
— Albert Einstein

What is an endowment?

An endowment is a permanent fund whose assets are held continually and invested to generate interest and income that are then used for charitable purposes. Rather than being spent and depleted immediately, the endowment will continue to produce interest and income. The larger the endowment grows, the more money will be generated and available to benefit worthy causes. Quite simply, a gift made to an endowment is a gift that will continue to make an impact in a community generation after generation.


The Imperial Community Foundation Fund's unrestricted endowment is an important resource in improving the Imperial community and shaping its legacy. This unrestricted endowment is independent of the rigidity of government grants and tax revenue proceeds, so the income and interest available to make grants may be used with much more flexibility. The income from the unrestricted endowment will be used in Imperial, for the benefit of the community and its residents, and to attract new people to our community.