The Spring Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, was the last major ULI event with James D. Klingbeil as chairman of the ULI Foundation. Klingbeil’s term, which began in July 2006, concludes in July.
In a tribute to Klingbeil at the meeting, ULI Foundation President Richard Rosan said, “During this time of great economic uncertainty, the ULI Foundation has grown, and with that growth has come much stronger support for ULI. It’s a remarkable accomplishment, and it’s due to Jim’s thoughtful leadership. It’s due to his firm belief that ULI can achieve its true potential only with philanthropic gifts—donations that allow it to maintain a high-quality program of work.”
Ten years ago, the Foundation contributed about $500,000 toward the content portion of ULI’s program of work, Rosan noted. Now, that amount is more than $5 million, which covers about half the costs for content development, including the work of ULI research centers. The total assets held by the Foundation now exceed $52 million, a majority of which represents long-term funds that support specific education programs offered by ULI.
The Planned Giving program has raised $12 million in pledges and commitments since July 2011. Foundation members have contributed over $5 million to the annual fund since 2007, with contributions exceeding $1 million in 2007 and 2011. Council member participation in the annual fund jumped 60 percent, from 1,100 donors annually to 1,800 donors.
In July, Klingbeil hands over leadership of the Foundation to James J. Curtis. “Jim Curtis is a highly capable, innovative thinker and a longtime ULI trustee who will be just as committed as his predecessor to hitting new records for fundraising,” Rosan said.