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University of Mount Union
Mount Union, chartered in 1846, operates a permanently endowed fund to support its educational mission. The Board of Trustees, chaired by Matthew G.
University of Mount Union
Mount Union, chartered in 1846, operates a permanently endowed fund to support its educational mission. The Board of Trustees, chaired by Matthew G. Darrah, governs the institution's financial resources. Unlike many small-college endowments that prioritize long-only public equities and traditional fixed income, Mount Union's investment office focuses on secondaries and special situations. The school's top giving society, the 1846 Society, serves as a pipeline for leadership donors but does not function as a co-investment vehicle. The endowment actively participates in secondary market transactions, acquiring limited partnership interests from other investors. This strategy provides potential pricing advantages and portfolio diversification. Alongside secondary stakes, the university holds direct real estate assets including its main campus on Clark Avenue, the John T. Huston – Dr. John D. Brumbaugh Nature Center in Minerva, and downtown Alliance commercial properties on West State Street. Donor-advised relationships, such as the Veale Foundation scholarship fund, supplement institutional capital. Investment decision-making authority rests with the administration and board, led by President Greg King and Trustee Michael Jarrett of Jarrett Companies. Total endowment assets are estimated at $175.8 million (Altss estimate). The institution does not publicly disclose its investment team size or performance benchmarks. Mount Union is a member of the Council of Independent Colleges and competes in NCAA Division III athletics. September 2023: The Council of Independent Colleges selected Mount Union for its 2024-25 AI initiatives cohort, signaling an institutional appetite for operational innovation that may extend into endowment data management. Mount Union's structural differentiator is its overt focus on secondary transactions — a strategy typically reserved for far larger, more institutionally staffed allocators. The endowment is neither a fund-of-funds nor a direct-venture shop; it is a small, private-market-oriented pool operating without the legacy GPS-style (grants, public equities, fixed income) portfolio construction common among peers. Michael Jarrett's dual role as trustee and operating executive creates an unusual bridge between the endowment and a private business, though no formal co-investment arrangement is documented.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1846
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Alliance
Corporate office
Alliance, Ohio, United States
Principals
Matthew G. Darrah
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Greg King
President of the University of Mount Union
Michael Jarrett
Trustee; President of Jarrett Companies
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at University of Mount Union?
Investment oversight ultimately rests with the Board of Trustees, chaired by Matthew G. Darrah, and the President, Greg King. The endowment does not publicly identify a dedicated chief investment officer. Michael Jarrett, a trustee and president of Jarrett Companies, is a major donor and likely provides informal guidance, but a formal investment committee structure is not documented in available sources.
How does the University of Mount Union endowment source its secondary deals?
The exact sourcing mechanism is not publicly disclosed. Given the endowment's size and location, it likely transacts through established broker networks or direct negotiation with selling limited partners. There is no evidence of a proprietary sourcing platform, dedicated in-house deal origination, or a formalized external GP relationship specifically for secondary purchases.
Does the endowment participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
The endowment is known to acquire existing limited partnership interests on the secondary market, which implies that it also makes primary fund commitments or inherits them through secondary purchases. No public documents confirm a current list of primary fund positions. Direct real estate ownership on and around the Alliance, Ohio campus is documented.
What is the University of Mount Union's relationship with Jarrett Companies?
Michael Jarrett serves as a trustee of Mount Union and is the president of Jarrett Companies. He is identified as a major donor to the university. The relationship creates an alignment between a regional operating business and the institution's governance, though no formal advisory mandate or investment management contract between the endowment and Jarrett Companies is disclosed.
What is the 1846 Society, and does it function as a co-investment vehicle?
The 1846 Society is the university's premier annual giving society for leadership donors. It is a fundraising and donor-recognition program, not a co-investment club, managed account, or separate legal vehicle for endowment investments.
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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