Endowment & Major Gifts
A strong endowment ensures that there is a continuing source of funding for both immediate and future needs. Endowments grow over time to create a legacy of learning, research, and scholarships as they extend the impact of the donor’s generosity beyond a lifetime.
Endowment Essentials
The principal is invested and a portion of the fund’s value, currently 3% annually, is made available each year to support the purpose determined by the donor. To guard against the eroding consequences of inflation, the remaining portion of investment return is then added to the fund. The goal is to ensure that the principal maintains its purchasing power.
Endowments can be created with gifts of cash, securities, and other assets. They can be established through one-time gifts, estate gifts, and multi-year pledges. Although the minimum amount required to create an endowment fund is $25,000, larger amounts are recommended or required for certain purposes. Gifts at these levels may offer donors naming opportunities. All gifts at the minimum endowment level, as well as cumulative lifetime giving of $5,000 or more, qualify donors for recognition as members of the Colorado State University Pueblo President’s Club.
How To Create an Endowment Fund
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Contact the CSU Pueblo Foundation by email or by calling 719.549.2380 to reach a Foundation staff member, who will assist you and/or your professional advisor in creating a fund in accordance with your wishes.
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The Foundation staff member will help you draft, complete, and sign a fund agreement outlining the gift’s purpose, along with the investment and payout.
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Upon receipt of the gift, the CSU Pueblo Foundation will establish the fund and distribute the annual payout amount for your designated purpose.
Managed for Long-Term Impact
The CSU Pueblo Foundation (CSUPF) manages the investment and payout of endowed funds with a long-term view, to provide designated programs with a stable revenue source. The year-to-year change in the value of an individual endowment fund is affected by several factors, including the admin fee, the amount and timing of additional gifts to the fund, market gains and losses, and the amount of disbursements from the CSU Pueblo Foundation to the University to support the fund’s designated programs.
