Gifts & Endowments
The university solicits and receives donations that further its mission of education, research, public service, and economic development. The University of Illinois Foundation (UIF) serves as the primary receiving point for gifts made to the university.
Gift funds are allocated based on the terms of the agreement signed between the donor and the university. Typically, donors are very specific about the uses of these funds. Examples may include scholarships for particular types of students in certain majors, endowed professorships in designated fields of study and for specific building projects.
An endowment is a gift fund designed to produce sustainable income through investment of the principal, which is maintained intact. Endowment funds are designated for specific purposes, and it would be a violation of the gift agreement to use the funds for any other purpose. State law also prohibits any movement of funding from endowments to other areas.