The UMKC Chancellor Leo E. Morton and UMKC Foundation Chairman Alan Atterbury announced an affiliation agreement has been finalized defining the relationship between the UMKC Foundation and the Curators of the University of Missouri. The foundation will have primary responsibility for fundraising from private sources on behalf of UMKC, with all funds raised by the foundation to benefit UMKC. “This agreement fulfills the community’s desire to be more actively involved in fundraising for UMKC by taking a leadership role,” said Morton. “As a locally controlled entity, the UMKC Foundation will collaborate with the University to develop the philanthropic strategy to support the vision and mission of UMKC.”
“The affiliation agreement we are announcing today establishes a new approach to fundraising for UMKC, one that will allow us to better reach the community donors whose contributions make all the difference in what an urban university can be,” said Atterbury. “We are grateful to the UMKC Trustees and other community leaders who initiated and funded this effort, to the University of Missouri Curators for their approval, to President Forsee for his leadership, and to Chancellor Morton who has worked tirelessly on this effort. It is now time for us to move forward together to build the support that this University needs to be great.”
Murray Blackwelder, who recently completed a $1.7 billion campaign at Purdue University, serves as president of the foundation. Blackwelder will assume oversight for current employees of the University who have been responsible for raising funds from private sources for UMKC. Advancement functions will be transferred to the foundation. The foundation will seek to consolidate existing funds that have been provided for support for various aspects of the UMKC community, thereby enabling the consolidation of investment fund management. The foundation will develop a strategy for a new capital campaign by the end of 2009 that will include specific goals for cash, deferred gifts and endowment assets.