The Backbone of Excellence

Endowments are special because they are permanent. Each gift is invested - never spent - and the proceeds are used as the donor directs.

Endowments at RecSports are a sound investment in a better future. They can be used to offer scholarships, support professional development, maintain and update facilities, and create or support special programs. At the same time, selecting the title of an endowment lets donors forever link their names, or those of family members, friends, or organizations, to excellence at the University.

Funding Opportunities

There are many endowment opportunities and funding levels available. Choosing what your endowed gift will support is simply a matter of selecting a program that matches your interests. Endowments can be established with cash gifts, securities or other property, or may be funded with a series of gifts made over time. They may also be funded through a bequest or other deferred gift, or through a combination of lifetime and deferred gifts.

Earnings will be awarded once the endowment reaches the minimum required funding level and after the funds have been invested one fiscal year. Because the principal of the endowment is never spent, such a gift represents an enduring tribute to the person honored by the fund.

You may take up to five years to fund an endowment, and once it is officially established, you or anyone else may continue to add to its principal at any time.

Individual Endowments

Alumni, friends and other loyal UT supporters may endow gifts to benefit RecSports. Endowed gifts provide a continued source of assistance for students and staff, and create a lasting legacy for the donor. Endowment funds are named at the donor’s request, whether in their names, in honor of loved ones or in tribute to a special UT student or faculty/staff member.

Group and Honorary Endowments

Similar to individual endowments, group endowments represent a commitment to the future of UT RecSports. Groups with a common Longhorn bond often choose to create endowments in their name. Graduating classes, academic units, alumni and spirit groups, and those who share a common UT staff mentor can make a gift in honor of that connection.

Many donors also find it rewarding to contribute funds in honor of a loved one or special individual. If you would like to make your gift in honor or memory of another person — or if you wish to give in another's name – just let us know the details. If a gift is made in memory of someone who has passed away, RecSports will notify their family of any gifts made in tribute. If a gift is made in honor of someone’s life or career, they will be notified of any gifts unless the donor requests anonymity. The RecSports staff is happy to carry out your wishes.

Corporate Matching Gifts

Please review the corporate matching gifts information to find out how you can double or triple your endowment gift to RecSports.

Endowment Types and Minimums

Gifts of scholarships and fellowships make it possible for The Division of Recreational Sports to reward and support the best undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of their financial circumstances.  You can make a difference by contributing to an existing scholarship, or establishing a new endowment in the area of your choice. Various types of endowments are listed below, but endowments can cover other purposes that may fall outside of these general categories:

• Student scholarships enable RecSports to recognize the best undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of their financial circumstances. Your assistance allows students to concentrate on their coursework while also participating more fully in extracurricular programs that will enhance their personal development. The minimum gift level is $25,000 for an undergraduate scholarship and $50,000 for a graduate fellowship. The prestigious Endowed Presidential Scholarship, for undergraduates, carries a minimum gift level of $50,000, and the Endowed Presidential Fellowship, for graduate students, carries a minimum gift level of $100,000.
  
• Program Endowments and Excellence Funds support excellence in specific or general programs throughout RecSports. You can choose to support the area in which you participated such as Sport Clubs or Outdoor Recreation Programs. The minimum gift level is $25,000.

Endowment Recognition

Donors who support RecSports through endowments qualify for membership in UT's prestigious giving societies, which recognize those whose generous and thoughtful actions today will strengthen RecSports far into the future.

To explore the creation of a named Life Endowment or if you have any questions, please contact Chris Maguire in the RecSports Development Office at 512-475-7401 or friends@utrecsports.org.

History 101

William Jennings Bryan established the University's first endowment in 1898 - an annual $25 award to the student who wrote the best essay about the science of government. The famed attorney and politician knew that people who understood political science and government made better citizens, and he wanted students to strive for excellence. The tradition of endowments began with Bryan and continues today with donors who know that when they establish an endowment at the University they too are shaping a better future for Texas and the nation.

Destiny is not a matter of chance; but a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved. - William Jennings Bryan