Future Funds
We've launched two endowments, known as the Future Funds, to enable you to support future generations of students and researchers at Birmingham whilst knowing your original gift will have a lasting impact.
Our vision is to grow the Future Funds to a level that gives us the security to do extraordinary things with confidence. Every gift strengthens our ability to invest in students and health research for generations, making your generosity a permanent part of Birmingham’s future.
As the world continually advances, predicting the greatest areas of need for students and research becomes increasingly difficult. As we saw from the pandemic, new challenges can quickly surface which require fast-acting responses. Researchers tirelessly investigate lifechanging solutions to emerging issues, whilst students require robust support to navigate the evolving higher education landscape, especially amidst the increased cost of living. We must therefore remain adaptable to ensure Birmingham's continued success.
Introducing the Future Funds
The Future Funds offer you the opportunity to support Birmingham's future in a flexible manner, with the assurance that your original gift will have a lasting impact.
There are two Future Funds which have been set up to provide income to two of the University’s most significant commitments:
Future Fund - Access to Education
The Access to Education fund supports young people’s access to higher education and ensures students from all backgrounds have the means to study at university.
A gift to the Future Fund (Access to Education) will support a wide range of student initiatives. This could be in the form of financial support through scholarships and bursaries, or helping to cover travel costs and fund opportunities that enhance the experience of education.
We currently offer a wide range of financial support to students, but there is so much more we can do. Whatever the greatest need of students may be at any given time, the Future Fund will ensure that we can provide the necessary support.
Future Fund - Health Research
The Health Research fund helps researchers make breakthroughs that will improve and save people’s lives across the globe.
A gift to the Future Fund (Health Research) will support initiatives that drive success in medical research. Our aim is to attract and retain the brightest talent, maintain world-leading facilities, and advance knowledge and solutions to some of the world's biggest challenges.
By supporting this Future Fund, you are investing in future experts who will be crucial in addressing critical healthcare challenges – some of which we won’t even know about yet.
What is an endowment and how is it different to a cash gift?
What is an endowment and how is it different to a cash gift?
An endowment is where a gift is invested to generate a return that can be used for a specific philanthropic purpose.
A 'permanent' endowment (like the Future Funds) is where the gift is invested to generate an annual income which is available to spend every year. The gift, having been wisely invested, will grow over time to maintain its value and increase the amount of income it generates. The original invested gift will never be spent and therefore it lasts forever; providing a regular income each year, which we can rely on to make amazing things happen for generations to come.
What are the benefits of the Future Funds?
What are the benefits of the Future Funds?
- Financial security - Endowments help provide the University with financial security as they generate secured income for future generations, meaning we can be more certain and forward thinking.
- Accelerating our ambitions - Endowments are already prevalent in North America and other major universities. Growing our own endowed funds will put us on the front foot to succeed and achieve our aspirations
- Flexibility - The Future Funds are designed to be less restrictive than named endowments. This flexibility ensures that we can always maximize your generosity, direct it to what truly matters, and nurture the greatest impact.
- Collaborative - Anyone can contribute any amount to the Future Funds, whether you choose to give during your lifetime or through your will. This opens up endowments as a way of giving to more people (currently a £100k gift is needed to set up an individual named endowment). Together, we can build the Future Funds into something extraordinary.
No one knows exactly what the future will hold. By giving to our Future Funds, you can increase the value of your gift over time, whilst being ready for anything.
What is possible with your support and how might the endowments grow?
What is possible with your support and how might the endowments grow?
If you choose to give to one or both of our Future Funds, your gift will be carefully invested in line with the University’s responsible investment policy. Future Fund endowments are incredibly valuable; for example, a large endowment fund totalling £1 million could generate £35,000 annually to support the University’s work.
Whilst we have ambitious plans for the Future Funds, it’s important to remember that gifts of all sizes contribute to their growth and impact.
By joining together, you can help create a future without barriers to education and where Birmingham leads on finding answers to the biggest problems through discovery science and research.
We would love to discuss the Future Funds with you
Thomas Kay, Head of Legacy & Endowments
Hannah O'Neill, Legacy & Endowment Officer
Development and Alumni Relations Office, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, B15 2TT
Phone: +44 (0)121 414 9161