Endowments provide permanent support and financial stability for the University. 

• Endowed funds are interest-bearing; principal is invested while the interest is used to achieve the fund’s purpose.
• Historical payouts of approximately 5 percent allow a $1 million endowment to generate $50,000 a year for immediate use. The reinvestment of earnings above this annual payout provides a healthy hedge against inflation.

Almost 500 endowed funds currently exist at Southwestern, with a total combined market value of $255,545,708 (as of June 30, 2019).

Endowed Funds create a personal legacy to protect the things you love most about Southwestern.

• You can choose a purpose or program that best fits your interest — from student scholarships to faculty support; library collections to technology resources.
• A named endowment allows you to honor or memorialize a family member, a life-changing professor or an organization that helped sculpt your education.
• By growing the endowment, you sustain Southwestern’s tradition of academic excellence.

During the 2018-19 fiscal year, $2,709,168 was made available in scholarship aid to Southwestern students through endowed scholarship funds. Our students appreciate your financial support!

Endowments can be structured at a level that meets your charitable goals through vehicles that make it easy for you to invest in Southwestern’s future.

• Minimum requirements for establishing an endowment vary depending on the nature of the gift opportunity, but all can be funded through a single gift or multiple gifts spread over a period of up to five years.
• You can fund an endowment through your estate by inclusion in your will or by naming Southwestern as a beneficiary of assets you may already have as part of your testamentary plans.

Read more about Gifts to Endowment.