Nonprofits often need sustained financial support to meet their short- and long-term goals. Endowments can provide that financial support and help nonprofits deliver on their mission. While unrealistic demands on the endowment (i.e., unsustainable distributions) and unpredictable investor behavior during volatile markets can weaken the endowment, having clarity about the endowment’s purpose, people and policies can provide necessary direction and stability. With these three elements in place, the endowment will have the underpinning necessary to serve its current and future beneficiaries.
This whitepaper discusses the following topics:
- The Role of Nonprofits in Society
- Endowment Fundamentals
- Establishing a Spending Policy
- Establishing an Investing Policy
- Aligning the Endowment with the Institution's Mission
