Endowments

Endowments are one of the best ways to create a lasting legacy at Illinois State University. Your endowed gift provides permanent support for the University. Your gift is immediately invested and each year a distribution, like dividends on a mutual fund account, is made to your chosen area of support. Investment earnings above the dividend rate help the endowment value grow over time to keep pace with inflation and maintain your endowment’s spending power, making endowments a sound investment in a better future.

Identify Your Passion

Think about your connection with Illinois State: What is the defining experience that helped shape your view of the world and contributed to your success? Whether you want to help students study abroad or honor a favorite professor there are countless ways to support your passion at Illinois State. Endowments may be designated to a university area of your choice including:

• Student Support

  Student support funds provide scholarships to assist students in achieving their educational goals. Awards may be merit or financial-need based or may provide funds that support students as they embark on experiential learning endeavors such as study abroad or service learning trips.

• Faculty Support

  Faculty awards help recruit and retain the best and brightest faculty who exemplify the teacher-scholar model we seek to encourage at Illinois State. Such funds can also be used to support research activities that help advance knowledge within a faculty member's discipline.

• Program Support

  You may choose to create an endowed fund to support general colleges, departments, or programs throughout campus. You can choose to support the area in which you earned your degree or another program that is meaningful to you.

• Capital Support

  Technology and equipment advances rapidly in today's world and it is vital that Illinois State keep pace with changes to ensure students are learning in and among modern facilities and equipment. Ongoing capital endowments provide the university funding to be a leader in higher education.

Determine Your Investment

Endowments can be established at a variety of funding levels to accomplish your personal goals. Illinois State's minimum endowment level is $25,000. You may take up to five years to fund an endowment, and once it is officially established you or anyone else may continue to add to its principal at any time. There is also considerable flexibility in the methods you may utilize to establish your endowment.

Talk to an Illinois State Development Officer

An Illinois State development officer can share information about exciting investment opportunities and work to match your personal philanthropic goals and passions with university needs. They can also work to help you define fund details such as endowment title to help you establish your personal legacy or honor a mentor, friend, or loved one.

Contact a Development Representative to explore how to leave your legacy.

Watch your Investment's Impact

Once established, your endowment will begin to impact people and programs at Illinois State University. You will experience the joy of witnessing this impact through annual endowment reports. Endowment reports update you on the financial status and distributions of your endowed fund as well as the impact of funds like yours around campus. Illinois State University's Donor Relations provides recognition and engagement opportunities to enhance your relationship with the University.