University of Wisconsin Foundation members will vote on a potential merger between the foundation and the Wisconsin Alumni Association Thursday, according to UW Foundation Vice President for Legal Affairs Russell Howes.
The merger, which has been approved by the boards of directors of both entities and will unite the fundraising and alumni institutions, was initiated in response to an overlap of the organizations’ donors, Howes said.
“Our constituencies overlap about 90 percent,” he said. “Almost all of the donors to the university are also alums of the institution so we had very similar missions.”
Howes said he does not expect any major changes in employment right away, adding the general population will likely not perceive considerable changes in either organization’s image or presence.
“WAA is a very important brand and they perform some very necessary functions so, as far as I know at this point, there is not really any discussion on the table about changing the kinds of things that WAA does and will do in the future,” Howes said. “We intend on using both brands when appropriate.”
According to Howes, University of Wisconsin-Madison’s fundraising efforts and success are quite similar to that of other Big Ten colleges, with only Northwestern University and University of Michigan raising more money.
If the merger passes, Howes said the two organizations will undergo an integration process. The UW Foundation plans to complete the process by the end of the current or following fiscal quarter, either March 31 or June 30.
