25 E. Washington Street, Suite 1500

Chicago, Illinois 60602

312.580.1840

www.esc-chicago.org

info@esc-chicago.org

Endowment Planning

As the "Boomer generation" begins to retire, vast numbers of Americans are increasingly focusing on longer-term financial planning. This is true for people still far from retirement as well. Nonprofits are also thinking about the long term, and for a growing number, creating an endowment fund is the right thing to do.

Even with ups-and-downs in the stock market, investing in an endowment is always a good idea. Creating and growing this revenue source helps significantly in relieving some of the ever-building pressure to solicit and secure annual contributions in an increasingly competitive fundraising climate.

Establishing an endowment is not as daunting as it may seem. Creating this permanent source of operating revenue is something that needs to be done well and correctly. ESC can help organizations of any size either create a new endowment or revitalize an existing one through a step-by-step process for engaging donors and establishing results.

An ESC Endowment Planning team works with the board and staff of a client organization, walking them through a customized volunteer-driven program tailored to an individual organization’s needs and situation. For a cost far below – but with results similar to – those of the top-tier capital fundraising consulting firms, ESC helps create an endowment that is modest in cost and easy to maintain. To do so, ESC guides a client in:

• Preparing a vision and a strategic plan for growing an endowment, including outlining what will be its impact, as well as how to maintain and increase it
• Establishing key policies and considering investment strategies and methods
• Ensuring engagement from boards of directors, key donors, staff and other stakeholders
• Creating marketing literature and other messaging for attracting prospective donors in the short term, and laying the groundwork for future relationship-building and giving