Private support has allowed Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center to build upon its commitment to excellence in patient care, medical education, and research. The generosity of those who give makes a vital difference in our ability to fulfill this important mission.  Donors may create a lasting memorial by naming a facility, program, or an endowed fund in their own name or in honor of another person.  Requirements for naming opportunities vary according to University policy.

What is an Endowment?
An endowment is a fund that expends only income to support the purpose stated by the donor, while holding the principal intact.  Endowment funds exist in perpetuity.

·         At the Medical Center, endowments are invested for growth as well as income to keep pace with inflation and retain the value of the original gift over time.

·         Endowments provide crucial ongoing support for the Medical Center. For example, endowed funds may support scholarships, professorships, lectureships, faculty development and research. Endowed funds are also used to recruit and retain the most gifted faculty.

·         Endowments may be established through outright gifts, bequests, or charitable planned gifts. These gifts may be made in the donor's own name or as honorariums/memorials to family members and friends.

·         Minimum contributions are required to establish endowed funds; amounts vary according to the purpose of the fund.

Why Establish an Endowed Fund?
Endowment assets are essential to the future financial well-being of the Medical Center. They provide dependable funds, year after year, for their designated programs. The Medical Center can rely on this support no matter what the conditions surrounding revenue from other sources.
Endowment support allows faculty to pursue innovative teaching, research and public health initiatives that ultimately improve the quality of life for citizens in our community, in our nation and around the world. By recognizing effort and rewarding excellence, endowments are a powerful instrument that can be used to recruit and retain current and future leaders in academic and clinical medicine.

Endowment Management Principles
The University follows what is known as the "Total Return" approach to investing, the objective of which is to achieve a return consisting of a combination of current income and capital appreciation, without regard to an emphasis on either, recognizing that changes in market conditions and interest rates will result in varying emphasis in the attempt to optimize results. A prudent portion of realized endowment return is applied to meet current operating expenses. The current authorized distribution rate is 5.3% of the average of a three-year moving market value of the endowment pool. The actual distribution rate for fiscal year 2000 was 4.1% of the beginning market value as a result of rising market values during the past three years. While the payout rate is intended to be stable, it may be periodically adjusted to reflect returns in the capital markets and inflation experience.

Endowment Naming Opportunities
The Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, and the North Carolina Baptist Hospital offer many opportunities for establishing and naming endowed funds.  The principal of an endowment is held intact in perpetuity, providing a steady income stream for the purpose designated by the donor.  Endowments may be named for the donor or, if the donor chooses, in memory or honor of someone special, such as a relative, friend, or faculty member.  Other opportunities exist for the naming of facilities, laboratories, classrooms, and other areas; these are described elsewhere.  The amounts listed next to each naming opportunity represent the minimum.

Faculty Support

Permanently funds a chair to be held by the President and CEO of Wake Forest University Health Sciences.  This endowment permits the President of WFUHS a source of crucial unrestricted discretionary funds to be used at the medical center where the need is most compelling at the time of disbursement.

Permanently funds the Deanship at the Wake Forest University School of Medicine.  This endowment creates rare opportunities to recruit and support prominent leaders in the medical field, as well as superior recognition.  The funds provide urgently needed unrestricted discretionary funds enabling the Dean to meet the most critical needs of the School, be it faculty or student support or pressing programmatic needs.

Permanently funds a directorship supporting an umbrella of research, leadership training, educational services, and outreach in a specialized area within the health sciences.  A directorship is a premier faculty position to be held by a distinguished professional who has excelled in a particular area of medicine or basic science.  Endowed directorships create unique opportunities to recruit and support prominent leaders in medicine or basic science.  The funds provide the director with salary support, research funds, travel stipends and equipment, as well as the recognition that their achievements are of the highest caliber.

Permanently funds a faculty position to be held by a distinguished professional who has excelled in a particular area of medicine or basic science.  Endowed chairs are essential to recruit and retain exceptional leaders in medicine or basic science.  The funds provide faculty with salary support research funds, travel stipends, and equipment, as well as the recognition that their achievements are of the highest caliber.

This endowment supports a faculty position held by a noted medical academician whose achievement in medicine or basic science is exceptional.  Distinguished Professorships are essential to attract and retain intellectual leadership in research and education.  The funds provide faculty professors with salary support and research assistance.

Honors and enhances the work of an eminent scholar by providing crucial research support.  Faculty scholars enhance the mission of the Medical Center by achieving remarkable advances in medical research.

This endowment enables eminent physicians, researchers, and clinicians from other academic medical institutions to undertake a short-term appointment at WFU Health Sciences to share their scientific knowledge in order to advance medical knowledge, research, and application at WFUHS.

Funds lectures by eminent scholars presented at seminars and symposia held at the Medical Center.

Student Support

This endowment funds the dean’s special initiative to train the medical leadership of the future by equipping medical students with deep knowledge in multiple areas.  To this end, a scholarship opportunity has been created to enable the most talented and motivated medical students to seek a dual graduate level degree from Wake Forest University – i.e., a degree in medicine and another discipline, such as a master’s degree in business, a doctorate degree in law or divinity, or a PhD in science.

This endowment creates a scholarship designed to compete for the top medical students nationally and internationally, paying full tuition at the School of Medicine as well as a stipend for educational necessities.

Endows a partial tuition scholarship to attract promising students who require financial assistance.

This endowment provides a cash award to an outstanding medical student.

Training Assistance

Provides partial salary support for a post-doctoral fellow for research and training in an area designated by the donor.

Provides partial salary support to a post-resident fellow for research and training in an area designated by the donor.

Academic Programs and Research

Permanently funds a significant research endeavor as designated by the donor.