Bequest & Endowment Program
A Program With Far-reaching Benefits
Recognizes and names its contributors
- Allows contributors to make a significant impact through a pooled fund
- Ensures academic excellence throughout Capitol College's future
Bequest and Endowment Fund
The newly created Bequest and Endowment Fund is a flexible program that will allow the alumni and friends of Capitol College to contribute to the college's endowment at any level. The endowment ensures continuing excellence by supporting new programs, innovative ideas, and providing scholarship support. Contributions to the endowment fund are invested to ensure the perpetuity of the endowment while providing the college with income each year.
History of Capitol College's Endowment - Continued Growth
The first endowment was established in 1983 with a gift for the Avrum Gudelsky Memorial Scholarship. Since that time, the college has received endowment gifts from individuals, families, corporations and foundations. This investment policy has allowed the endowment to grow and the endowment now stands at over $2,000,000. Recently, Capitol College completed the Millennium Society Endowed Scholarship Fund Campaign, which added $1,100,000 to the corpus of the endowment. Once the outstanding pledges are paid, the endowment will stand at over $2,800,000.
How the Program Works
These monies are invested conservatively in the Common Fund, which was established to manage college and university endowments. Each year, five percent of the market value of the endowment is disbursed to support the college's programs while the remainder is reinvested to protect the corpus of the contribution.
The college will disburse five percent of the total fund each year to support a program selected by the department chairs and Executive Council at Capitol College. Once an individual's fund exceeds $25,000, his or her endowment will be separated from the pooled fund and recognized as a singular endowment. At that time, the donor will be contacted with the option of selecting a focus for the named endowment, such as academic or scholarship support and library resources.
Ways to Contribute
The Bequest and Endowment Fund offers our alumni and friends several ways to contribute to the endowment.
- Any individual may include Capitol College in his/her estate planning via their Will. These gifts may be pledged to the endowment and contributed at such time as the Will is executed.
- Alumni and friends may join this fund by making a pledge of at least $5,000, which may be contributed over five years.
- Alumni and friends may contribute a gift of $100 or more each year to the endowment. The first gift, compounded with additional gifts and interest, will grow substantially over many years. For example, a gift of $100 each year for the next 15 to 20 years would produce a fund of more than $2,000, therefore providing the college with $100 in income in the individual's name in perpetuity.