How Endowed Giving Works

When you create your own endowed fund at St. John’s College, your gift is permanently invested, with an eye toward long-term growth that outpaces inflation. Every year the college uses approximately 5 percent of your fund’s market value to support the priorities you have specified. The remaining assets stay invested, steadily increasing in value over time.

For example, an endowed scholarship established with a $50,000 gift will initially yield $2,500 a year for scholarships. As the fund grows, so will the amount of annual support it provides.

Establishing Your Endowed Fund

Establishing an endowed fund will typically involve the following steps.

1. Determine how your gift will support the college. Named scholarships are popular and a high priority for St. John’s, but you have many options to consider.
2. Name your fund. By naming your endowment, you can forever honor your family, a loved one, a tutor, a mentor, or even a cherished text.
3. Document your intentions. When you are ready to finalize your gift, we will document your intentions in a signed gift agreement. Once established, your endowed fund will be used exclusively for the purposes outlined in the agreement.
4. Make your gift. The minimum gift to establish a named endowment is $50,000 for scholarships and $100,000 for other areas of support. This amount can be given all at once, pledged over time, or planned through your estate. If you would like to endow a lecture, faculty study group, tutorship, or other initiative, the college asks that you consider a larger minimum gift. This is necessary to ensure that what you seek to sustain can indeed last forever.

   The college offers many options for funding your gift. Stocks, IRA contributions, and grants from donor-advised funds are especially popular and are easy to make with secure online tools offered through our trusted partner, FreeWill. You can also make all or a portion of your gift online with a credit card. When prompted to select your area of support, choose “other” and type in the name of your fund.

   Once the minimum gift threshold has been reached, the entire gift will be permanently invested alongside the other funds in the St. John’s Endowment.

5. Witness your impact. After your fund has been invested for one full year, the college will begin using the annual proceeds to support your stated priorities. Our development staff, whose mission is to care for you and your gift, will provide you with regular updates on the fund’s status, growth, and impact on the college.
6. Build your fund. Although prudent investment will enable your fund to grow over the long term, you can enhance those results by adding new gifts at any time.

Make an Enduring Gift of Any Size

Many of the individual funds that make up the St. John’s Endowment are open to new gifts, and no minimum gift amount is required. The Collegewide General Endowment, the Annapolis General Endowment, and the Santa Fe General Endowment are especially important because the income they generate is unrestricted and can be used to address any need. Other funds provide restricted support for internships, scholarships, and other priorities, often in honor or memory of a tutor. Please contact us to find out if an existing fund fits your interests.

To make a lasting contribution to the college without drawing from your current income, consider naming the college in your will and directing your gift to the Collegewide General Endowment or another fund within the St. John’s Endowment.