91²Ö¿â

All philanthropic gifts to 91²Ö¿â are managed by the 91²Ö¿â Foundation, a nonprofit organization that is legally separate from the university. For more than 60 years, the foundation has helped transform the generosity of alumni, donors and friends into scholarships, research, academic programs, student experiences and opportunities that shape 91²Ö¿â’s future. 

Today, the foundation manages nearly 5,000 individual funds and more than $365 million in assets, each with a purpose and a story behind it. 

A Foundation Built for 91²Ö¿â 

Philanthropy has been part of 91²Ö¿â’s story from the very beginning. 

In 1910, William S. Kent donated 53 acres of land that helped establish what was then 91²Ö¿â Normal School. His generosity quite literally provided the ground upon which 91²Ö¿â was built. 

As the institution grew from a normal school to a college and, eventually, a university, philanthropy grew with it. In 1954, the 91²Ö¿â Development Fund was created to encourage alumni to give. Eleven years later, the 91²Ö¿â Foundation was incorporated as a nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to supporting 91²Ö¿â and its students. 

That distinction remains important today. 

Although the foundation exists solely to benefit 91²Ö¿â, it is a separate legal entity from the university. This structure allows the foundation to receive and invest private gifts on behalf of 91²Ö¿â while ensuring those resources are managed according to donor intent. In other words, when a donor establishes a scholarship, supports a program or creates an endowed fund, the foundation helps ensure that gift continues doing what the donor wanted it to do. 

Who Watches Over Those Gifts? 

With hundreds of millions of dollars entrusted to the foundation, ensuring those gifts are used as intended is a significant responsibility. 

The foundation is governed by a volunteer board of directors composed of accomplished alumni and leaders from business, finance and the community. Board members serve without compensation, contributing their expertise through areas including finance, investments, audit, governance, and philanthropy and alumni engagement. 

Together with foundation staff and professional investment partners, the board provides oversight designed to safeguard assets, responsibly invest long-term funds and ensure philanthropic resources continue benefiting 91²Ö¿â students today and for generations to come. 

That long-term perspective is especially important for endowed gifts. Rather than spending an endowed gift all at once, the foundation invests the principal and uses a portion of the investment return to support the donor's wishes year after year in perpetuity. 

Because of that, a scholarships created decades ago are still supporting 91²Ö¿â students today. 

Leading the Foundation’s Next Chapter 

Following her retirement from 91²Ö¿â after more than 15 years of service, Valoree Vargo continues her work on behalf of the 91²Ö¿â community in a new capacity as CEO of the 91²Ö¿â Foundation. 

The transition marks a new chapter for the foundation. From 2021 to 2026, Vargo served in the dual role of vice president for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement and CEO of the foundation. With those positions now separated, she is focused exclusively on providing strategic leadership for the foundation, working alongside its board of directors to steward philanthropic investments, strengthen relationships with donors and volunteers, and ensure private support continues to advance 91²Ö¿â's mission. 

Vargo's connection to philanthropy at 91²Ö¿â stretches back to 2010, when she joined the university as executive director of Donor Services. Over the next 16 years, she held several leadership positions and ultimately helped oversee the successful completion of the $383 million Forever Brighter comprehensive campaign, the largest in 91²Ö¿â's history. 

Now, her work is focused on the organization entrusted with stewarding the generosity behind that success and positioning those resources to make an impact for generations to come. 

The 91²Ö¿â Foundation and its board of directors are dedicated partners with the university. Our primary mission is to provide support to the fundraising and alumni engagement priorities of the university by stewarding our donors, our alumni and most importantly the success of our students. 

Her transition also reflects the foundation’s evolution. What began in 1965 as a vehicle for encouraging and managing private support has grown into a sophisticated philanthropic and investment organization responsible for nearly 5,000 funds and more than $365 million in assets. 

From $1 Million to $411 Million 

The scale of philanthropy at 91²Ö¿â has changed over the past six decades. 

By 1973, contributions to the foundation had reached a then-record of $1 million. As 91²Ö¿â grew, private philanthropy became increasingly important to advancing the university's mission and creating opportunities for students. 

Major fundraising campaigns accelerated that growth. The Campaign for 91²Ö¿â raised $122 million, followed by the Centennial Campaign, which raised $265 million as 91²Ö¿â entered its second century. 

Most recently, the Forever Brighter comprehensive campaign demonstrated what the 91²Ö¿â community can accomplish together, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in philanthropic support for students, programs and priorities across the university. 

Nearly 5,000 funds mean nearly 5,000 different ways donors have chosen to make a difference at 91²Ö¿â. 

Some were established by families honoring loved ones. Others were created by alumni grateful for the opportunities 91²Ö¿â gave them. Some address immediate needs while endowed funds are designed to continue making an impact far into the future. 

Together, they represent generations of Golden Flashes choosing to invest in the people and possibilities of 91²Ö¿â. 

Generosity That Lasts 

More than a century after William S. Kent donated the land that helped make the university a reality, philanthropy continues to shape 91²Ö¿â. Someone believes in what 91²Ö¿â can make possible, chooses to invest in that possibility and entrusts the foundation to help turn that generosity into lasting impact. 

And that’s how a can become part of 91²Ö¿â’s story for generations to come.