Establishing a fund

Support a specific area of the university

Whether you want to help a student, a program or a research initiative, establishing a fund is a fantastic way to support what you hold most dear. There are two types of funds that you, as a donor, can establish: annual funds or endowed funds.

Annual Funds

If you establish an annual fund, you will be providing annual support to UVic for a fixed period of time. Annual funds are most often established to provide funding for an annual student award or program funding for a faculty, school, department, centre, etc.. With a donation of $1,000 or more per year, for a minimum three-year commitment, you can establish a named annual fund that will provide direct support to your area of choice for each year you make a donation.

Endowed Funds

Endowments create meaningful legacies. They provide stable, dependable funding for UVic programs, students and faculty members.

Endowed gifts are invested by the University of Victoria Foundation. Through an endowment, a donor's vision and subsequent gift becomes a long-term investment that has far-reaching benefits for the university in perpetuity. Compared to annually funded gifts that have an immediate but short-term impact, endowments and their related benefits generate stable, long-term funding for donor-specified purposes, such as scholarships, fellowships, chairs, buildings, academic programs or the university’s greatest needs.

At this time, the minimum amount for establishing a named endowed fund is $25,000. You may create a new endowment in any faculty, unit, school, department or program at UVic. You can request that the fund be named for you, or in honour or in memory of a family member, friend, organization or colleague.

Donors may choose if any newly created endowments are invested in either the Main Investment Pool or in the Fossil Fuel Free Investment Pool:

• The Main Investment Pool (MIP) is a diversified investment pool that, on an asset class level, invests in Equities, Fixed Income, Real Estate and Infrastructure. 
• The Fossil Fuel Free Investment Pool (FFFIP) is an alternative investment pool option for donors who prefer to not have their endowed donations invested in companies directly involved in the extraction, processing and transportation of coal, oil or natural gas “fossil fuels” and excludes companies within the “Carbon Underground 200” list. Learn more about the FFFIP by reading the FAQs below.

The Foundation oversees both investment pools and is a signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI). It believes that responsible investing, taking environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into consideration, can have a positive effect on long-term financial performance and investment returns. More information about responsible investment can be found here.

For more information, please contact the Donor Relations Agreement Officer:
Phone: 250-721-8965, email: agree@uvic.ca

You may also contact the Development Officer for the faculty or area you wish to support.

The Fossil Fuel Free Investment Pool (FFFIP) - FAQs