Throughout our history, gifts to fund endowments have empowered UB and advanced its academic excellence. They are perhaps the most influential of investments, a way that donors can ensure their gifts enrich future generations. Today more than ever, endowment funds are vital to achieving the university s mission of serving as State University s sole comprehensive research-intensive university and primary center for professional education and training. How an Endowment Works UB benefits from endowments by preserving capital. The UB Foundation holds gifted endowed funds permanently as principal, managing endowments to produce earnings that support designated University at Buffalo programs, faculty and students.
Endowed funds can grow over time.
Fund earnings that exceed yields specified for expenditure are returned to the principal hedging against inflation and providing growth of the fund for the future. Even without additional contributions, a fund will continue to provide support, while the amount of both the principal and the award increase over time. At the end of ten years, this fund still would be giving annual scholarships and would have grown in value, even without further contributions. Types of Support Giving an endowment means you are a special kind of benefactor, one whose commitment is deep and whose vision is unusually long. You are an individual with an understanding and appreciation of higher education s purpose and importance, realizing that endowed funds are a way to provide opportunities for future generations.