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Originally posted by: Ray Folse's friend Bill
"I wonder what an open look at the foundationn records would reveal?"

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Just speculatin' but I bet if one went back far enough, one would know why Aubrey Lucas didn't outright fire Thames in the '80s & why he remains silent today as the university he worked so hard to build up is systematically destroyed. One would also know exactly how much the presidency of the University of Southern Mississippi costs.

Invictus, the secret non-public manner in which such university-related foundations are run is the reason that I will make sure that, when I am in the cold, cold ground, none of my remaining worldly resources will be available to those sorts of enterprises. If anything, my obituary would say . . . "in lieu of sending the foundation money, send them flowers!"

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Originally posted by: Rob Peter, Pay Paul
" If a donor writes a check to "The University of Southern Mississippi," say for $500,000, is it actually legal for the university to give those to a private entity such as a private foundation? "

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A donor would be instructed from the git-go to write the check to the USM Foundation, not to USM.  Believe me, folks don't just show up with the check already cut.

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Originally posted by: Rigor Mortis
"Invictus, the secret non-public manner in which such university-related foundations are run is the reason that I will make sure that, when I am in the cold, cold ground, none of my remaining worldly resources will be available to those sorts of enterprises. If anything, my obituary would say . . . "in lieu of sending the foundation money, send them flowers!""

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The only contributions I make to a college foundation are designated for a specific scholarship fund. I would never contribute "unrestricted funds" to a university foundation.

Foundations became extremely popular in the 1980s as college presidents discovered that the quasi-private entities allowed them to circumvent their regular boards of trustees' control. I can't speak for USM's organization -- mainly because clicking the "Board of Directors" link on the Foundation website leads to this page, but if USM is like the others I've checked out, the president of the institution sits on the board of directors & the other directors are essentially hand-picked.

I think the president is an ex facto member of the USM Foundation board. The other members are indeed hand picked, not so much by the pres as by the existing board.  But the net result is pretty much the same. The idea is usually to get board members with money who will be inclined to donate or cultivate other donors.

Regarding donations to USM or to the USM Foundation, I expect most donors of significant amounts give through the Foundation.  If someone contributed the $500,000 mentioned a few posts back, that would be a home run for one of the young development officers and even a solid double for one of the old hands. 

FWIW, I once was a member of the Cousteau Society. On a whim, I made my membership check payable to Jacques Cousteau, thinking that he would have to personally endorse it, and I would have his autograph.  My check ran through the society's account right along with all the hundreds of others. Just because a donor (especially of a few hundred or less) makes the check payable to USM does not necessarily mean it goes through USM's books.  For that matter, when I buy my season tickets to the USM Summer Arena Theater, I get a thank you note from Tim Ryan in the USM Foundation.  Go figure.