The Coronavirus, Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act changes the limitations on charitable giving in 2020 to encourage individuals and corporations to make cash contributions to public charities such as universities, schools, churches and hospitals. Click here to learn more.

Endowments are permanently restricted funds. The principal amount of the gift remains intact and is invested for long-term growth; investment earnings are used for the specified purpose of the fund. Donors establish endowments to ensure that their charitable purpose is served in perpetuity.

Belmont University establishes a board-designated endowed fund mirroring the purpose of your gift. On a quarterly basis, the University transfers one dollar to this “mirror” account for every match-eligible dollar received during the year.

While your total commitment (pledge) may be used to determine match eligibility, only payments received are matched.

Endowed scholarships and mission funds require a principle balance of $25,000 or more for activation. Minimums for other endowments are as follows:

Endowed Professorship: $500,000
Endowed Chair: $1,500,000

Yes. A new endowment need not be established, as long as all other eligibility requirements are met.

Contributions must be received by Belmont University no later than June 30 (or March 31 for a newly established fund) to receive endowment earnings and to be included in the Fund’s three-year rolling average for endowment payout calculations.

Yes. Investment earnings are based on the total of your payments and We Believe matches.

For new endowed funds to “pay out” in the form of scholarships, mission awards, professorships, etc., they must meet two requirements:

• The endowed fund must be three years old with accrued earnings available for spending.
• The endowed fund must have a three year rolling average of $25,000 or more.

To promote endowment growth, the We Believe match is treated like permanently restricted principle and may not be repurposed for early awards or payouts.

The match minimum applies to a single outright gift or pledge to a single fund.

While the We Believe match doubles the impact of your generosity, you will continue to be recognized only for your personal philanthropic contributions.

Annual giving comprises all philanthropic participation from alumni, parents, faculty, staff, friends and organizations throughout the calendar year. Donors who made gifts of any amount in each of the past two calendar years are celebrated as members of the Belmont Faithful and are recognized for the sum of consecutive years in which they have made a gift.

Donors giving to the Belmont Annual Fund allow their unrestricted support to be used to meet the evolving and most immediate needs of the University and our students. A gift to the Annual Fund allows for flexibility in allocating philanthropic contributions to the area of greatest need.

Donors may choose to designate their gifts to restricted funds. These may include, but are not limited to, the College and School general funds, scholarship funds, faculty support, Belmont Athletics, and missions funds. Gifts made to restricted funds are used solely in alignment with fund guidelines.

Consistent annual giving promotes world-class academic programming in an undeniably Christian environment that fosters student success rooted in our values of integrity, inquiry, collaboration, service, and humility. Quite literally, every part of Belmont benefits from your support.

Every gift, no matter the size, enables our faculty and students to fulfill our mission to transform the world through disciplined intelligence, courage, compassion, and faith. The most fundamental impact is on the teaching and learning enterprise as we strive to retain our student-centered educational approach in the classroom.

Many donors choose to make unrestricted gifts, which allow contributions to be allocated to the areas of greatest need. Alternatively, many give to the area or areas to which they feel most connected. Schools and Colleges, scholarships, athletics, and mission trips are popular choices.

The percentage of alumni who choose to give has a profound impact on the University. Most importantly, our students benefit when alumni give back. Alumni giving also serves as a measure of institutional satisfaction to outside organizations such as U.S. News and World Report, which uses the percentage in its ranking decisions. Similarly, foundations and corporations that support higher learning institutions often consider alumni giving percentage in their funding decisions.

When it comes to helping students, every gift makes a big difference. The cumulative power of alumni giving is especially impactful: support at all levels combines to provide critical support for the programs and learning experiences that set Belmont apart from our peers.

Many companies will match your gift to the University, thereby doubling or sometimes tripling your contribution. To see if your employer is a matching company, please visit our Matching Gift Company Search.

There are many ways to support Belmont.

• Volunteering in one of the many yearly service opportunities
• Recommending a student to Belmont
• Creating internship/employment opportunities
• Attending student events and performances on campus and across the country

These are just several of the many ways to get involved, some of which take just a few minutes of your time. To learn more, please contact the Alumni Office. We appreciate your support.