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Supporting Brooklyn College in its mission to provide affordable access to excellent higher education

Guidelines for Naming a Restricted Fund

Temporarily Restricted (TR)

Temporarily Restricted (TR) funds may be established with gifts of $10,000 or more. TR funds are not invested with the Foundation’s endowment, and thus, do not exist in perpetuity. It is the policy of the Brooklyn College Foundation that each TR fund has a shelf-life of five years, meaning the fund must be spent-down or endowed at $25,000 within five years of its inception. Funds from a TR fund may be used immediately for the purpose of the fund. Gifts of $10,000 or more may be used to finance the following:

  • Scholarships
  • Awards
  • Departmental / Programmatic Funds

Endowed Funds

Endowed (or permanently restricted) funds may be established with gifts of $25,000 or more. Endowed scholarships require a minimum investment of $100,000. Endowed funds are pooled together and invested by the Brooklyn College Foundation (BCF) under the professional supervision of the Investment Committee of the BCF Board of Trustees. The principal (corpus) of an endowed fund is preserved and protected by the BCF. BCF will not spend below the original gifted value of an endowed fund. Each endowed fund earns an annual payout (currently set at 4% of principal), which is used to finance the purpose of the fund.

Quasi-endowed Funds

Quasi-endowed (or sinking) funds may be established with gifts of $25,000 or more. Quasi-endowed funds are pooled together and invested with the BCF’s endowment. They are administered exactly the same way as endowed funds except in any given year when the market value of a quasi-endowed fund falls below its gifted value (during a period of market decline). When this occurs and the fund fails to earn interest, the BCF has the authority to invade the principal to provide a pre-set annual payout in an amount equivalent to the payout approved annually by the Foundation's Board of Trustees (currently set at 4% of principal). This ensures that the purpose of the fund is fulfilled, regardless of the state of the market.

Gift Levels

Both Endowed and Quasi-endowed funds may be used to finance the following:

Gifts of $25,000 and up:

  • Awards
  • Prizes
  • Internships
  • Travel Stipends
  • Departmental/Programmatic funds
  • Time off for faculty research

Gifts of $100,000 and up:

  • All listed in previous section
  • Scholarships
  • Presidential Scholarships
  • Fellowships

Gifts of $1,000,000 and up:

  • All listed in previous sections
  • Professorships

Gifts of $1,500,000 and up:

  • All listed in previous sections
  • Endowed chair

Brooklyn College Foundation Presidential Scholarship Program

Alumni and friends who make a restricted contribution of $100,000 or more are able to establish a named Presidential Scholarship. These scholarships offer up to $4,000 for each of four years of study. They ensure access to world-class professors and top-quality courses and programs.