Creating an endowment means making a long-term investment in SDSU that will provide support for the students, faculty, and programs you care about for generations to come.
Establishing an endowment helps ensure a bold future for SDSU—providing support for the university’s students, faculty, and programs for years to come.
You can create an endowment program or scholarship with a minimum investment of $50,000, made as a one-time gift or through installments over a five-year period, either now or as a deferred gift. When you do, you’ll join our circle of more than 1,500 loyal Jackrabbit supporters who have established an endowment.
Funding your endowment in your family name or in honor of a person or organization that means something to you establishes a lasting legacy and inspires others to give to a cause you care about. The impact of an endowment is truly transformative.
Endowment funds are long-term investments that provide perpetual support for students, faculty, and programs. The earnings from these major gifts ensure a lasting impact on a program or area you’re passionate about for years to come.
To start an endowment or learn more, contact the Foundation team. We’ll be happy to work with you to build your SDSU legacy.
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Most endowments live in perpetuity, but donors who establish a named endowment can specify its lifespan. Individual endowment funds with the Foundation are pooled together for investment purposes, but each endowment retains its own identity and separate accounting.
Donors and their successors may receive an annual report of earnings and distributions. Earnings from the endowment pool are allocated to each fund based on a weighted average calculation. Amounts available for distribution are calculated annually using a spending formula consisting of a percentage of each fund’s average market value over a period of time.
An investment committee comprising members of the SDSU Foundation’s Council of Trustees with investment and financial experience is appointed by the Board of Governors. This committee works closely with professional investment advisors to maintain a diversified asset allocation to maximize long-term total return within acceptable levels of risk.
The advisors also help select the actual investment managers utilized across the various asset classes. The investment committee recommends a prudent spending policy to the Board of Governors, which considers many factors, including general economic conditions, the possible effect of inflation and deflation, and expected long-term total return and appreciation of investments.
There are several ways to fund an endowment:
You may provide a one-time gift of at least $50,000 in cash or marketable assets such as securities or real estate.
You can give using installments paid over a five-year period.
Other funding methods could involve a deferred gift activated by your will, a trust, or other planned gift providing future support.
All endowments are governed by a memorandum of agreement clearly stating the donor’s intentions. The agreement also provides background information about the person being honored or memorialized as well as the reason for establishing the endowment.
Copies of the agreement are provided to the donor and all university offices that will play a role in using the endowment. You may establish new criteria or uses for the endowment at any time by adding an amendment to the original agreement.
We encourage donors to promote the establishment of new endowments, and the SDSU Foundation will do so with the donor’s permission. Endowments are frequently established in memory or honor of people who have made a difference in our lives.
A public announcement of an endowment can serve as a way to honor a meaningful person, encourage additional gifts to the endowment, and inspire others to consider establishing an endowment.
That’s okay! If you’re not sure where to give, we recommended creating an unrestricted endowment. This allows the university to act on new opportunities to make SDSU even better.
It also helps SDSU and the Foundation plan for the future and demonstrates financial strength to other potential donors.
Yes! Contributions of any size can be added at any time to all endowments. Providing additional support to an existing endowment will help its market value, building larger distributions for programs and awards.
Your SDSU Foundation team is dedicated to supporting you through every step of the giving process. We’ll listen to your priorities, discuss your options, and work with you to determine the giving strategy that ensures maximum impact in the areas you care about.
