The University of Southern Mississippi Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the University’s mission by overseeing fundraising efforts that provide private support for scholarships and other academic initiatives at Southern Miss. The Foundation ensures that donor contributions are effectively managed to offer the most innovative educational opportunities for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the University.

An endowment is a donation given to the University with the stipulation that the funds be preserved and invested, generating annual earnings. A portion of these earnings supports student scholarships, faculty development, and other essential programs at Southern Miss.

The USM Foundation launched the Southern Miss Gold Rush Campaign, with a fundraising goal of $200,000.  The Nu Eta Chapter embraced this campaign as a meaningful way to contribute to our beloved University and provide lifelong support for deserving students.  In 2014, Nu Eta chapter provided a $15,000 donation to the Southern Miss Gold Rush Campaign, establishing the university’s first endowment from a Black fraternity—the Perseverance Endowment Scholarship.  The Perseverance Endowment Scholarship has since awarded scholarships to over 10 juniors and seniors at USM who embody the core values of our fraternity: Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance, and Uplift.

By offering these scholarships, we hope to develop, encourage and support future leaders on behalf of alumni members of the Nu Eta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity.