Demystifying Endowments

Endowments allow colleges and universities, like other public and charitable organizations, to fund a portion of their work continuously, generation after generation. The ways in which these funds have been solicited from donors, applied to expenses, and stewarded over time are ultimately unique to each institution, and public misconceptions have proliferated on each of these points. Hear from Sandy Baum, a nonresident fellow at the Urban Institute and trustee of Bryn Mawr College, explain why endowments exist, what they provide to institutions and students, and why they are at risk.