Endowment Radar Study 2025: A Widening Divide

Endowments are more than just financial reserves—they are strategic resources that empower higher education institutions to navigate and adapt to mounting political and operational pressures. The 2025 Endowment Radar Study reveals a widening divide: well-endowed institutions have more capacity to deliver their mission, while those with smaller endowments face growing financial vulnerability. The Endowment Radar […]

March 2026

Higher Endowment Spending Needed for Some in Challenging Environment

A recent Cambridge Associates survey of 104 endowments and foundations reveals that most institutions are adhering to their endowment spending policies, with 80% following policy in 2025 and 81% expected to do so in 2026. However, a notable minority—15% in 2025 and 14% anticipating in 2026—are spending beyond policy, primarily due to federal funding cuts […]

October 2025

Video: Endowment/Foundation Excise Taxes

Margaret Chen, Global Head of the Endowment and Foundation Practice, hosted a webinar in August to discuss endowment/foundation excise tax legislation and key takeaways from the legislative process. Margaret was joined by Tracy Filosa and Chris Houston, who shared insights on the legislation, answered questions, and examined what next steps investors can take, even if […]

August 2025

New Taxes on Endowments and Foundations? Four Steps to Take Now

New tax provisions in legislation recently passed by the US House of Representatives (the House Bill) would impose millions of dollars of new costs on many colleges, universities, and private foundations, if enacted. We recommend four steps nonprofit organizations can consider right now, without being too hasty, to ensure they are well-prepared and responsive should […]

June 2025

Endowment Radar Study 2024: Why Colleges and Universities Have Endowments

The initial months of 2025 have been extraordinary for higher education. Colleges and universities are facing questions about their missions, policies, curricula, and why they have endowments. While endowment wealth is in the headlines and crosshairs, the purpose of endowments can be lost, under the radar one might say. The 2024 Endowment Radar Study highlights […]

March 2025

The Divestment Question: Focus on Governance

“Divest now!” Passionate voices are demanding distance between the endowment and investments that can be connected to war and human suffering. Divestment campaigns may seek to influence change, take an ethical investing stance, and/or ensure that the capital of the institution they care about does not fund or profit from a cause or actions they […]

May 2024

Endowment Radar Study 2023: Endowment Dependence Grows with Higher Costs

Higher costs and higher rates of endowment spending are the major story lines of the 2023 Endowment Radar Study. In 2023, the endowment provided a stable source of funding for the growing costs of private college and university business model (Figure 1). The four components of Endowment Radar measure the endowment’s role in supporting the […]

March 2024

The Transformative Public University Endowment

In today’s dynamic funding and operating environment, a lot is at stake for public colleges and universities and their endowments. The public university endowment is more than a static funding source; with strong stewardship, a growing endowment can transform a university’s financial equation. The most forward-thinking public universities use their endowments for far more than […]

January 2024