Endowments at Oklahoma City University
Endowments are gifts that benefit Oklahoma City University and its students forever. A gift to create an endowment establishes a fund that is invested and generates income in the markets. A conservative portion of the proceeds, approved by the Board of Trustees each year, is spent for the purpose that you designate. The principal of the investment always remains in tact unless you specify otherwise.
Most scholarships at OCU are endowed. This type of gift can also establish endowed professorships and chairs, support programs and infrastructure, and more.
You may create endowments with gifts of cash, securities and other assets. You may make an outright gift or an estate gift.
“Thank you for your financial assistance and allowing me an opportunity to pursue my education. Scholarships allowed me to be a full-time student and a full-time mother. A school as prestigious as Oklahoma City University is not something I thought I would even be able to consider. However, the generosity of all the donors has proven me wrong. I look forward to the day that I can pay it forward and help other people feel the honor that I have felt to be blessed with scholarships.”
—April Galindo-Liongco, Accounting Graduate
Choosing the Purpose of Your Gift
When you establish an endowment at OCU, you decide how the funds will be used. That could be scholarships or professorships, or your endowment could sustain an ongoing program or provide a fund for changing areas of greatest need.
Others choose to endow their annual gift, making it possible for us to carry out our mission year after year. This allows you to support the university in a meaningful and reliable way even after your death.
The purpose of your endowment gift is up to you, but we request that you consult with us in advance to confirm that we will be able to meet the stipulations of your gift. This also allows you to meet with OCU leaders and discuss ways your gift could strategically advance the university. We will prepare an endowment agreement between you and OCU, specifying the terms of your gift and ensuring your wishes are known and met. Changes can be made later through an amendment to the original agreement.
Naming an Endowment Fund
In creating an endowment, you have the opportunity to attach your name or the name of someone or something special to you to the project, program, scholarship, or other cause to be funded. This enables us to honor and remember you or a loved one in perpetuity. Your gift becomes a lasting tribute and establishes a permanent link between the past and the future of Oklahoma City University.
If you are considering a memorial gift, please let us know. We will be happy to work with you.
Minimum Endowment Amount
A minimum gift of $25,000 is required to establish an endowed scholarship; this amount may be paid right away or pledged and paid over a five-year period. Until the fund reaches $25,000, all earnings are reinvested in the fund and no awards will be made. After reaching the minimum threshold, the fund is invested for one year to generate earnings to fund the cause you specified. Please contact University Advancement at 405-208-7000 or [email protected] for details about other types of endowments.
How to Get Started
Please contact the Office of University Advancement at [email protected] or 405-208-7000. We can answer your questions without obligation, work in conjunction with your financial advisors, and assist you in meeting your philanthropic goals. Endowments are one option for making an enduring impact on OCU. We are happy to talk through additional options, as well.
