Endowments

The nation’s best universities also are its best-endowed universities. Endowments provide an institution financial strength, enabling it to make strategic investments in people and undertake important initiatives. By producing income in perpetuity, endowed gifts are critical to the long-term success of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

An endowment is a fund of money in which the principal is held in perpetuity and invested, and from which an organization may use only the return on investment. The Arizona State University Foundation manages the Cronkite School’s endowment funds.

The ASU Foundation’s current endowment policy stipulates that an endowment fund pays out 4 percent of its principal, with any additional income returned to the principal to offset the effects of inflation.

Through the generosity of many thoughtful donors and the competent fund management of the ASU Foundation, the Cronkite School has built a $5 million endowment. The school’s leadership has set a goal to triple the endowment size by 2012.

By creating an endowment and investing in the Cronkite School’s future, donors make a difference that will last beyond their lifetimes. For the donor, endowing a faculty position, student scholarship or academic program provides a concrete, permanent link to the continued academic excellence of the Cronkite School.

Endowed Faculty Positions
No one factor is more important in determining the quality of a journalism school than the quality of its faculty. One of the most powerful tools for attracting and retaining award-winning professional journalists and pre-eminent scholars is an endowed chair or professorship. For the faculty member, an endowed position represents an important recognition of professional or scholarly excellence and provides an important source of funding for research endeavors. Endowed faculty positions also benefit students by giving them the opportunity to study under prominent experts in the field.

The Cronkite School currently has three endowed faculty positions:

Knight Chair in Computer Assisted Journalism

Frank E. Russell Chair in Business and Journalism

Weil Family Professorship

Endowed Scholarships
One of the Cronkite School’s top priorities is ensuring all students with academic potential have access to higher education. Educating nearly 2,000 journalism majors and pre-majors, the Cronkite School is one of the largest journalism programs in the nation, and plays a prominent role in training tomorrow’s media leaders. Scholarships established by donors help more than 100 students each year realize their academic and professional dreams.

Endowed Program Support
Specialized academic programs instill distinction into institutions of higher education. These programs—such as the school’s William Randolph Hearst Endowment for Visiting Professors—often rely on an annual infusion of sustainable philanthropic dollars or their future is jeopardized. By endowing a program, donors ensure its continued existence.