Foundation Commits $1 Million Endowment

The Funds Will Support Gonzaga University’s MBA in American Indian Entrepreneurship.

The Johnson Scholarship Foundation has pledged $1 million to Gonzaga University’s MBA in American Indian Entrepreneurship program to create an endowment for student scholarships in honor of Diane and Ted Johnson. Gonzaga, in partnership with the Foundation, will raise funds to match the gift thereby ultimately creating a $2 million endowment to support the program. The endowment was announced Sept. 21 at a Seattle event marking Diane’s retirement from the Board and honoring the Johnsons’ years of service to the Foundation.

Diane, a former Foundation Vice President and Board member, and Ted Johnson, the former Foundation President, have been instrumental in guiding foundation strategy in support of entrepreneurship and business education within Native American communities. Guided by their vision and with Foundation support, Gonzaga’s School of Business Administration created an MBA in American Indian Entrepreneurship Program (MBA/AIE) in 2001, providing full scholarships for Native American students. There are more than 50 alumni of the program.

The impact of graduates of the MBA-AIE program has been profound. The MBA/AIE program provides graduates with the leadership and entrepreneurial skills to advance in their chosen fields.