A letter from ULI Foundation Chair Faron Hill
Greetings,
ULI is the world thought leader on the built environment, and the ULI Foundation is earnest in its responsibility to leverage investments and involvement to improve the built environment that innately affects the global community.
The frequency of extreme, unparalleled events has become almost commonplace in our communities. Consider the damage and disruption precipitated by climate change acceleration, the decreasing safety and security of regional infrastructure, and the instability of economic and social well-being revealed by the ongoing global pandemic.
In the face of these challenges, what ULI offers is increasingly significant. I could not be prouder of the ULI Foundation’s role. As a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, our central purpose is to financially support and sustain the Institute’s signature education and research programs.
The crises of the past year encouraged action and sparked engagement at a higher level. Those challenges and trials brought out the best in ULI’s staff, members, and especially our partners in philanthropy, who were exceptionally generous and shared a renewed sense of urgency to create solutions and further ULI’s mission: Shape the future of the built environment for transformative impact in communities worldwide.
In FY21, the Foundation received $11.6 million to support the ULI mission, including $3.9 million in major gifts, $1.6 million in unrestricted annual giving contributions, $5.4 million in Foundation grants, and additional funding from planned gifts.
Notable major gifts include the following:
- For ULI’s education programs, Bruce Etkin’s $1 million donation created the ULI Etkin Scholars Program, which aims to better link university students with local district councils and access to ULI’s membership and programming. The program accepted its first cohort of recipients this year.
- ULI’s signature UrbanPlan program received considerable funding to refresh and adapt the curriculum to a virtual environment. That was made possible by substantial contributions from Ron Nahas, Tyler Higgins, Stephen Conley, and Christopher Peatros
- On research and initiatives, former ULI global chair Owen Thomas donated $1 million to launch the Greenprint Center’s Net Zero Imperative, which is already making strides and guiding the industry to solutions in net-zero emissions development. Joining Thomas in supporting the initiative are Lynn Thurber, Franz Colloredo-Mansfeld, Joseph Azrack, and Daniel Cashdan.
- Incoming ULIF board member Mary Hager gave the first major gift for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to support ULI’s efforts and programming to create an industry that bears more resemblance to the communities it serves. Timur Tecimer also made significant contributions to support DEI programs.
The Foundation’s support of ULI was also enhanced through collaborative efforts with institutional partners. Here are the notable grants received in the past fiscal year:
- The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation donated $2 million to research and promote real estate development practices that advance human health and wellness and social equity, as well as the partnership between ULI and seven other professional membership organizations to advance goals of the
- The JPB Foundation renewed its support for ULI to continue working collaboratively with real estate and land use leaders to create communities that are greener, more resilient, and equitable. The grant was $1.8 million over three years.
- The Walton Family Foundation’s grant of $1.25 million will build capacity for ULI Northwest Arkansas and also create a community of practice on reforms that will increase workforce-affordable housing in the region.
Bringing ULI’s research and community resources to the national and global stages, convening stakeholders to benefit from each other’s expertise, and putting forth recommendations to key decision-makers all take immense resources. Even as the virus stalled the world, ULI’s scholars and centers continued making progress on increasingly pressing issues—including resilience, building healthy communities, increasing access to attainable housing, and finding carbon-neutral methods to do so.
Investments in the Foundation allow ULI to grow stronger, reach further, and move faster. We are grateful for the support of our donors who make it possible.
Yet there is much more to do.
The ULI Foundation is embracing its role in the Institute’s updated Global Strategic Plan, which is focused on three global initiatives: (a) accelerating decarbonization of the real estate sector and accelerating our progress to net zero, (b) educating the next generation of diverse real estate leaders, and (c) increasing housing attainability in communities around the world.
I am as optimistic about the ULI Foundation’s ability to help address the uncertainties and opportunities that lie ahead as I am confident of our community’s commitment to fulfilling it. Again, thank you to all of our partners for their continued support and leadership. And I am especially thankful for the support and engagement of our colleagues at the Urban Land Institute. Their hard work is what makes our success possible.
Sincerely,
Faron Hill
ULI Foundation Chair