On June 13, 1889, the first eight graduates of the University of North Dakota met after commencement ceremonies. Together, they formed the UND Alumni Association. Six years later, in the grips of the 1895 farm depression, Gov. Roger Allin decided the people of North Dakota could not afford a university. Together, community leaders and alumni raised $30,000 to keep UND open. It was the start of our proud tradition of alumni loyalty and support.
For more than 125 years, the University of North Dakota Alumni Association has worked diligently to serve the University and its alumni. Its mission is to advance the University of North Dakota as an exceptional national public research and teaching university. The work of the UND Alumni Association is predicated on the deep passion and enthusiasm alumni and friends have for the University and developing partnerships with the University community and external constituents.
Any single event may not seem important, but over time the cumulative total can produce a passionate and loyal alumni base. In 1978, the UND Foundation was established and is the official fundraising and private gift-receiving organization for the University of North Dakota. It works closely with alumni and friends, faculty and staff, corporations and foundations, and the University to create fundraising programs and opportunities that benefit the University and its excellence in teaching, research, and public engagement. In 2013, the UND Foundation completed North Dakota Spirit | The Campaign for UND, directing more than $324 million to UND and making North Dakota history as the largest capital campaign the state had ever seen.
In 2014, the UND Alumni Association and the UND Foundation legally merged into one nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization. The UND Alumni Association & Foundation prides itself in upholding the original mission of UND’s first eight graduates: to support the ongoing growth and development of the University of North Dakota while keeping classmates in contact with each other and alumni connected to campus.
Mission Statement
The UND Alumni Association & Foundation supports University of North Dakota students, faculty, alumni and the greater community by providing resources for growth and development.
Vision Statement
The UND Alumni Association & Foundation fosters connections, inspires generosity, and advances the University of North Dakota.
Guiding Values
We are...
PASSIONATE about our organization and its mission,
INNOVATIVE in our thinking, and
COLLABORATIVE in our efforts to make a positive impact on UND and its students.
The University of North Dakota rests on the ancestral lands of the Pembina and Red Lake Bands of Ojibwe and the Dakota Oyate - presently existing as composite parts of the Red Lake, Turtle Mountain, White Earth Bands, and the Dakota Tribes of Minnesota and North Dakota.