ENDOWMENTS
WHY AN ENDOWMENT? Endowments are the hallmark of St. Johns
River State College Foundation and the
cornerstone of our lasting impact to the
communities we serve.
An endowment fund is a permanent, self sustaining source of funding. Endowment
assets are invested annually, and a portion
of the earnings is paid out for the purpose
of the fund with the remainder being
used to build the fund’s market value.
In this way, an endowment fund can grow and provide support for its designated purpose in perpetuity.
When you establish an endowment fund,
you create a permanent legacy of support
for SJR State.
ENDOWED GIVING MINIMUMS
Named Endowment Fund $25,000 Note: College minimums may varyENDOWMENTS STORIES
Many of our donors turned their passion into legacies through the SJR State Foundation. Tom Hyers, Elizabeth McLean Hyers and Tom Hunter created the endowment after visiting class reunion websites and discovering the number of alumni who began their postsecondary education at St. Johns River State College. Donor stories
If you would like to learn more about establishing an Endowment or joining the Legacy Society, please call Brian Bergen, Executive Director of Foundation at (386) 312-4222 or email at .
Endowments may be established by individuals,
corporations, social groups, estates, charitable
organizations, families, friends and other
entities. Wherever possible, an endowment
must designate an individual as a donor
representative with whom the Foundation can
communicate gifts, policies and revisions.
In the case of the endowment being
established to fund a scholarship, a separate
Scholarship Agreement will be completed.
Annual scholarships provide a yearly award to
students who meet the criteria established by
you and the College. Scholarship endowments
enable you to create a scholarship in perpetuity.
A minimum donation of $25,000.00 is required
to establish an endowment within the SJR
State Foundation. The principal is invested,
and a portion of the return is used each year
to support the scholarship.
Governance and oversight of the endowment’s
investments are paramount to the College’s
mission to advance education, service and
discovery. The executive board and finance
committees of the SJR State Foundation are
vigilant in providing continuous and rigorous
oversight of policies, procedures, controls
and investment management.
The finance
committee performs quarterly reviews
of investment performance and annual
approvals of endowment administrative
policies, investment benchmarks and asset
allocations. Endowment expenditures are
regularly audited by both the Foundation
staff and the College’s annual Audit, with
audit reports reviewed and approved by the
audit committee.
The endowment is invested by the SJR State Foundation, in partnership with Capital City Trust and governed by a volunteer board of professionals. In order to preserve the purchasing power of both principal and withdrawals made available for spending, the long-term annualized total rate of return objective for the SJR State Foundation is inflation plus 5 percent. A minimum rate of return equal to the rate of inflation is required to preserve the real purchasing power of the Foundation, and the additional 5 percent is required to provide for spending.
The Foundation invests each endowment into
an investment-pooled fund. Each endowed
fund is administered with specific purposes
established by donors in accordance with the
policies set forth by the board. Endowed funds
are carefully established by gift agreements
clearly documenting donor intent.
The
SJR State Foundation shall hold, manage,
administer and distribute endowments, and
shall have the full right of sale, investment and
reinvestment. Each endowment is structured
with a principal fund and a spendable fund.
The principal fund is invested with Capital City
Trust in the endowment pool and generates
spending transfers that are made available in
the spendable fund to drive donor impact.
Each year, the Foundation provides donors
with detailed endowment reports and letters
from students. New endowed gifts are invested
quarterly, with the first spendable transfer
occurring at the end of its first invested year.
Annually, each endowment fund will be
reviewed by the SJR State Foundation.
At least
every other year, the Foundation will review the
criteria and performance of the endowment
with the donor and make recommendations
for changes in regulatory changes as a result
of these reviews.
Governance of the endowment fund will
revert to the SJR State Foundation if inactivity
of the donor representative or organization
has occurred, or if the donor has been
deceased for at least one year and no other
representative has been designated.
Each endowment generates an annual payout based on the spending rate established by the finance committee and board. The payout rate is currently 5 percent of each endowment’s spending base, which is a policy calculation.
Endowments are the surest way to safeguard SJR State’s endurance to engage, educate and serve communities and families for generations to come. They provide a perpetual source of financial stability that ensures the continuance and growth of vital programs.
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