What is the Loughborough Student Managed Fund?
The Loughborough Student Managed Fund (LSMF) was founded in 2022 with a generous philanthropic donation of $250,000 from alumna Margaret (Meg) Dawson.
The Fund gives undergraduate students the chance to manage a real investment portfolio, giving them a brilliant opportunity to build on their understanding and knowledge of investment.
The LSMF is run by a committee of students, which draws on the collective research capability of Loughborough’s Finance and Investment Society to make quarterly investment decisions.
The activities of the Fund are overseen by the Board of the LSMF to ensure smooth running and adherence to Loughborough University’s Ethical Investment Policy.
The returns from the Fund make an annual philanthropic contribution to the University’s Access to Education programmes, helping to ensure Loughborough’s accessibility to the widest possible range of deserving people. The current focus is to provide funding for Opportunity Scholarships. To date this fund has been able to support four Opportunity Scholarships.
Founding philanthropy
The Loughborough Student Managed Fund was made possible by a founding philanthropic donation from alumna Margaret (Meg) Dawson. She said:
I believe all students who qualify for a university place should not be denied by lack of funds. The initial capital contribution ($250,000) is intended to develop a sustainable model to financially support students in need while encouraging students to be socially responsible investors as they develop their business finance skills. The Loughborough Student Managed Fund (LSMF) has been created to meet these goals. LSMF – managed by and for students- is a prototype, a first of its kind in the UK. My vision, if proof of concept, is to expand with additional individual and corporate support to build closer relationships between academia and the business community for the benefit of all. I am grateful for the enthusiastic support of the University to jointly achieve these goals, especially the faculty oversight team and all the participating students.
Margaret (Meg) Dawson
Charleston, South Carolina, USA