The Shepherd University Foundation

Students, Faculty, and Programs

In our global community, it is easy to see how the importance of higher education will continue to increase in the coming years. As states continue to trim the budgets of public higher education institutions, tuition and fees grow to make up the difference. Students at our university must meet sometimes overwhelming expenses in order to complete their degree, so scholarship support has become more important than ever. The same financial burden holds true for our faculty and programs as state funding for higher education continues to decrease.

Giving Options

Scholarship, Program, and Faculty Excellence Endowments

Many donors choose to make gifts to one of our established named endowments. Endowments have been created to support most of our academic majors and programs. We welcome contributions of any amount to our scholarship funds.

Named endowments may be established through the Shepherd University Foundation to support student scholarships, academic programs, or faculty excellence. Charitable gifts to create named funds are permanently invested by the Foundation to provide a perpetual source of annual awards. Endowments may be established with a minimum gift of $25,000 to which donors may choose to pledge funding over a period of 3-5 years, or provide funding through a make a deferred gift. Deferred gifts include bequests or other planned gifts, such as naming the Foundation as the beneficiary of a trust, annuity, or insurance policy.

What’s an Endowment?

An endowment fund is one which receives private gifts which are permanently invested by the Shepherd University Foundation for the benefit of Shepherd University students, academic programs, faculty excellence and general University enhancement. These named endowed funds earn investment income, which is paid out each year to award recipients. The principal or corpus is retained for investment and growth. Over the years, hundreds of named endowed funds have been created by our donors. General endowments have also been created by the Foundation to support scholarships, faculty excellence, and general University enhancement. Gifts to these general endowments may be made in any amount. In this way, donors who wish to invest in the future may make an endowed gift without setting up a new named endowment.

The Shepherd University Foundation board of directors is responsible for managing all endowed funds. The board’s investment committee, following a board-approved investment policy, strives to earn the highest possible return while maintaining an appropriate level of risk. To accomplish this, the services of an external professional portfolio advisor and investment manager are utilized.

Endowment Opportunities

Named Endowed Fund $25,000.00
Endowed Chairs $300,000 to $1,000,000*
Endowed Professorships $150,000 to $300,000
Endowed Lectureships $50,000 to $150,000
Scholars $2,000 to $25,000**
*Higher sums may be required to establish Chairs in certain disciplines

**The Scholar position is used to help create Endowed Chairs, Professorships, and Lectureships.

Named Annual Scholarships or Program Funds

Donors can also give to or establish a named annual scholarship or program fund. Funds will be awarded each year that the donor contributes the dollar value of the scholarship or program. As with a named endowed scholarship, Shepherd University Foundation staff work with the donor to define the awarding parameters of the scholarship.

For assistance in creating an endowment or annual scholarship/program fund, please contact:

Sherri Janelle

Executive Vice President