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 Deanship s   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 $ 2 50,000. 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 $ 10 0 ,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:   

 

 

 

 

 

 College Level  – requires a gift of at least $10,000,000   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Department Level  – requires a gift of at least $5,000,000   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Center Level  – requires a gift of at least  $ 1,000,00 0   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Program Level  – requires a gift of at least  $500,000   

 

 

 

 

 

 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 g ifts 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