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. Find out more about responsible investment with the foundation and donor investment options.
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
What is the Fossil Fuel Free Investment Pool (FFFIP)?
The 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.
What is the difference between the Fossil Fuel Free Fund (FFFF) and the Fossil Fuel Free Investment Pool (FFFIP)?
In 2016, the University of Victoria Foundation piloted a Fossil Fuel Free Fund (FFFF) to donors as an option for investing endowments. The FFFF was set up as an alternative investment pool from the Foundation’s Main Investment Pool that excluded investment instruments issued by companies with proven and probable thermal coal, oil or natural gas reserves as well as constituents using coal for power generation purposes.
Given the lack of available fossil fuel free fixed income instruments at the time, the fund was created as an equity-only fund. In 2019, the FFFF was updated to reflect that it was no longer a pilot and was established as a permanent diversified donor investment pool option.
However, the FFFF is not actually a fund, rather it is an investment pool. To avoid confusion, the name has been updated to the Fossil Fuel Free Investment Pool (FFFIP).
Is the FFFIP diversified and what company manages the investments?
The FFFIP is a diversified investment pool that, on an asset class level, invests in Equities and Fixed Income. The investment manager is Phillips, Hager and North.
How much money is required to establish an endowment through the FFFIP?
Like all of our endowments, at this time, a minimum of $25k is required to establish an endowment through the FFFIP.
How can donors support endowments invested in fossil fuel free investments with a gift smaller than $25k?
If donors wish to donate less than the minimum $25k required to establish an endowment, but still want their donation to support endowments invested in fossil fuel free investments, they can direct their gifts to existing endowments invested in the FFFIP. One option is the Campus Sustainability Fund Endowment.
What is the Campus Sustainability Fund Endowment?
The Campus Sustainability Fund Endowment is one of the existing endowments in the FFFIP. It is an endowment established by UVic that provides UVic staff, faculty and students with financial assistance to carry out sustainability initiatives on campus. Campus Planning and Sustainability manages the application process.
Are there any other endowments invested in the FFFIP?
There are several other endowments invested in the FFFIP, which were established with a gift of $25,000+ to support specific programs.
What is the payout rate of endowments established in the FFFIP?
The payout rate of the endowments is currently 4%, a rate set and reviewed annually by the Foundation Board.
If I choose to establish an endowment in the Main Investment Pool instead of the FFFIP, will the investments be unethical?
The Foundation and all investment managers for the MIP and FFFIP are signatories to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI). The UNPRI sets out six principles that provide a global standard for responsible investing as it relates to environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) factors. Organizations follow these principles to meet commitments to beneficiaries while aligning investment activities with the broader interests of society.
Where can I get more information?
For more information, please contact the Donor Relations Agreement Officer.
Phone: 250-721-8965, email: agree@uvic.ca