Donating to MU

[gjreda]

Seeing that MU sent out the Christmas email yesterday, and I'm assuming I'm not the only one getting calls lately, I'm curious as to what fund or department everyone donates to when they do.

Or is this like asking who you voted for?

I was thinking about the Marquette Fund, but will probably be going with the Scholars Fund after reading this piece:

The resources that Marquette can commit to scholarships are far less than those of our competitors—the university's financial resources per student rank 164th among national, doctoral universities.

Colleges with whom Marquette routinely competes for students are able to offer greater merit and need-based scholarships than Marquette does currently. Among Catholic institutions, Georgetown University, the University of Notre Dame, St. Louis University, Boston College, Catholic University of America and Loyola University Chicago all rank in the top 100 in financial resources. The University of Dayton, Fordham University and the University of San Francisco also rank higher than Marquette in financial resources.

[WellsstreetWanderer]

Mediocre Middle-Class Students fund. according to the old saw..they are the future millionaires

[GGGG]

The Marquette Fund gives the University the most flexibility to use the resources as they see fit...including for scholarships.  I give one gift each year, about 2/3 to the Marquette Fund and 1/3 to the Blue and Gold Fund, and then I turn down the points.

[Keelsmeals]

I've often wondered about this same question.

I used to give exclusively to the Marquette Fund because the amount of the endowment is often linked with rankings, institutional prestige, ability to get research dollars, etc. However, I started to question some of the ways that Marquette was managing and distributing its endowment, so last year I gave exclusively to the scholarship fund. Plus, I thought it was better use of money to do dollar in-dollar out for students during a time of economic crisis. I looked at it as though I was part of a "sponsor a student" program, much like the holiday sponsor a family programs that are around this time of year. This year I'll probably do both and split it 50-50. There's still a need for dollar in-dollar out scholarship money so I'm not ready to give that up completely. And even though I don't agree with some of the ways Marquette manages their endowment, I know it's better for the university and the students in the long-term to build that endowment.

I've only given to the athletic department twice - once was the weekend of the Final Four and I donated to that final push to build the Al, and the other was after they FINALLY fired Adlard and I gave a donation to men's soccer.

[GGGG]

The Marquette Fund is not endowment.

Endowment is a separate fund where donations are invested and only the earnings off those investments may be spent for a particular purpose - either donor mandated or at the discretion of the University.

The Marquette Fund is a cash-in / cash-out fund that goes to the general budget of the University.

[mu_hilltopper]

However, I started to question some of the ways that Marquette was managing and distributing its endowment, so last year I gave exclusively to the scholarship fund. ....

And even though I don't agree with some of the ways Marquette manages their endowment...

Care to explain your thoughts on those statements?

[Tortuga94]

I am still trying to pay off my own MU education, then I have to worry about putting my own kids through private school.  Donating to MU at this point in my life to help pay for someone else's education is very low on the priority list.  In fact it doesn't even make the list at this point. 

[warriormom]

Won't ever donate to Marquette.  I think they do very little to be fiscally responsible.  If I got ahold of their budget I think I could avoid raising tuition routinely.
I am putting four kids through college.  That's enough.
Besides when my son made the three point shot for a semesters worth of tuition they tried to take back his merit scholarships....what a bunch of cheapskates.

[bs4173]

Won't ever donate to Marquette.  I think they do very little to be fiscally responsible.  If I got ahold of their budget I think I could avoid raising tuition routinely.
I am putting four kids through college.  That's enough.
Besides when my son made the three point shot for a semesters worth of tuition they tried to take back his merit scholarships....what a bunch of cheapskates.

'Cheapskates' is right. That's so bogus on MU's part. I may be wrong, but doesn't that tuition money come from other sources? Like Pepsi, or RVs.com or whomever the sponsor of the shot has been in recent years. It's like receiving an outside scholarship, right?

[Keelsmeals]

Care to explain your thoughts on those statements?

A lot of my thoughts and rationale are based on my own sociopolitical beliefs, so this board isn't an appropriate place to express all my views on this issue.

In general, I wonder whether major gifts to the university and other fundraising/capital campaigns could address what I think are bigger needs in the university if the whole endowment was managed better. Most university endowments took a hit last year, so I think it's a natural time to question and reevaluate whether the investments are too conservative/aggressive, etc. I don't know the particulars of how it's being managed presently (and I imagine many things have changed, like not measuring growth against the Lehman Brothers Aggregate Bond Index), I only know the particulars from a few years ago and I just felt uncomfortable with the explanations given to me about how the endowment was being managed. I felt that with the laundry list of things Marquette needed and wanted to do, the university should be able to satisfactorily explain how they would accomplish these, and I just never received an adequate explanation.

In terms of the distribution, I agree and disagree with some of the "priorities" of the university and how they've used (or not used) the money earned off the endowment - for example, should "professional development" funds go towards improvements in teaching or research? Who among the faculty receive funds, and how are these funds distributed? What software, if any, will be provided to the students and what is the rationale behind that decision? I asked these questions and many more, and made my decision based on the responses. Obviously the answers can and do change, and I will adjust my giving accordingly.