At the University of Minnesota Foundation (UMF), the safety of donors, faculty, staff, students, and partners is our top priority as we offer opportunities for you to connect with the University. We are following guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health and are in alignment with University of Minnesota policies and practices regarding on-campus instruction, work, and gatherings.

The Foundation may agree to serve as trustee of a charitable remainder trust if at least 50 percent of the remainder is designated to the University, and the amount of the gift for the University is at least $100,000 at the time the trust is funded. The trust beneficiaries must be at least 55 years old on the date payments begin (unless it’s a term of years trust) for the foundation to serve as trustee.

Managing charitable remainder trusts requires specialized skills because of their unique taxation, accounting, and reporting rules, as well as investment requirements.

The Corporate and foundation engagement (CFE) team at the University of Minnesota Foundation serve as relationship managers for corporations and manages system-wide partnerships. Working collaboratively with all key stakeholders, CFE aligns University and industry priorities to yield mutually beneficial results.

The Foundation Engagement staff helps foundations navigate the University, find faculty and programs of interest, and arrange for campus meetings, tours, and convenings. The team matches University strengths and priorities with private funders’ interests in the areas of research, academic programs, and outreach projects. 

The Foundation Engagement office also serves as a system-wide resource to assist faculty, grant administrators, and development staff in finding, submitting, and reporting on charitable grant funding.