Minimum Endowment Levels

The establishment of endowment funds to meet current and future needs of Arkansas State University are actively sought and encouraged. Endowment funds are held in trust, with annual income expended according to guidelines agreed to by the donors. 

In general, a portion of the annual income should be reinvested to continue building the endowment, thus ensuring viability for the future. The remaining portion should be expended directly for the purposes designated by the donor. 

REGULATIONS  

The following minimum dollar amounts have been established for meeting endowment fund objectives:  

Endowed Chairs require a total investment of $1 million. Chairs may be named according to the wishes of the donor with a contribution of at least half the required amount. Major contributions of less than half the endowment could result in donor recognition by naming offices, classrooms, laboratories, library and/or materials collections, or teaching, research and service programs related to the chair.  

Endowed Centers of Excellence require contributions of $1,000,000. Centers may be named according to the wishes of the donor with gifts of at least half the required amount. Other major donors to specific centers will be afforded recognition through named rooms, permanent plates on equipment, or name special activities within the center (lecture series, workshops, scholarships, etc.). 

Endowed Deanships require gifts of at least $2,000,000. Gifts less than the required amount may be recognized by naming activities related to the professorship, such as a research lab or an annual lecture given by the professor in honor of the donor. 

Endowed Professorships require gifts of at least $250,000. Gifts less than the required amount may be recognized by naming activities related to the professorship, such as a research lab or an annual lecture given by the professor in honor of the donor. 

Endowed Faculty Fellowships require gifts of at least $100,000. As faculty support endowment funds grow from a fellowship to a professorship to a chair, as well as the donor(s). 

Academic Program Endowment Levels - different levels require gifts of at least: 

Student Scholarship and Support Endowment Levels require a gift of at least $25,000. 

Endowed Lecture Series require a minimum of $500,000 and may be designated for a specific field or topic of interest within the university's overall Lecture-Concert Series.  

Opportunity Funds require gifts of $10,000 or more to be used to establish student development funds designated for special areas or specific disciplines, such as travel to participate in academic programs and conferences, special awards and recognition, recruitment and retention, leadership training, etc.  

Other Endowments:  

Endowment funds may be established for other purposes, such as visiting scholars and artists, equipment, campus beautification, maintenance and other activities and programs as appropriate. Minimum endowment levels will be established by the Office of Development in accordance with the goals and objectives of the specific endowment. Such endowments are intended to relieve budgets, rather than over expend them.  

Therefore, annual funds generated by endowments should be sufficient to cover all costs of the program being endowed or supplement funds already being expended available through other sources.  

An endowment fund may be established with amounts less than those stated herein if within a reasonable period of time from the date of the receipt of the first resources and approval of the desire of the donor, the entire principal (including capitalized earnings and additional gifts) shall equal at least one-half on the stated minimum of the desired objective. If one-half of the minimum fund has not been so provided in a reasonable time, the fund may be terminated and the amounts given used for the general institutional purposes most resembling those desired by the donor. The earnings from a fund established as herein provided and not terminated shall continue to be capitalized annually until the minimum stated above has been reached and the purposes of the fund activated.  

A fund also may be activated when it is under the stated minimum if the donor undertakes a binding obligation to supplement the income of the fund with annual gifts to complete the endowment or with irrevocable estate plan provisions.  

Revised: 04/08/2026 

Effective Date: 07/01/93  
Number: 06-08  
Section: University Advancement  
Subject: Minimum Endowment Levels