Where Customers Become Partners
A Legacy of Giving to Others
Making Heirlooms Out of Student Housing
The ACUHO-I Foundation is the only organization that raises money for ACUHO-I to fund large-scale educational programs, research initiatives, and practice innovations for campus housing and residence life professionals around the world.
Funds raised by the ACUHO-I Foundation are used to launch highly-regarded research initiatives that demonstrate the value of the on-campus living experience, provide grants and scholarships to support campus housing professionals from all backgrounds in all stages of their careers, and support learning experiences that cultivate new talent and prepare professionals for the challenges they face at their home institutions.
Cumulative ACUHO-I Foundation giving by the Thompson family and Southwest Contract far exceeds $600,000. A $300,000 Thompson Family Endowment was dedicated to the establishment of endowments that will continue to grow and support the profession now, and well into to the future. Additionally, the family carries a $1M life insurance policy with ACUHO-I as the beneficiary.
“When you invest in people, the investment is not stagnant... Over time, a handful of pine seed will cover mountains with green majesty of forests. When we continue to give to ACUHO-I and the Foundation, we are throwing our handful of seeds.” ~ Lee Thompson, Sr.
One of the most visible impacts of the Thompson’s generosity is through the countless individuals who’ve benefited from funding awards to attend the James C. Grimm National Housing Training Institute (NHTI) and the Chief Housing Officers Institute (CHO). NHTI has been a focus for the Thompson family because of its role in molding the campus housing leaders of the future.
“Under the leadership of the Thompson family, Southwest Contract has built quality furnishings in residence halls across the country for over 30 years. They are more than a business partner to many of us in the industry, they are supporters and advocates of our work with students. They build and maintain relationships with university clients and heavily invest in our regional and national organizations. They aren’t just in the business of building sustainable furniture, they are building sustainable friendships.” ~ Ann Marie Klotz, Dean of Campus Life, New York Institute of Technology