Build the Endowment

Endowment growth is a priority. Augustana provides an education of enduring worth that is rooted in its mission, core values and a strong and growing institutional endowment. By creating endowed funds, donors committed to the university’s mission can support both their own values and university needs in perpetuity. Endowment is ultimately the most important guarantee of institutional excellence, generation after generation. Endowment growth positively impacts access, excellence and capacity.

An example of a named scholarship is the Prairie Sage Scholarship Endowment that helps students preserve and foster native cultures and art.

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At Augustana, we will increase scholarships, fund distinguished professorships and chairs, provide faculty and staff development, create new named funds to support and grow programs of distinction and high impact and provide other social and community experiences for all undergraduates.

Specific opportunities to support endowment priorities

  • Named Scholarships

Attracting an academically gifted student body is a competitive enterprise in higher education today. Cost is critical to the decision process for prospective students and families. Augustana is seeking major gift support to build permanent scholarship funding based on area of study, academic achievement, financial need, geography and student diversity, talent participation (such as the arts and athletics), study abroad and more.

  • Endowed Faculty Positions

Highest distinction is earned by top-performing professors who also demonstrate important leadership acumen. Augustana must compete and win in the national marketplace for faculty who will shape, nurture and lead our academic programs. Named gifts will fully support the appointment of endowed faculty positions like distinguished chairs and distinguished professorships for faculty who demonstrate exceptional scholarship and leadership.

  • Faculty & Staff Scholarship and Research

Annual earnings from this endowed fund will be available to support the continued scholarly, research and professional development opportunities for Augustana faculty and staff. Investing in our human capital is a major goal for the university. These faculty enhancement opportunities are integral to the quality of our students’ experiences.

  • Other Named Funds

Named funds will help us build excellence in areas such as academics, athletics, graduate and professional studies, international programs and the arts. Augustana looks to simultaneously preserve and nurture existing excellence while we develop new ideas to better serve our students and prepare them for success.

Please ask us about particular areas where you would consider making an investment that will have an impact on Augustana for years to come.


How to establish endowed funds

When you endow a fund, you may name it after yourself or in a way which honors mentors or loved ones.

You may establish an endowed scholarship or fund with a minimum gift of $25,000, an endowed professorship with a minimum gift of $1 million and an endowed faculty chair with a minimum gift of $3 million.

You may establish or support an endowed fund in several ways including:

Thank you for your interest in supporting Augustana and giving thought to how your gift will positively impact future generations of Vikings.

Contact a development director in the Office of Advancement to get started on this important partnership.