Letter from the Foundation Chair

“Serving the University of Georgia is an honor, and working closely with President Morehead is a pleasure. As the Chair, an alumnus, and a donor, I am brimming with pride in this great University. The Commit to Georgia Campaign will create even more opportunities for students and help UGA continue to tackle grand challenges for our state and world.”


Thank you for making 2017 not only a record-setting year but also the best of my years of service. Because of what you, our donors, have given, more UGA students will have scholarships every year. Georgia’s best and brightest will choose to stay in the state to attend the agship university, and they’ll have the opportunity to learn in state-of- the-art facilities and also in places well outside of the walls of a classroom. Put simply: you are creating opportunities and improving lives.

Since I became Chair in 2015, the University of Georgia has continued on an upward trajectory as the University of Georgia Foundation has become more engaged and more purposeful. This year, the Foundation’s board of trustees nalized its strategic plan, which set out to help build a culture of philanthropy and to utilize the full talent of each and every trustee to carry out its mission, and I believe we are on the right path. I’d like to thank our Vice-Chair, Bill Douglas, and Strategic Plan Chair, Neal Quirk, for their leadership, and I’d also like to thank the full board for their unprecedented engagement and dedication this year. Trustees returned to campus to speak to UGA classes and attended a variety of UGA events, and some even hosted events in their homes.

In addition, the endowment has reached an all-time high, and the UGA Foundation has provided $72.5 million this year to advance the University’s mission, which represents a greater level of support than any other year in the Foundation’s history. I am especially proud of the work this board has done to set up the Georgia Commitment Scholarship Program. Through this program, which launched in January 2017, we already have established 115 new need-based scholarships, including 22 that were created by UGA Foundation trustees. These scholarships help ensure that qualified UGA students can cover the full cost of attendance regardless of their financial situations.

As my two-year term as Chair of the Board came to an end in June, I left the office knowing that the UGA Foundation Board of Trustees would be capably led by Bill Douglas, along with a group of highly dedicated trustees. I have complete confidence that the Foundation will continue forward with strong purpose and dedication in supporting the University of Georgia. Bill is committed to building a culture of philanthropy, and his leadership will expand the work of the UGA Foundation and contribute to the betterment of this great University.

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Ken Jackson
Chair, 2015–2017
University of Georgia Foundation