What is an endowment and what is an endowed fund?
An endowment is simply an investment in the future. When charitable gifts are used to establish an endowment, the gift is invested with two goals in consideration: making the principal grow faster than inflation and providing expendable income for the donor’s specified purpose. The principal remains untouched, and any income earned above the annual spending amount is reinvested into the fund to keep it healthy and growing. During the It Takes A Gift Campaign for UNC Charlotte, which officially ended June 30, 2005, our generous donors established nearly 130 endowed funds.
