Chapter 4
Resources

 

Additional Sources of Income

The Saginaw Valley State University Foundation, an independent corporation, engages in fund-raising and donor relations activities designed to further the university's mission, providing additional funding support for student scholarships, endowed faculty chairs, construction of facilities, and various other programs. The Foundation Board of Directors is comprised of individuals from the community who have demonstrated a spirit of friendship, service and generosity to the university. The Foundation budget is developed and supervised by the Director, subject to approval by the President (the Foundation's operating expenses are met by university funds in exchange for the transfer of contributed funds to the university).

Foundation support, which averages about $4 million annually, enables the university to pursue initiatives for which funding would not otherwise be available. Foundation funds come from a wide range of university supporters:

SVSU Foundation FY03 Giving by Category All DonorsSVSU Foundation Giving
Figure 4-5
(Enlarged Graphic)

Capital campaigns during this past decade have supported both program development as well as facilities construction. The Campaign for Distinction, which culminated in 1997, exceeded its $11 million goal to provide $13.3 million for endowments for scholarships and distinctive programs such as the endowed chairs. The Creating the Future Campaign, which concluded in 2002 and contributed $9.5 million, was used to fund a portion of the construction costs of the Regional Education Center, the Library expansion and renovation, the Student Center, and the Fitness Center. The poor investment market over the past three years has limited the Foundation's ability to fund certain commitments; university unrestricted resources have supported some of these critical programs when necessary. The work of the Foundation continues to play a vital role in the transformation of the university.

Institutional grants have also played a significant role in funding university initiatives; progress toward several of the university’s goals in Next Steps 2000-2005 would have been hampered without this external support.

External Support Fiscal Years 1999-2003
External Support
Figure 4-6
(Enlarged Graphic)

The Office of Sponsored Programs facilitates grant writing and management at both the institutional level and with individual faculty and units. The nearly $3.7 million in grant funds awarded for FY 2003 were distributed across all colleges as well as several other units:

Unit
Fiscal Year 2003
Number of grants funded
Percent of Total
University General
$2,369,346
6
64.1%
College of Education
912, 529
4
24.7%
College of Nursing & Health Sciences
261,924
4
7.1%
College of Science, Engineering, &Technology
77,500
4
2.1%
College of Business and Management
47,000
1
1.3%
College of Arts & Behavioral Sciences
22,494
1
0.6%
Marshall M. Fredericks Museum
3,000
1
0.1%
Total Funding for Grants, Contracts, and Sponsored Research
$3,693,793
21
100.0%
Figure 4-7

Auxiliary Operations

The auxiliary systems' mission is to provide ancillary services which support the academic, administrative, and student enrollment/life initiatives of the university. The auxiliary operations provide services to the University community from the following units: student housing, dining services, bookstore, parking, student transaction card, and the University Conference & Events Center. These units, all self-supporting, have an annual operating budget of approximately $16 million. The primary sources of revenue are student housing rentals; retail sales for food, textbooks and school supplies; student user fees; and conference fees. Net operating income (excess revenue after payment of operating expenses and debt service) is accumulated in a reserve which is available for future capital asset maintenance and replacement. Reserves presently amount to $5 million. Performance of the auxiliary system is assessed by applying relevant external benchmarks and by use of stakeholder surveys.