Endowments are a very useful fundraising product to ensure a tennis program’s future and may also protect a program from being canceled.

For example: A donor provides the tennis program with a $50,000 endowment. The money is invested and the principle is not touched. A portion of the interest would go into the tennis program each year and the other portion of the interest goes back into the endowment to allow it grow at a greater rate than inflation. Many universities allow endowments to be created for $25,000 or less and the money to be paid over five years. Check with your university’s development office for their respective policy and procedures.

The endower can be recognized various ways (honorary recipient each year at a luncheon, court naming rights, or a listing in the school development publication). An endowment is very stimulating for a donor because it stays with the university forever. A memorandum of understanding (MOM) can be generated to ensure the endowment is designated for tennis.

An endowment could also be established for a local tennis icon in a respective area. For example many local and people nationally would contribute to the Bob Mapes endowment for Texas A&M C.C. Bob has done some great things for that area and recognizing him within their athletic dept would be a great honor.

So when the A.D. is forced to cut back in the athletic dept. and the tennis program has endowment history it will make it extremely difficult to cut a program that have or show signs of endowments.