Most of us tend to use a specific vocabulary, or set of words, among our friends and family groups, coworkers, and organizations we are involved with. Women's Fund of Central Indiana and Central Indiana Community Foundation (CICF) are no exception. One of the terms I struggled with when I first joined the Women's Fund team is fundamental to our work today and in the future:
endowment. A more sophisticated philanthropist would probably not be challenged by this word. I, however, rarely had a reason to use this term before, so here are some things I have learned.
An endowment is a permanent fund; the assets are invested to generate income and the principle is never spent, ensuring the permanence of the fund. This is different from giving to a specific organization at one moment in time, where a donation is usually spent within the same year.
While an endowment tends to grow in good economic times and shrink in bad ones, the investment is in the long term. Women's Fund is fortunate to have our endowment through CICF, especially in the current economy; our combined assets connect us to a more diverse investment pool than if we were on our own.
The needs of women and girls in central Indiana will change over time. To accomodate for these ever-changing needs, granting from the Women's Fund endowment will flexibly adapt over time. Our endowment grows over time thanks to donors who have long-term confidence in us. This growth allows more dollars to be granted back into the community every year. Women's Fund will proudly and responsibly steward these dollars for generations to come, thanks to our permanent, flexible endowment.
An endowment is a permanent fund; the assets are invested to generate income and the principle is never spent, ensuring the permanence of the fund. This is different from giving to a specific organization at one moment in time, where a donation is usually spent within the same year.
While an endowment tends to grow in good economic times and shrink in bad ones, the investment is in the long term. Women's Fund is fortunate to have our endowment through CICF, especially in the current economy; our combined assets connect us to a more diverse investment pool than if we were on our own. 
The needs of women and girls in central Indiana will change over time. To accomodate for these ever-changing needs, granting from the Women's Fund endowment will flexibly adapt over time. Our endowment grows over time thanks to donors who have long-term confidence in us. This growth allows more dollars to be granted back into the community every year. Women's Fund will proudly and responsibly steward these dollars for generations to come, thanks to our permanent, flexible endowment. 
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