Supporter, partner, independent benefactor:

Foundation provides key
for university to flourish

Ball State University has always been a big part of my life. My parents are both first-generation Ball State alumni and I was born as a Ball State professor's brat in 1959. In the 44 years since, my life has remained intertwined with the university in a myriad of ways. I romped all over the campus and rooted for the "Fighting Cardinals" from the age of three, became a Ball State student (by choice), graduated and became an alumnus (twice), spent time as an employee of the university, and have tried for many years to give back to my alma mater as a volunteer.

Because of my long association with the university, there are times when I can almost foolishly convince myself that I know everything there is to know about Ball State. Whenever this feeling arises, however, I learn something new that surprises or inspires me and that always makes me realize how much I still have to learn about the university I have come to care for so deeply.

Such has been the case with the Ball State University Foundation. Just over a year ago, I was given the privilege of serving as the Alumni Association's representative to the Foundation's board of directors. As I prepared to attend my first board meeting, I quickly realized how little I really knew about the Foundation and the pivotal role it has played in the life of Ball State University and the Alumni Association for more than 50 years. Some of what I have learned may well be of interest to all readers of the Alumnus, and to that end, I will share a bit of information.

As is usually the case, the best place to begin is at the beginning, and the beginning for the Foundation was in 1951 when seven businessmen and a school superintendent joined President John R. Emens to convene the organizational meeting of the Ball State Teachers College Foundation. In his book, Fifty Years of Beneficence, The Ball State University Foundation 1951-2001, Raymond E. White notes: "From that first meeting, the originators of the foundation saw the organization as a supporter and partner of the college, and independent benefactor that could provide funds for scholarships and other needs that might not readily be available from state appropriations." To understand the Foundation's role in the life of Ball State, three definitions from White's quotation are especially important: supporter, partner, and independent benefactor.

The Foundation has enjoyed a long, varied, and interesting history, during which time it has experienced much success as a supporter, partner, and independent benefactor to Ball State. Its official purpose is to hold, invest, and administer property and make expenditures for the benefit of the university. Further, the Foundation is vested with the legal authority to solicit, receive, and accept contributions from the general public, including Ball State alumni, corporations, and other entities.

In that role, the Foundation is both a supporter and partner. In one respect, it partners with the university by acting as a bank. It receives, accepts, and invests contributions that have been generated through the efforts of other entities, University Development being a prime example.

Though University Development plays a central role in coordinating and administering fund-raising efforts, other components of the University Advancement team, including Alumni Programs and the Alumni Association, also play pivotal roles in generating support that has resulted in increased contributions that, through the Foundation, are invested and used for the betterment of Ball State.

Though the general rule is that the Office of University Development coordinates fund raising for Ball State, an exception to the rule exists in the specialized area of planned giving. In planned giving, the Foundation's own staff actually has responsibility for soliciting special kinds of support for the university through such vehicles as wills, trusts, insurance policies, and annuities. Through the years, the Foundation has achieved a record of accomplishment and growth in its planned giving program that is the envy of many peer institutions.

The fact that the Foundation has successfully been a supporter, partner, and independent benefactor continues to mean a great deal to Ball State. During its first 50 years, the Foundation received and invested a total of nearly $170 million.

Having received such assets is impressive in its own right, but the reality is that such results would be meaningless had the assets not actually been applied for the betterment of Ball State. Here, the Foundation's story is even more significant as it allocated its $100-millionth dollar to the university in 2002 to support students as well as other university projects and programs.

Meanwhile, the Foundation's impact upon the Alumni Association also has been vital, as demonstrated in countless ways. Since the reorganization of the BSUAA 14 years ago, the Foundation has extended budgetary support to the Alumni Association in excess of $2.8 million dollars. Such monies have fostered a margin for excellence that has enabled our Alumni Association to develop and build upon its longstanding reputation for innovation, programming, and service, and that has allowed us to become a model alumni association among Ball State's peer institutions nationally.

Among the programs assisted through Foundation funds are the Alumni Legacy scholarships; the Robert E. Linson, Oliver Bumb, and Ray Ashley awards; the Homecoming Steering Committee; the Student Alumni Relations Team; and the Alumnus magazine. Countless other university projects and programs have received support from the Alumni Association due, in no small part, to funding the Association has received from the Foundation. Such projects and programs include the Emens Scholars program; Career Services programs for alumni; special interest programming such as the Black Alumni Constituent Society programs, scholarships, and reunions; other Alumni Association class and special interest reunions; the Martin Luther King Scholarship program; and Alumni Association Distinguished Dissertation and Thesis awards.

Another significant aspect of the partnership between the Foundation and Alumni Association is the participation by alumni in the management and governance of the Foundation. Based upon the philosophy that the alumni perspective is critical to the success of the university, the Alumni Association has had official representation on the Foundation's board of directors in every year since 1953.

Though I currently serve as the Association's designated representative, three former Alumni Association representatives--Jan Abbs, Bob Browning, and Tony Schneider--have provided such effective and dedicated leadership during their respective tenures that they have been invited to remain a part of the board and continue to serve as directors. In addition, current board chairman, Dick Hutson, and immediate past board chairman, Mary Sissel, are both Ball State alumni, as are other sitting directors.

It is clear that the Foundation has been, and continues to be, an integral player in the success of Ball State University and the Alumni Association as a partner, supporter, and independent benefactor. It is a privilege for me to represent the Alumni Association on this vital board.

by Mark Ervin

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Mark Ervin, '81MA85, is vice president of the Ball State University Alumni Association. He is the Association's appointed representative to the Ball State University Foundation Board of Directors.