A MESSAGE FROM Michael Ice
Chair of the URI Foundation & Alumni Engagement Investment Committee
The Investment Committee for the University of Rhode Island Foundation & Alumni Engagement is very pleased to announce that we ended FY24 on June 30 with the endowment peaking at a record $237 million. The one-year increase of 12.2 percent is due in large part to strong returns in U.S. and global equities and the generosity of alumni, parents, friends, corporations, and foundations who contributed over the year.
This new high mark coincides with the very successful conclusion of Big Ideas. Bold Plans. The Campaign for the University of Rhode Island. The campaign raised $303.6 million for students, faculty, research, operations, and strategic opportunities. The Investment Committee maintains a thoughtful portfolio management strategy to support the University’s short-term and long-range goals, recognizing that reliable endowment funds are essential to sustain and expand URI’s ambitions.
In June, the URIFAE Board of Directors voted on a distribution of 5.05 percent to the University, taking into account the performance of the portfolio and the needs of the University.
URIFAE is committed to supporting the 10-year strategic plan for URI and continuing to build a stronger Rhody community. Your generosity inspires student success, innovative thinking, and multidisciplinary research. Thank you.
With best regards,
Michael Ice
FROM OUR STUDENTS
“For me, the scholarship represented a recognition of my hard work and dedication to my studies. It provided not only financial relief but also a significant boost to my confidence, affirming that my efforts were valued and supported.”
ROBERT “R.J.” FATORMA ’26
$237M
Value of URI endowment as of 6/30/24
$7.5M endowment payout for the 2024–2025 year
1,250
endowed funds managed by URI Foundation & Alumni Engagement
895 endowed funds support scholarships
2,336 private scholarships awarded to students
89% of undergraduates receive some form of financial aid (federal, state, private)
ANNUAL ENDOWMENT PAYOUT
The following graph represents the total amount of endowment-generated funds distributed to URI each fiscal year, based on URIFAE’s spending policy, for use over five academic years.
$12.0
ASSET ALLOCATION as of June 30, 2024
The annual payout figure is based on a rolling 3-year average using 12/31 values.
PORTFOLIO VALUE
As of June 30, 2024, the University of Rhode Island’s endowment portfolio had a market value of $237 million. The market value for each of the past five years on June 30 is represented below.
ANNUALIZED RETURN ON INVESTMENT
The annualized return on URI’s general endowment portfolio, as of June 30, 2024, was 12.2 percent. The returns for the past five years are shown below.
THE INVESTMENT OF URI’S ENDOWMENT
Spending Policy: The endowment spending rate that will be applied in the 2024–2025 academic year is 5.05 percent, which contains both the University distribution and the URIFAE advancement fee. The University payout is 3.6 percent of the market value of the endowment (calculated on a 12-quarter rolling average ending on December 31, 2023). The advancement fee is 1.45 percent. The dollar value of the payout to the University to support gift purposes this year will increase from $7 million to $7.5 million.
Find a complete listing of endowed funds at alumni.uri.edu/endowmentfunds.
If you have questions about the endowment in general, please contact Rachel Littlefield, associate director, donor relations and engagement at 401.874.7101 or donorrelations@uri.edu.
