Western Washington University

Western Washington University

Western Washington University, founded in 1893 in Bellingham, manages its endowment to address the financial needs of students through scholarships funded by donations and gifts. The endowment is overseen by the university president, Sabah Randhawa, with the affiliated Foundation for WWU and Alumni — led by President and CEO Kim O'Neill — acting as the primary fundraising and gift-receiving vehicle. Unlike endowments that liquidate donated real property, WWU holds a portfolio of physical assets directly on its balance sheet. These include the Shannon Point Marine Center in Anacortes, ViQueen Lodge on Sinclair Island, and several residential properties on 20th and 23rd Streets in Bellingham. The most notable recent addition is Kaiser Borsari Hall, funded by major donors Fred Kaiser and Grace Borsari. The university also maintains cultural assets, including an outdoor sculpture collection, the Wright's Triangle installation at the Western Gallery plaza, and a significant works-on-paper collection of American art from 1945 to 1975. In September 2024, WWU became the first university in the Pacific Northwest to adopt the Okanagan Charter, joining the United States Health Promoting Campuses Network — a commitment that signals how the institution aligns its operational and investment decisions with broader campus wellness goals. The endowment operates without a dedicated investment office disclosure, typical for endowments of its size, with fiduciary oversight resting with the Board of Trustees chaired by Faith Pettis. WWU's structural differentiator is its hold-and-operate posture on donated real estate. Where most public university endowments convert gifts of land and buildings into liquid financial assets, WWU maintains a geographically dispersed property portfolio that spans Bellingham, the San Juan Islands, and Anacortes — making the endowment a direct operator of residential, commercial, and research facilities rather than a pure financial investor.