Given the size of the endowment, why does Yale need a Senior Class Gift?
Annual giving is an important complement to restricted funds, which make up the bulk of Yale’s $17 billion endowment. Because of strict spending rules in place to preserve its principal, only a small portion of endowment returns can be used to support the University’s annual budget, and how those funds can be spent is extremely restricted to comply with the donor’s intention. That is why new, unrestricted support is always needed to fund exciting innovations required to keep Yale a world-class institution. It also explains why a gift of $25 to the Alumni Fund that can be spent immediately has the same impact on the University’s spending as an endowment gift of $500 and can also be used much more broadly. Every gift counts!
