Endowments

Autumn at a cemetery with a copper-roofed gazebo surrounded by white columns and colorful foliage.

Creating opportunity, year after year, generation after generation.

The University of Tulsa’s endowment serves as a vital cornerstone for the long‑term strength and growth of our campus and community. Built through the generosity of donors, friends and alumni, it provides essential funding that advances the university’s mission and supports a wide range of priorities.

Earnings from the endowment help fund scholarships, faculty positions, research opportunities, academic programming and the development and maintenance of university facilities. Over time, this sustained support has transformed lives both on campus and beyond, offering students and alumni immersive educational experiences, career development resources and other meaningful opportunities.

31 Funds Established in 2025

10.7% 2025 Rate of Return

7.89% 10-year Rate of Return

Facts and Figures – FY 2025

Pie chart showing utulsa endowment investment allocation: 46% Private Equity, 14% Alternative Equities, 17% Equities, 15% Fixed Income, 8% Real Assets.

Pie chart showing utulsa endowments allocation: 31% scholarships, 27% faculty, 9% plant, 9% academic, 24% other.

Endowment Performance

Market Value Ten-Year Trend

Chart showing UTulsa endowments growth from $1.03B in 2015 to $1.34B in 2025.

Attending The University of Tulsa on a Presidential Scholarship set off a domino effect: from finding a community of driven, entrepreneurial and compassionate peers to co-founding my own company.
Abigail Chow Finance; Tulsa, OK

Endowment FAQs

What is an endowment?

An endowed fund is a gift held in perpetuity for the purpose of institutional support and growth. The endowment is the aggregated collection of all endowed funds gifted to the University by generous donors, of which many are dedicated to specific purposes defined by the donor. The gift principal (initial dollar amount) is invested, while a percentage of the fund’s current market value is released for direct spending on the selected endeavor.
How are the funds managed?

Each endowed fund is administered according to the provisions of a written agreement approved by the donor and the University at the time the fund is established. This agreement sets forth the name and purpose of the endowment and is developed through discussions with the donor in conjunction with Institutional Advancement.

Endowed funds are pooled for investment to contain costs and maximize returns. Separate accounting is maintained for each endowed fund to track growth, expenditures and additional contributions – thereby preserving the identity and purpose of each fund. The investment pool is overseen by the University’s Investment Committee, which employs the services of Investure, LLC, a leading investment firm, to actively manage the University’s Endowment Investments. Earnings in excess of the amount expended from each fund are retained in the fund to provide the basis for continued growth.
How can I establish an endowed fund?

A $100,000 minimum commitment is required to establish a new endowed fund that can be funded with a one-time gift, pledged over the course of five years, or deferred through a planned gift (bequest or estate gift).

Certain endowed gift types have minimum commitments greater than $100,000. Institutional Advancement is available to help you maximize the impact you can have through an endowed fund.

Please email development@utulsa.edu for assistance.
How do endowment funds work?
Putting it all together, here is an example of how endowment funds work:
- Establishing an endowment fund creates a partnership between yourself and The University of Tulsa that benefits students, faculty and the campus community across generations.
- Working with a development professional, you make a gift to The University of Tulsa to create a scholarship (for this example) endowment fund, which is documented through a gift agreement.
- Your gift is invested into the university endowment pool, which is managed by Investure, LLC.
- Investment earnings increase this scholarship endowment fund’s value.
- Each quarter, a percentage (approx. 5%) of this scholarship endowment fund’s value is distributed into a spendable account for this scholarship.
- Each year, the university awards a scholarship to a student(s) selected according to scholarship criteria you indicated in the gift agreement.
- This cycle continues year after year, generating investment income to be used for scholarships for decades to come.
How are endowment donors recognized?

The university recognizes donors who establish an endowment as members of the Chapman Legacy Society (CLS). All CLS members are honored with their names engraved in stone on Albert Plaza in front of McFarlin Library and are featured on the Chapman Legacy Society website.
How can I find out the status of my endowed fund?

Institutional Advancement provides donors of endowed funds with an annual financial report after the close of each fiscal year that details the financials of their specific endowed fund, in addition to information on the performance of the overall UTulsa endowment. Our fiscal year runs from July 1-June 30. For questions of more information about annual reporting please contact development@utulsa.edu.