The East Tennessee
State University Foundation is a separate, legally incorporated,
not-for-profit entity founded in 1970 to generate and receive private support for
the university. Gifts to the Foundation are invested into a general
investment portfolio handled by professional money managing firms and
monitored by the organization's standing Investment Committee. The Foundation receives private gifts for the University in accordance with it's agreement with ETSU.
Organizational bylaws outline a full membership of up to 300, which was reached for the first time during the 1996 fiscal year. The leadership of the Foundation
is made up of an Executive
Committee and a 30 member Board of Directors which meets annually.