What is an Endowment?
What if your charitable gift could provide for community needs not just in your lifetime, but forever? Endowed funds can!
The power of an endowment is in its continuity. Assets in endowments are pooled for maximum benefit and prudently invested to achieve long-term capital growth while preserving the purchasing power of the fund. The principal remains intact while only a portion of the fund’s earnings are available to be spent each year. Endowed gifts become a part of the Community Foundation’s permanent endowment, meaning they will benefit our community forever.
Donors establish endowments to ensure that their charitable purposes are accomplished in perpetuity. A donor may establish an endowment in his or her own name, to honor or memorialize someone else, on behalf of a charitable organization or organizations, to benefit a geographic area, or to benefit charities doing work in a specific field such as education, the arts, or health.
Nonprofit organizations can establish an endowment at the Community Foundation to fund their future needs. By doing so, the organization can assure donors that gifts to the endowment will not migrate into the organization’s general operating funds.
Donors who are interested in supporting an endowment but do not wish to establish their own may contribute to existing endowments that match their interests. View a listing of IPCF endowments with links to descriptions of those to which you may contribute.
If you are interested in learning more, please give us a call at (309) 662-4477.