# Wichita State University Foundation & Alumni Engagement

Wichita State University Foundation & Alumni Engagement is a Foundation based in Wichita, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Wichita, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Wichita, KS, United States
- **Founded:** 1913
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** foundation.wichita.edu
- **LinkedIn:** linkedin.com/company/wichita-state-university-alumni-association

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The Wichita State University Foundation & Alumni Engagement operates as the principal fundraising and asset-management arm for WSU, anchoring a growing physical and financial footprint in south-central Kansas. The foundation's pooled endowment fund invests for the long term, while a substantial real-estate portfolio — including the mixed-use Innovation Campus, the commercial Woolsey Hall at 1845 Fairmount Street, and various land holdings — reflects a direct ownership model not common among university-affiliated foundations. Donors such as the Koch family and Wayne and Kay Woolsey ($10 million for Woolsey Hall) have shaped the institution's scale. Tangible assets supplement the financial portfolio: the Innovation Campus functions as a live-work ecosystem that aims to blend corporate tenants with university research, and the Ulrich Museum of Art and Martin H. Bush Outdoor Sculpture Collection sit on university grounds as cultural holdings under foundation stewardship. The operating team is led by President and CEO Telly McGaha, with WSU President Rick Muma serving as an ex-officio board member. The foundation maintains ties to local professional networks, including the Wichita Independent Business Association and its own National Advisory Council. In recent months, the foundation has continued advancing the Innovation Campus vision, integrating donor-funded buildings with university programming. What distinguishes the WSU Foundation structurally is its dual role as both an endowment manager and a direct real-estate developer. By holding title to campus-adjacent commercial assets and overseeing an art collection alongside pooled financial funds, the foundation operates with a breadth of responsibility that surpasses a typical university fundraising appendage — making its investment committee effectively a hybrid allocator and local economic-development actor.

## Sectors

- Venture Capital
- Real Estate
- Education

## People

- Telly McGaha — President and CEO
- Rick Muma — President of Wichita State University and Ex-officio Board Member

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at the Wichita State University Foundation?

President and CEO Telly McGaha leads the foundation, with oversight from the board that includes WSU President Rick Muma as an ex-officio member. Specific investment committee members or an outsourced CIO arrangement are not publicly detailed. The foundation's venture capital allocations suggest either internal decision-making or a delegated manager structure.

### Is the foundation's real estate portfolio held for investment return or for university use?

The foundation holds a mixed portfolio. The Innovation Campus is a mixed-use development designed to attract corporate tenants alongside university research functions, generating revenue for the foundation. Woolsey Hall at 1845 Fairmount Street serves as a commercial and event space on campus. Additional land holdings appear strategic rather than solely operational.

### What is the relationship between the foundation and Wichita State University's operating budget?

The foundation operates as a legally separate entity that raises, invests, and distributes funds to support the university. WSU President Rick Muma's ex-officio board seat ensures alignment without giving the university direct control over investment decisions. The foundation's real-estate and art holdings further separate its balance sheet from immediate university operations.

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

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