How An Endowment Works
A donor gives to the Foundation to establish a named endowment in an area of his or her passion.
The minimum amount for a Foundation Endowment is $10,000.
Foundation Endowment Levels:
- The Foundation Endowment: minimum of $10,000 up to $14,999
- The Centennial Endowment: minimum of $15,000 up to $24,999
- The Second Century Endowment: minimum of $25,000 up to $49,999
- The Orange & Black Endowment: minimum of $50,000 up to $99,999
- The Tiger Endowment: minimum $100,000+
The donor works with the Foundation to develop criteria for the endowment and guidelines for the distribution. An endowment agreement is signed by both parties.
The gift is entered into the ECU Foundation Endowment/Portfolio fund currently held with Vanguard.
The Foundation’s Investment committee has created an Investment Policy to maximize returns and minimize risk.
A portion of the earnings on the invested funds will be used for distribution as outlined in the agreement, while the fund’s principal amount remains intact.
By reinvesting the remainder of the earnings, the endowment continues to grow and is protected from inflation, providing annual support to ECU’s students/faculty/staff for decades to come.