The St. John’s Endowment at a Glance

The St. John’s Endowment is a collection of nearly 500 permanently invested funds that have been established over the years by alumni and friends of St. John’s College. Some of these funds are unrestricted and address any needs the college might have. Others, such as scholarships, are highly specific. Together they serve as a lasting source of support for the college.

How the Endowment Supports What You Care About—Forever

When you create your own endowed fund at St. John’s College, your gift is permanently invested, with the goal of achieving long-term growth that outpaces inflation. Every year the college uses approximately 5 percent of your fund’s market value to support the priorities you have specified. The remaining assets stay invested, thereby increasing the future spending power of your gift.

For example, an endowed scholarship established with a $50,000 gift will typically yield $2,500 a year for scholarships over the near-term. Over the long term, however, the value of the fund will grow and so will the amount of scholarship support it provides. It is common for an endowed fund to eventually generate annual payouts that are larger than the original gift.    

Establishing Your Endowed Fund

Establishing an endowed fund will typically involve the following steps.

1. Determine how your gift will support the college. Named scholarships are popular and a high priority for St. John’s, but you have many options to consider.
2. Name your fund. By naming your endowment, you can forever honor your family, a loved one, a tutor, a mentor, or even a cherished text.
3. Document your intentions. When you are ready to finalize your gift, we will document your intentions in a signed gift agreement. Once established, your endowed fund will be used exclusively for the purposes outlined in the agreement.
4. Make your gift. The minimum gift to establish a named endowment is typically $50,000, and this amount can be given all at once, pledged over time, or planned through your estate. If you would like to endow a lecture, faculty study group, tutorship, or other initiative, the college asks that you consider a larger minimum gift. This is necessary to ensure that what you seek to sustain can indeed last forever.

   Please visit the How to Give page to explore your options for funding your gift, including wire transfers and gifts of stock. If you prefer to use a credit card, you can use our advanced giving form to make your gift, or a portion of your gift, online. When asked to select your area of support, choose “other” and type in the name of your fund.

   Once the minimum gift threshold has been reached, the entire gift will be permanently invested alongside the other funds in the St. John’s Endowment.

5. Witness your impact After your fund has been invested for one full year, the college will begin using the annual proceeds to support your stated priorities. Our development staff, whose mission is to care for you and your gift, will provide you with regular updates on the fund’s status, growth, and impact on the college.
6. Build your fund. Although prudent investment will enable your fund to grow over the long term, you can enhance those results by adding new gifts at any time. Our advanced giving form makes it easy to do so online.

Make an Enduring Gift of Any Size

The individual funds that make up the St. John’s Endowment are open to new gifts, and no minimum gift amount is necessary. Three funds are especially important because the income they generate can be used wherever it is needed: the Collegewide General Endowment, the Annapolis General Endowment, and the Santa Fe General Endowment.

To make a lasting contribution to the college without drawing from your current income, consider naming St. John’s in your will and directing your gift to one or more of the above funds. Your gift will have far-reaching impact and give the college maximum flexibility in meeting future needs—whatever those needs might be.