Thanks to generous support, SPU’s University Fund raised the highest amount in 10 years.
SPU endowment grows to $84.2 million; total under management is $136 million
As of June 30, 2016, the value of SPU’s endowment was $84.23 million, nearly a $3 million increase (3.5 percent) over last year. This past year most university and college endowments posted negative growth rates due to a challenging investment environment. This one-year growth is the result of more than $1 million in gifts as well as excellent investment management by the Seattle Pacific Foundation, which manages $136 million for the benefit of Seattle Pacific.
2016: Positive fundraising results continue
For the second year in a row, overall giving crossed the $10 million mark, with a total of $10,084,322 raised. The last two years represent an average that is double that of the previous six-year average. In addition, the University Fund raised a record $1,347,032, which is the highest amount in the past 10 years.
Gift of paintings received; presented during annual Perkins Lecture
Two works of art by African American artist Charles Ethan Porter (1847–1923) were generously donated by William Sacherek and Liselotte Lamerdin, in appreciation for the reconciliation work of the John Perkins Center. Porter, an American still-life painter supported and endorsed by Mark Twain, was one of a very few African Americans of the 19th and early 20th centuries to work as a professional artist. Challenged by racism, he died in virtual obscurity. His works hang in renowned galleries and museums, including in the Smithsonian National Museum of American Art.