An endowment is a fund invested to produce a long-term source of income for a charitable organization. Created with charitable contributions, endowments can be fashioned to serve a specific purpose as defined by the donor (e.g. scholarships) or they can provide unrestricted general support for an organization. An endowment’s purpose is defined in a Gift Agreement created by the fund’s original donors with the Foundation. Usually, an endowment is structured so that the principal amount is kept intact while investment income is made available for use in perpetuity.
Each year, a portion of the value of an endowment is distributed to support a pre-defined purpose. Any earnings in excess of this distribution are used to build the fund’s market value. This way, it can grow support for its designated purpose in perpetuity.
All funds are invested in accordance with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ guidelines. Management fees are reasonable and comparable or lower than similar types of community foundations. Endowment partners received quarterly statements along with updates and information about the Foundation’s investments.