# University of South Carolina Educational Foundation

University of South Carolina Educational Foundation is an Endowment / Foundation based in Columbia, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Columbia, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Columbia, SC, United States
- **Founded:** 1956
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** uscfoundations.com
- **LinkedIn:** linkedin.com/company/university-of-south-carolina-educational-foundation

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The University of South Carolina Educational Foundation operates as a discrete 501(c)(3) supporting organization for the University of South Carolina, exclusively managing and investing donated assets whose earnings flow to donor-specified university projects. While its founding date is not prominently displayed in public filings, the foundation functions alongside its affiliated real estate acquisition arm, the University of South Carolina Development Foundation, to steward physical and financial assets. Its stated strategy is concentrated in private equity buyouts, a distinct posture within the broader university endowment landscape. The foundation's investment activity spans pooled endowment assets and direct real estate ownership in downtown Columbia. The consolidated investment portfolio is allocated with a disclosed strategy emphasis on buyout funds. Tangible property holdings include the commercial building at 1430 Senate Street, undeveloped land parcels at Gervais and Pickens Streets, and mixed-use parcels in the 800 block of South Main Street. The foundation also stewards an institutional art collection. These holdings anchor the endowment's presence in the university's immediate economic geography. The foundation's board also participates in the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, the standard network for university-affiliated asset governance. Headed by President and CEO Jason Caskey, the organization's chair emeritus is James Bennett, the Executive Director of External Affairs at First Citizens Bank — a relationship that reflects the foundation's integration with South Carolina's regional financial infrastructure. The foundation's structural differentiator is its rigid alignment with donor restrictions and the university's direct operational needs, rather than a pure total-return mandate. It serves as a pass-through and growth engine for capital restricted to specific campus projects, meaning its portfolio — a mix of private equity commitments and proximate real estate — functions more as a strategic reserve for university capital projects than as a classic perpetual endowment optimizing for risk-adjusted returns across a broad asset allocation.

## Sectors

- Real Estate
- Private Equity
- Diversified

## People

- Jason Caskey — President and CEO
- James Bennett — Chair Emeritus and Director

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at the University of South Carolina Educational Foundation?

The foundation is led by President and CEO Jason Caskey, who oversees the management of the consolidated investment portfolio and the foundation's real estate assets. The board includes Chair Emeritus James Bennett, a senior executive at First Citizens Bank, alongside other directors who provide governance and strategic oversight. Operational investment management details, including any outsourced CIO relationships, are not publicly detailed.

### How is the foundation related to the University of South Carolina Development Foundation?

The University of South Carolina Development Foundation is a subordinate organization focused specifically on real estate acquisition and management for the benefit of the University. Both entities operate under the same senior leadership and function in tandem — the Educational Foundation manages the pooled investment portfolio and donated funds, while the Development Foundation handles direct property transactions that support campus expansion and university-related real estate needs.

### What real estate does the foundation directly own?

The foundation holds title to several parcels in downtown Columbia, South Carolina. Known holdings include the commercial property at 1430 Senate Street, undeveloped land at Gervais and Pickens Streets, and mixed-use parcels in the 800 block of South Main Street. These assets are managed to support the university's physical footprint and donor-directed capital projects.

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T02:43:31.692Z

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