president G. David Delaney serves as CEO of Itafos, a publicly traded phosphate producer. The foundation runs two affinity networks — the Women's Leadership Council and the Dunbar Leadership Society — that function as donor-engagement vehicles targeting specific alumni constituencies. In September 2024, the foundation announced a public phase of its "Imagine SIU" comprehensive campaign (per the foundation, September 2024). The SIU Foundation stands apart structurally by holding operating-company interests and physical assets directly rather than through interposed fund vehicles. Its portfolio includes income-producing commercial real estate and a patent generating royalty streams, making the asset mix closer to a hybrid endowment-holding company than a pure grant-making foundation. The foundation's investment committee draws on the Moneta Group relationship for institutional process, but ultimate control rests with a board dominated by SIU alumni.

## Sectors

- Real Estate
- Commodities
- Venture Capital

## People

- Matt Kupec — CEO
- Dan Korte — President of the Board of Directors
- Andy Glenn — Chairman of the Board of Directors
- Diane R. Compardo — Past President and Chair of the Investment Committee
- G. David Delaney — Immediate Past President

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at the SIU Foundation?

The investment committee, historically chaired by board members with institutional asset management backgrounds, oversees allocation decisions. Diane R. Compardo, a partner at Moneta Group and past president of the foundation board, previously chaired the investment committee. The current committee structure and its delegated authority levels are not publicly detailed beyond board meeting minutes.

### What is the 'Swine-O-Meter' and why does a university foundation own it?

The Swine-O-Meter is a patented device for estimating the weight of pigs without a scale. It was developed at SIU Carbondale's College of Agricultural Sciences. The foundation holds the patent as a donated intellectual-property asset and receives royalty income from its commercialization, making it an unusual but cash-flowing holding within the endowment portfolio.

### What role did former Caterpillar CFO F. Lynn McPheeters play?

McPheeters, the former CFO of Caterpillar, is a major donor and emeritus board member of the SIU Foundation. His giving history ties to SIU's business and engineering programs. Emeritus status retains his advisory connection to the board without fiduciary voting duties.

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

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