Access, Opportunity & Excellence for All Generations
“Our endowment enables Santa Clara to reinforce our institution’s foundation and advance our mission for generations to come.”
President Julie Sullivan
Understanding the Endowment
Santa Clara University’s endowment is an invested collection of donations—approximately 1,000 gifts—that have been made to SCU over many decades.
The endowment is the permanent pool of capital, invested for growth to ensure the University can support and provide the same excellent quality educational experience to students and faculty of today, tomorrow, and for generations to come. No proceeds from tuition or fees go into the endowment.
Most gifts made to the endowment are restricted to support a specific purpose, for example, financial aid for students, endowed professorships, academic programs, etc. Some gifts are unrestricted, and can be used by the University to support critical university needs. These gifts are pooled together and invested in a diversified portfolio of assets.
Impact
How the Endowment Supports SCU.
Each year, an amount—currently approximately 4.5%—generated from the endowment’s investment income is distributed to the university for purposes including:
- Scholarships for students and student-athletes.
- Endowed professorships, which defray overall faculty salary costs and help recruit and retain exceptional faculty.
- Programs and other student-serving operations, such as student travel programs, annual award programs, or research projects.
- Other Needs: The endowment can help cover critical university needs, such as upgrading or repairing facilities.
Endowment Expenditures
Long-term Trust
Dedicated donors supply the funds for the endowment’s mission and purpose.
The endowment is funded by gifts from donors who support and want to uphold the university’s mission and purpose in the world. The majority (86%) of the funds are restricted, that is, they are given with the expectation that the returns will be spent for very distinct, donor-specified purposes. The remaining, unrestricted funds can be invested in order to benefit areas the University deems most important.
23rd best 10-year return among U.S. colleges and universities with $1 billion+ endowments.
National Association of College and University Business Officers
Investing the Endowment
By policy, the endowment is invested to achieve the goals set by donors or meet the University's needs, while aiming to maximize long-term returns. This helps ensure the endowment can meet or exceed its annual payouts.
Learn More About Our Investment ApproachInvestment Policies & Regulation
The Board of Trustees oversees the endowment and SCU. It delegates oversight to the Investment Committee and VP of finance, while the Investment Office manages daily operations based on the Investment Policy Statement approved by the Board.
Understand Our Policies & Regulation
Frequently Asked Questions
Our FAQ section covers the most common questions about how investments are managed, where funds come from, and why we prioritize impact in our investing.
Get Your Questions Answered
Contact Us
Finance & Administration
408-554-4300
vpfa@scu.edu
Santa Clara University
Walsh Administration
500 El Camino Real
Santa Clara, CA 95053-0890