Endowments: They're Not Just for the Ivy League Any More

By Cindy Pearson

Forty years ago, during the ferment of the second wave of the women’s movement, many organizations were created -- including NWHN. Few, if any, of these newly created organizations thought about establishing funds to support their permanent existence. Most social change organizations are created by a small group of dedicated volunteers who want to make change immediately, and their organizational plans don’t tend to include ways to ensure they will have enough money to exist for decades. But, all these years after its founding, the work that NWHN was created to do is still relevant and our voice is still needed. We realize that the Network must ensure its financial sustainability for the long haul, and creating an endowment is one step in that direction.

What is an endowment? It’s a permanent fund whose income supports an organization and its goals. We often hear about the large endowments that Ivy League institutions such as Harvard and Yale have, which provide millions of dollars each year. But any non-profit can benefit from endowments, including NWHN. Usually an organization’s Board of Directors sets guidelines for its endowments, instructing that those gifts be safely invested and only allowing use of the endowment’s interest. Endowment gifts can be given to support the general work of an organization, or they can be given to fund a specific program, as is the case with the Eunice Corfman Internship Fund.

We are delighted to have received our first endowment, and we encourage other NWHN supporters to consider making such a gift to the Network. Doing so leaves a lasting legacy and gives you the satisfaction of knowing that your contribution will continue to make a difference far into the future. For more information about endowment gifts, contact Jill Battalen, Director of Individual Giving, at jbattalen@nwhn.org, or by phone at 202.347.1140.