The UNM Foundation is the fund raising organization for the University of New Mexico, as designated by the UNM Board of Regents. Its mission is to promote excellence at the University of New Mexico by raising, investing and managing private gifts through the cultivation of long-term partnerships with donors and matching their interests to the University's priorities. The UNM Foundation exists solely for the benefit of UNM.
The UNM Foundation is a tax-exempt 501(c) (3) organization. It is also a non-profit corporation under New Mexico law. It is legally separate from the University of New Mexico. As such, the UNM Foundation is uniquely qualified to provide personalized services tailored to each donor's individual needs and concerns.
The President/CEO of the UNM Foundation directs the organization's operations under policies established by the Foundation's Board of Trustees. Chosen for their professional expertise and support of UNM, Trustees fulfill a fiduciary responsibly for the corporation. The Trustees are elected for three-year terms and serve without compensation. The UNM President participates in meetings of the Board of Trustees, while other UNM administrators serve in advisory capacities for various trustee committees.
The Foundation recognizes its responsibility to maintain both public confidence and private trust. Information about its policies, activities, financial statements and other information that would provide a further understanding of its mission and operations are available for review. The UNM Foundation honors its obligation to maintain donor confidentiality and to pursue accepted business practices with regard to human resources, legal, financial and other matters. In addition to the external oversight provided by the Board of Trustees, the Foundation meets all regulatory requirements at federal, state and local levels, and has taken initiative in many areas to exceed the requirements of regulatory agencies in order to provide better information and service to UNM and its donors. As part of its reporting responsibility, the UNM Foundation also provides the following documents for donor and public review:
The Foundation's fiscal year begins July 1 and ends June 30. All private gifts designated to benefit the University of New Mexico are managed according to this fiscal year.
No. Because the UNM Foundation exists solely to support the University of New Mexico, the Foundation does not grant funding requests to outside organizations. Official UNM student organizations seeking funding for an academic or extracurricular expense may contact the UNM Foundation or a development officer for their college for advice about fund raising opportunities.
The UNM Lobo Callers, who are students and friends of the University, serve as the Foundation's public face and are often the only contact potential donors have with the University. Student callers work year-round to seek funds that support UNM's greatest needs and academic programs. Positive responses from donors encourage and motivate the student callers to continue serving UNM. Lobo Callers may assist you with initial gift information or refer you to the appropriate development officer for more detailed information.
In an effort to provide accurate and truthful information about the UNM Foundation, our staff provides numerous publications and printed materials to interested parties. Donors, alumni, media representatives and the general public may contact the UNM Foundation's marketing department or complete the publications request form to obtain copies of the following publications. Additional information may be available upon request.
The UNM Foundation is happy to provide additional information upon request. Please contact the UNM Foundation at 505-277-4503 or 1-800-UNM-FUND (866-3863) or a representative in your area of interest for information requests.
Gifts made to the UNM Foundation are used as the donor directs. Typically, gifts are restricted, meaning they are designated for a specific endowment, scholarship, student program, research project, school or college, campus, department, etc. Donations without donor instructions, otherwise known as unrestricted, may be used for any appropriate UNM need.
Because only a portion of the investment return may be spent, endowed gifts represent a donor's desire to provide continual income for UNM. Endowed gifts are placed in individual, named accounts. The gifts are invested through the University's Consolidated Investment Fund. Investment policies and objectives of this fund are consistent with the permanent nature of endowment gifts, such as achieving an appropriate balance between security of principal, current income and long-term growth. Investment policies are approved by the Board of Trustees and the Board of Regents, based on recommendations developed by the Investment Committee of the board, the professional management of the Foundation and, when appropriate, outside investment advisors. The value of the CIF is reported in the UNM Foundation's annual Report of Giving.
As higher education costs increase, so does the UNM Foundation's need to support those rising costs. The UNM Foundation has many endowments that earn income, thus supporting UNM students, academics, athletics and programs in perpetuity. However, many of those endowments are already designated to a particular fund and do not provide for new programs, facilities, scholarships, etc. New gifts allow UNM to remain competitive as a higher education institution, attract top faculty and students, and provide the most current resources possible. Annual and unrestricted gifts are extremely vital to UNM's future success, since they provide for the University's greatest needs. For more information about how you can help support UNM's greatest needs, please contact the UNM Foundation at 505-277-4503 or 1-800-UNM-FUND (866-3863).