The Endowment

WashU’s endowment is a permanent source of funding managed by an independent team of financial experts. Through their careful investment and our community’s generosity, the endowment supports WashU in perpetuity.

When you give to the endowment, your impact grows over time, advancing innovation and excellence in perpetuity.

The endowment consists of more than 4,470 individual funds, many of which are earmarked for specific purposes. Each year, a portion of the endowment’s investment income — known as the annual payout — is allocated to professorships, scholarships, research, and more. The remaining income is reinvested, serving as an ongoing financial asset that fuels WashU’s mission indefinitely.

Unlike the Annual Fund, the endowment is designed to sustain the university across generations. For this reason, endowment gifts are invested for the long term, with only a conservative portion of the annual investment earnings allocated by the university each year.

Think about some of the most important ways WashU can improve the world: e.g., conducting biomedical research, fostering access to higher education, eliminating health-care disparities, and much more. When you give to the endowment, you support these world-changing endeavors for the long haul, helping the university to plan for the future with confidence.

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Endowment + Annual Fund = Success, Now and Forever

Sustain tomorrow’s promise. Fuel today’s impact.

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A gift that keeps on giving

Endowed giving to scholarships is especially important. When you invest in scholarships, you support access for students and institutional excellence. Your contribution frees up school and university operating budgets for programs and initiatives that advance faculty recruitment, excellence in research and teaching, and much more. Meanwhile, you ensure the most qualified, talented applicants can attend WashU for years to come — irrespective of the ability to pay.