# University of North Dakota Foundation

University of North Dakota Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Grand Forks, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Grand Forks, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Grand Forks, ND, United States
- **Founded:** 1882
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** undalumni.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/university-of-north-dakota-alumni-association-and-und-foundation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The University of North Dakota Foundation is a Grand Forks-based endowment plan with approximately $404 million in assets across 9 funds. It focuses on North America.

## Sectors

- Education
- Real Estate
- Private Equity
- Venture Capital

## People

- DeAnna Carlson Zink — CEO
- Troy Bader — Vice Chair of the Board
- Andrew Abernathey — Board Member
- Jodi Rolland — Board Member

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at the University of North Dakota Foundation?

The foundation is led by CEO DeAnna Carlson Zink, who oversees the combined UND Alumni Association and Foundation. The board includes Vice Chair Troy Bader, President and CEO of International Dairy Queen, and Jodi Rolland, President of Affluent Wealth Management at U.S. Bank. Investment decisions are governed by this board, which skews toward operating executives rather than traditional endowment allocators.

### Does the foundation participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?

The foundation maintains direct holdings in campus-adjacent commercial real estate including the Gorecki Alumni Center and Robin Hall, agricultural land gifts across North Dakota, and the Dakota Venture Group — a student-run fund making direct equity investments. Public filings do not disclose commitments to external fund managers, but the direct-holding posture is unusual among university endowments of comparable size.

### What is the Dakota Venture Group and how does it relate to the foundation?

The Dakota Venture Group is a student-run venture capital fund operating under the UND Center for Innovation Foundation. It deploys actual capital into early-stage companies, with undergraduate and graduate students making investment decisions alongside professional oversight. The fund sources deal flow in part from the university's entrepreneurially minded alumni network and is a rare example of a university endowment granting real fiduciary responsibility to students.

### How is the UND Foundation related to the UND Aerospace Foundation?

The UND Aerospace Foundation is a separate philanthropic entity focused on the university's aviation and unmanned systems programs, which are among the largest and most prominent in the United States. While both foundations support the university and share overlapping alumni donor bases, they operate as distinct organizations with separate governance structures and investment mandates.

### Where does the foundation's capital come from?

The foundation's endowment is built from philanthropic gifts contributed by alumni, corporate partners, and friends of the University of North Dakota. Agricultural land gifts are one disclosed source of in-kind contributions, along with cash donations directed toward scholarships, capital projects, and specific academic programs. The university's aerospace and engineering alumni base is a significant donor constituency.

## Related profiles

- [University of North Carolina at Greensboro Endowment](https://altss.com/profile/university-of-north-carolina-at-greensboro-endowment)
- [University of North Texas Foundation](https://altss.com/profile/university-of-north-texas-foundation)

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

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