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University of Southern Indiana Endowment
The University of Southern Indiana endowment operates through its affiliated USI Foundation, where President Andrea Gentry and Board Chair Jean Blanton direct...
University of Southern Indiana Endowment
The University of Southern Indiana endowment operates through its affiliated USI Foundation, where President Andrea Gentry and Board Chair Jean Blanton direct a donor-built pool reported near $128 million. Wealth origin here is not a single family or industry exit but an aggregated philanthropic base tied to Evansville's manufacturing and civic patrons, including major naming-level gifts from Liberty Federal Credit Union and the John M. Lawrence family. The Foundation's investment portfolio blends traditional endowment allocations with a tangible campus-adjacent real estate portfolio held in Southern Indiana Higher Education Holdings, LLC — parcels in Vanderburgh County that give the endowment a direct land-banking component unusual for a regional public university. Beyond securities and property, the assets include allocated cultural capital: the Kenneth P. McCutchan Art Collection, the Stephen S. Pace Collection, and the Aakhus Global Art collection pose valuation and stewardship challenges that most comparable endowments do not carry. Leadership operates without a dedicated in-house CIO disclosed, relying on the Foundation's board structure and influence from USI's interim President Steven J. Bridges for administrative direction. The Liberty Federal Credit Union commitment of $10 million for athletics signals an active posture around co-branded capital projects, while the Foundation maintains industry ties through the Council for Advancement and Support of Education and the Association of Governing Boards. What separates the USI structure from a standard university-managed pool is the embedding of non-financial assets — art, land, and named collections — directly inside the endowment wrapper. This architecture means asset allocation debates must account for illiquid gifts alongside marketable securities, creating a hybrid quasi-foundation model where donors, not centralized investment officers, heavily influence the composition of long-term holdings.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Evansville
Corporate office
Evansville, IN, United States
Principals
Andrea R. Gentry
President, USI Foundation and VP for Development
Jean M. Blanton
Chair, Board of Directors
Steven J. Bridges
Administrative Advisor and Interim President of USI
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at the University of Southern Indiana Endowment?
The USI Foundation's Board of Directors, chaired by Jean M. Blanton and led operationally by President Andrea Gentry, governs the endowment pool. The Foundation has not publicly disclosed a dedicated chief investment officer, suggesting investment oversight rests with the board's finance committee.
Does the endowment hold non-financial assets, and how are they managed?
Yes. The endowment's holdings include a real estate portfolio under Southern Indiana Higher Education Holdings, LLC in Vanderburgh County, plus three named art and artifact collections. These assets present unusual governance and valuation burdens relative to a generic university endowment, as they require museum-level stewardship alongside investment management.
How large is the University of Southern Indiana Endowment?
The endowment does not publicly disclose a single AUM figure. Altss research estimates the pool at approximately $128 million, based on investment filings and reported gift activity, but the Foundation does not confirm this number.
Which philanthropic structures are associated with the University of Southern Indiana?
The primary vehicle is the University of Southern Indiana Foundation, which exists solely to attract, acquire, and manage donor gifts supporting the university. Leadership has also registered a secondary entity, the University of Southern Indiana Foundation Inc, though its specific purpose is not disclosed.
What is the endowment's posture on co-investments and direct real estate?
The endowment holds direct real estate through Southern Indiana Higher Education Holdings, LLC, indicating a willingness to take title to land directly rather than invest solely through fund structures. Public records do not reveal co-investments alongside external GPs in private equity or venture.
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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