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Wright State University Foundation
The Wright State University Foundation was incorporated in 1966 to advance the university’s mission in Dayton, Ohio, by inspiring and managing private gifts.
Wright State University Foundation
The Wright State University Foundation was incorporated in 1966 to advance the university’s mission in Dayton, Ohio, by inspiring and managing private gifts. President and CEO Scott Rash oversees a discretely presented component unit of the university, which has established more than 800 scholarship funds. The foundation’s board includes local operators such as Board Chair Linda Black-Kurek, owner of Liberty Nursing Centers, and Trustee Gary E. McCullough, a director at TransDigm Group. On the investment side, the foundation manages an endowment portfolio estimated between $100 million and $200 million. Its strategy spans venture capital, growth equity, buyouts, distressed debt, CLOs, fund-of-funds, secondaries, and venture debt, per Altss research. In direct real estate, it holds commercial properties including the Emergence Center One at 3070 Presidential Drive in Fairborn, the Double Bowler Office Complex, and a psychiatric clinic at 2555 University Boulevard. The foundation has also engaged in property transactions through its non-profit real estate arm, Double Bowler Properties Corp. A dated operational highlight comes from the foundation’s on-campus technology footprint. Through partnerships with altafiber and Nokia, it operates Studio 5G, a telecommunications test lab housed in the foundation’s own building. The foundation also administers distinctive cultural assets, including the Robert and Elaine Stein Galleries permanent collection and an Andy Warhol Photographic Legacy collection. It partners with Premier Health on community initiatives, such as mobile street medicine work and sponsorship of the Air Force Marathon. The foundation’s structural differentiator is its unusual blend of a traditional scholarship-granting endowment with direct commercial-property operations and an active technology-incubation facility on its own balance sheet. Its real estate arm and corporate partnerships create an income-generating asset base atypical for a mid-sized public university foundation, aligning its investment posture closely with the economic development goals of the Dayton region.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1966
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Dayton
Corporate office
3070 Presidential Drive, Fairborn, OH 45324, United States
Principals
Scott Rash
President and CEO
Linda Black-Kurek
Board Chair
Michael Clark
Trustee
Gary E. McCullough
Trustee
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who oversees investment decisions at the Wright State University Foundation?
President and CEO Scott Rash leads the foundation’s management team and works with its board of trustees, which includes individuals with operational and investment experience such as Board Chair Linda Black-Kurek and Trustee Gary E. McCullough, a director at TransDigm Group. The foundation’s investment committee structure is not publicly detailed, but its participation in the NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments signals traditional endowment governance practices.
What is the foundation’s relationship with Wright State University?
The foundation is a discretely presented component unit of Wright State University, meaning its finances are reported separately from the university’s but it exists solely to support the university’s mission. It serves as the primary vehicle for private gifts to the university and has distributed over $60 million in scholarships through more than 800 scholarship funds.
Does the foundation invest directly in real estate, and if so, what does it own?
Yes, the foundation holds direct commercial property through its non-profit real estate arm, Double Bowler Properties Corp. Its portfolio includes the Emergence Center One at 3070 Presidential Drive in Fairborn, the Double Bowler Office Complex, a psychiatric clinic on University Boulevard, and the 3100 Presidential Drive building. It has also participated in property evaluations and transactions with Double Bowler Properties Corp.
What asset classes does the endowment portfolio cover?
Per Altss research, the investment strategy includes venture capital (seed through late stage), growth equity, buyouts, distressed debt, CLOs, fund-of-funds, secondaries, special situations, and venture debt. This suggests a diversified portfolio that allocates across private equity, private credit, and opportunistic strategies in addition to presumed traditional public market holdings.
How large is the Wright State University Foundation’s endowment?
The foundation does not publicly disclose its assets under management. Based on analysis of its operational scale, real estate holdings, and endowment study participation, Altss estimates the portfolio falls between $100 million and $200 million.
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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