Give to the UW

Endowments

Whatever project, cause or cohort inspires you to give, the odds are that the University of Washington has a giving opportunity to match it. Better yet, by endowing your gift you can make an impact that will be felt year after year, generation after generation.

Creating an endowment

Endowed gifts are invested, with the generated income used to fund the program you chose. This means that the principal gift continues to grow over time and generate a steady, reliable source of income in perpetuity.

For this reason, many donors choose to name endowments: to honor a family member, an influential professor, or mentor; preserve the name of their family foundation; or create a personal legacy. An individual’s lifespan is limited, but institutions like the UW endure for generations. Endowments help to ensure that adequate provision is made for the students, faculty and facilities of today and tomorrow.

We invite you to explore the opportunities available and preview the impact your gift can make on a cause close to your heart.

Endowment calculator

Enter a gift amount and year to see what the earnings and payouts to an endowed fund could look like in 5, 10 or even 50 years.

Your Endowed Gift Over 50 Years

About the endowment calculator:
  • The endowment calculator’s investment projections are hypothetical, based on the University of Washington’s goals and policies set by the Board of Regents, and do not reflect actual results.
  • Assuming an annual return of 6.9% over the next 5-7 years, as projected by the UW Investment Management Company (UWINCO), the calculator illustrates potential growth.
  • Endowment gifts are invested in the University’s Consolidated Endowment Fund (CEF), which combines assets for investment purposes. Each named endowment retains its own purpose and gift accounting, by which the UW tracks growth in principal and distributions.
  • The UW spending policy allows fund transfers from the CEF to support donor-designated purposes. The calculator uses a 4.5% annual payout rate, which includes a 3.6% program distribution and a 0.9% administration fee, based on the CEF’s average market value over five years.
  • For actual historical investment results, refer to the CEF’s investment performance in the Quarterly Investment Performance Report.

Endowment opportunities

While there are minimum amounts required to create new endowed funds, any gift, including smaller contributions, can be added to an existing endowment. These minimums ensure that annual distributions are meaningful to beneficiaries and can be effectively utilized by colleges and departments. The required minimums vary based on the fund’s purpose, and by campus. Every dollar helps enhance the margin of excellence at UW.

Programmatic and broad support endowments

Funding levels start at $100,000 for the Seattle campus and UW Medicine, and $50,000 for the Bothell and Tacoma campuses.

  • Support fund (program, student or faculty-focused): Broad support within a college, school, department or well-established program.
  • Research acceleration: Supports faculty and researchers pursuing scientific, technical and humanistic investigation and outcome-driven activities.
  • Fund for excellence: Provides substantial and flexible support for students, faculty and/or programming within a defined focus area.

Undergraduate student endowments

Funding levels start at $100,000 for all campuses.

  • General undergraduate scholarship: Provides financial assistance for undergraduate students with broad criteria. Includes support for tuition, books and living expenses.
  • Focused undergraduate scholarship: Provides significant financial assistance for undergraduate students with more defined selection preferences and/or field of study. Includes support for tuition, books and living expenses.
  • Distinguished scholarship: Provides substantial funding for undergraduate students, often at a level that covers the full cost of tuition and related educational expenses.
  • Presidential scholarship: Prestigious merit-based scholarships, awarded by the President’s Office, to entering undergraduate students from Washington, who, through educational experiences and community engagement, exemplify leadership skills, talent and creativity.

Graduate fellowships & professional scholarships

Funding levels start at $250,000 for the Seattle campus and UW Medicine, and $100,000 for the Bothell and Tacoma campuses.

  • General graduate fellowship or professional scholarship: Provides financial assistance for graduate or professional degree students with broad criteria. Includes support for tuition, books and living expenses.
  • Focused graduate fellowship or professional scholarship: Provides financial assistance for graduate or professional degree students with more defined selection preferences or field of study. Includes support for tuition, books and living expenses.
  • Distinguished graduate fellowship or professional scholarship: Provides substantial financial assistance for graduate or professional degree students, often at a level that covers the full cost of tuition and related educational expenses.

Faculty and Leadership endowments

Funding levels start at $500,000 for the Seattle campus and UW Medicine, and $100,000 for the Bothell and Tacoma campuses.

  • Faculty fellowship: To recruit, retain, and/or provide opportunities for professional development for faculty members, often those early in their academic career.
  • Professorship (includes professor for medical direction, clinical professor, teaching professor, and faculty curatorship): To recruit and retain a faculty member at a professorial level.
  • Distinguished professorship: To recruit and retain a distinguished faculty member at a professorial level.
  • Chair (includes chair for medical direction and clinical chair): To recruit and retain professorial-level faculty who are leaders in their field, providing substantial support and recognition for the holder.
  • Department leadership chair: A one-time endowment to recognize the appointment of an administrative chair of a department.
  • Deanship: A transformational, one-time endowment to recognize the administrative appointment of a Dean to a School or College and provide unrestricted funding for fulfilling their strategic vision.
  • Directorship: A one-time endowment intended to recognize the appointment of a non-academic leader of a program.

Staff endowments

Funding levels start at $500,000.

  • Post-doctoral fellowship: Support for research and other activities of a post-doctoral scholar, in alignment with applicable policies.
  • Archivist, librarianship, or other specialized staff position: Supports and recognizes the appointment of an individual to a specific staff position.

Athletics endowments

Funding levels start at $250,000.

  • General athletics scholarship: Provides financial assistance for student-athletes based on sport, merit and/or need.
  • Distinguished athletics scholarship (variable minimum for in state vs. out of state): Provides substantial funding for student-athletes to help offset tuition and educational expenses.
  • Athletic coach: A one-time endowment used to recognize and retain a coach of an intercollegiate athletic sport.
Students engaged in research on beach
Dancers on stage
Doctor visit with mother and chlild

 

Get in touch

If you’re interested in establishing an endowed fund, the best way to get started is to contact the Office of Endowment and Donor Services via email or phone. We will connect you with someone to help you and your advisors through the planning process.

UW Office of Endowment and Donor Services
4333 Brooklyn Ave. NE, Box 359504
Seattle, WA 98195-9504

Send an email
1-877-UW-GIFTS