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The Endowment
Princeton's endowment is the fourth largest in the
country, with a value of over $8 billion as of March 31,
2000 (Harvard, the University of Texas, and Yale have larger
endowments). The endowment is invested primarily in stocks
and bonds but also includes real estate, venture capital,
energy resources, and other assets not traded on organized
trading markets.
Princeton's portfolio has historically experienced solid
returns. The total return on Princeton's endowmentdefined as
"dividends and interest on portfolio holdings plus or minus
capital appreciation or depreciation"was equivalent to
approximately 15.8 percent per year over the 23-year,
9-month period ending March 31, 2000.
Fund-raising
Fund-raising from all Princetoniansundergraduate and
graduate alumni, parents, and friendsis vital to Princeton's
mission. Their gifts support tradition as well as innovation
and help keep the University at the forefront of higher
education. On June 30, 2000, the University completed the
most successful fund-raising effort in its history: the
five-year Anniversary Campaign for Princeton, which raised
$1.14 billion, with gifts from 78 percent of all
undergraduate alumni. The campaign enabled the University to
significantly broaden its financial aid policies; strengthen
its renowned programs of teaching, research, and
scholarship; and greatly enhance the academic, residential,
athletic, and social facilities of the Princeton campus.
Princeton's current fund-raising efforts are focused on a
set of important objectives set forth by the Board of
Trustees in April 2000. Along with recommendations on
financial aid, the library, the composition of the faculty
and staff, and the use of new technologies, the Board voted
to increase Princeton's undergraduate student body by 10
percent over a four-year period. Securing the funding for
these new initiatives is essential as the University moves
forcefully into the 21st century.
Graduate School Fund for the Centennial. In
December 2000, Princeton will mark the 100th anniversary of
the founding of the Graduate School. In commemoration of
this milestone, the Fund for the Centennial has been
established to address the needs for increased fellowship
and dissertation support, recruitment and placement
programs, interdisciplinary initiatives, and renovation of
the landmark Graduate College. Through both Annual Giving
and capital gifts, the Fund will serve to provide
outstanding young people with the very finest opportunities
for graduate education.
Annual Giving. Each year approximately 10 percent
of the University's overall budget for educational and
general expenses is raised through Annual Giving. In its
60-year history, Annual Giving has raised nearly $485
million for Princeton. In 1999-2000, as the Anniversary
Campaign for Princeton came to a close, Annual Giving
produced a record $35.7 million in unrestricted funds, with
60.8 percent of all undergraduate alumni participating in
the effort. Annual Giving owes its success to an
extraordinary volunteer effort that reaches out to all
Princetonians and friends through phone calls, mail, and
personal meetings all over the world.
Capital Giving. Capital gifts support specific
projects at the University, from professorships and
scholarships to buildings and equipment. Current capital
priorities include major residential life and campus
improvement projects, new and expanded academic initiatives,
athletic programs, and fresh endowment to support continuing
needs such as faculty positions, book funds, and
undergraduate scholarships. Princeton seeks capital support
from undergraduate and graduate alumni, corporations,
foundations, and other friends of the University.
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