School of Business Administration

University of Dayton students who manage a $3.7 million investment portfolio for The Dayton Foundation presented donations to three local charities on January 12, 2024.

The Davis Center for Portfolio Management students split proceeds of their management fee to gift $4,000 each to the Boys & Girls Club of Dayton, Breast Wishes Foundation, and Miami Valley Career Technology Center.

“The partnership between The Dayton Foundation and the University of Dayton Davis Center for Portfolio Management has exceeded our expectations, giving these rising stars in the finance industry real-world portfolio management experience and a competitive edge as they seek careers in the industry,” said Mike Parks, president of The Dayton Foundation. “We are so pleased to make this connection between our fund holders and the Davis Center’s students — a first in the nation for a community foundation — that also provides them with experience in charitable giving.” 

The partnership with The Dayton Foundation has grown from the initial $1.5 million pool of assets through additional donations and capital gains. Students have donated a total $27,000 of their management fee to local charities since 2019.

The Davis Center also manages the Flyer Investments Fund, the largest undergraduate-run investment portfolio in the country valued at more than $68 million. Students make all the decisions to buy, sell or hold stocks, and consistently beat the benchmark S&P 500 Index, outperforming many professional money managers. 

Alumni of the fund, who number more than 600, have gone on to work at top investment firms, including BlackRock, Citi, Citadel, Cleveland Research, Goldman Sachs, Jefferies, J.P. Morgan, Morgan Stanley, PIMCO, PNC Financial and William Blair. 

“The opportunity to work with The Dayton Foundation has been an invaluable experience. As if it wasn't special enough that we have the opportunity to manage money for UD's endowment, it may be even more unique that we have the chance to work with an outside client,” said Jimmy Olson, Davis Center senior manager. "That type of experience is virtually unheard of in the undergraduate world, and I know I can speak for all of the student managers when I say that we are immensely grateful for the trust The Dayton Foundation has placed in us over the past few years." 

The Flyer Investments Fund is one of the flagship experiential learning programs in the School of Business Administration, alongside opportunities for undergraduates to start their own businesses, consult with nonprofits and other companies, act as an angel investor, and practice in a professional selling laboratory.

More information on the Davis Center is available on the University’s website.