University of Maryland College Park Foundation

University of Maryland College Park Foundation

Founded in 2000 as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, the University of Maryland College Park Foundation receives, holds, and invests private assets gifted to support the University of Maryland. Jim Harris, President of the Foundation and Vice President for University Relations, leads day-to-day operations. Board Chair Craig Thompson, a partner at Venable LLP, and Trustee Michelle Smith — daughter of the late benefactor Robert H. Smith — form part of a governance structure that also includes university President Darryll J. Pines as an Ex-Officio Trustee. The foundation's deployed capital spans a traditional endowment portfolio alongside direct real assets tied to campus expansion and town-gown development. Its most visible strategy is a joint venture with Brandywine Realty Trust to develop the Discovery District, a research park and mixed-use neighborhood in College Park. Other property holdings include The Hotel at the University of Maryland, the Aviation Landing site adjacent to College Park Airport, and undeveloped land parcels on Azalea Lane and University Boulevard. The foundation has also accepted cryptocurrency donations, signaling a willingness to engage non-traditional asset inflows. Investment oversight is guided by participation in NACUBO endowment studies and CASE professional networks. Total AUM is not publicly disclosed but an Altss estimate places the endowment at roughly $785 million, positioning it among the mid-tier public university foundations nationally. The foundation sits alongside related entities like the Terrapin Development Company, led by Ken Ulman, which co-ordinates economic development goals. Beyond direct capital allocation, the foundation actively promotes philanthropic support for the university and advocates for its mission through a dedicated board. The University of Maryland College Park Foundation differs structurally from a pure university endowment by directly holding and developing income-producing real estate alongside its invested portfolio. This hybrid model — common among land-grant and large public research foundations — gives it a balance-sheet and cash-flow profile more akin to a property-owning holding company with an educational mandate, rather than a passive pool of financial assets.