Endowment Opportunities

An endowment is a permanent fund that supports the College’s activities in perpetuity by utilizing only a percentage of the fair market value each year. That percentage is used for the purpose specified by you, the donor, and excess earnings are retained. As a permanent fund, an endowment is the most important element in protecting against the negative effects of economic downturns and in strengthening the learning and living environment for not only today’s students but for future generations of students. The Converse College Board of Trustees has set different minimum funding levels for different types of endowments. Sample endowment funding opportunities are listed below.

Need-Based Scholarships

Converse College makes every effort to assure that the students who will most benefit from a Converse education can afford to study here. Judged on merit alone, ability to pay is not a consideration for admission. For the admitted student and her family, however, lack of ability to pay is in many cases the deciding factor in which school the student ultimately chooses to attend. With the total cost of a four-year undergraduate degree at Converse now exceeding $100,000, a number of Converse undergraduate students receive need-based aid. A Converse education should be available to every capable and committed student, and a generous scholarship can provide these students with the opportunity to join the Converse community. A named scholarship may be endowed for $25,000 or more. Contributions of any amount may be added to an existing scholarship at any time.

Merit-Based Scholarships

Young women with distinctive academic, artistic and/or athletic abilities are aggressively recruited by top-tier colleges and universities. Many of these students want—and deserve—a Converse education. In recent years, Converse has lost highly-qualified admitted students to peer institutions because of more generous scholarship offers at those places. In order to reach top students in this competitive environment, Converse must continue to expand our endowment for merit scholarships. A gift of $25,000 or more will provided a named endowed fund. Upon funding at this minimum level, additional contributions of any amount may be made at any time.

Faculty Support

Committed faculty members are core to Converse’s educational mission. In their direct, close interaction with students, these caring, passionate and dedicated individuals are on the front line with the College’s students—teaching, mentoring, counseling and above all sharing their intellectual enthusiasm. Endowed funds for faculty support underwrite professors’ teaching and ongoing research projects and offset start-up costs associated with new faculty appointments. Contributions of any amount may be added to an existing scholarship at any time.

Programming

Many ongoing special programs are funded by endowments. Research projects, internships, lectures, campus-wide learning activities and more are funded through endowments created by specific ongoing programs. With a minimum funding requirement of $25,000, the size of the endowment required is dictated by the goals of the program.

Converse’s named endowed funds.

Show your support and make a gift today!