What is an endowment?
An endowment is a permanent “trust” account established by a donor. It is based on an initial gift that in turn provides annual income earnings generated by investment of the principal. The gift from the donor is deposited by DSHA into a special account. The endowment principal earns investment income to benefit the school. Endowed funds provide financial resources to DSHA in perpetuity. DSHA has fiduciary responsibility for the management of endowed funds. Formal investment and spending policies enacted by the DSHA Board of Directors provide for both growth of earned income and allocation of funds for expenditures of the school.