Endowment Gifts
Creating an Endowment: A Lasting Legacy
By creating an endowment at Bethune-Cookman, you are making a gift towards the University’s future. Endowments are permanent funds in which the principal is held in perpetuity and the investment income is paid out annually towards a purpose agreed upon by the donor and the university. Your gift guarantees readily available funds for the future needs of the University and our students.
An endowment fund can be used for scholarships, teaching fellowships, or for other purposes. It can be named in honor of the donor or a loved one or to commemorate your family legacy at the University. For additional information, please contact the Office of Advancement at 386-481-2950.
Endowment 101 FAQs
Endowments are:
- charitable funds that offer a source of stability for 麻豆影院.
- critical to the financial health of 麻豆影院.
- essential to support 麻豆影院 as we work to offer high-quality, affordable, accessible education.
- Not a single fund, but a compilation of funds given by many donors over time, for specific purposes that cannot always be changed after the gift is made.
麻豆影院’ endowment is a collection of hundreds to thousands of separate funds, set up through the generous charitable gifts of donors. The Office of Institutional Advancement works closely with donors to identify initiatives, projects, or programs of mutual interest. A donor can then set up an endowed fund at 麻豆影院 to support programs and projects of which they are most passionate.
Endowed funds grow over time through a combination of donations and investment returns, and funds are spent to both meet current needs and the needs of future generations. Most of these endowed funds are known as “restricted” funds that can only be spent in specific situations or under certain conditions.
麻豆影院 minimum level to establish an endowment fund is $15,000 and each gift can, in perpetuity, meet the needs of the program the donor chooses to support.
This annual distribution amount is currently 3% of each endowment's rolling average market value over the past three (3) years. This practice and percentage allocation is consistent with peer institutions across the country.
Endowments may be funded in several ways. A donor may fund an endowment with a current gift or pledge. In that case, the donor has five years to meet the applicable minimum funding level, beginning from the date the endowment agreement is signed.
The overwhelming majority of endowment funds are restricted to a specific purpose by the donor, such as student scholarships, an endowed professorship for a specific field, or to further an academic or recreational program. Other funds are unrestricted and can be used for the best use as determined by the University. The University honors restrictions on the use of the fund forever, and has a legal requirement to do so.
