Endowment - Fort Worth Academy

Endowments

An endowment contribution is one of the most impactful gifts you can make. When you establish or make a gift towards an endowment, Fort Worth Academy invests your gift, alongside many others, in its investment pool. The principal corpus remains intact while generating annual return that supports the area you designate.

Your support of FWA’s endowment creates lasting financial stability, reducing reliance on tuition and annual giving. Endowments protect Fort Worth Academy from economic uncertainty and empower long-term planning, ensuring FWA’s continued growth and impact.

Endowment FAQs

What is an endowment?

An endowment is a permanent fund established to provide long-term financial stability for the school. Gifts to the endowment are invested, with the principal preserved and a portion of the earnings used annually to support Fort Worth Academy’s mission, programs, and students. In this way, an endowment creates a reliable, sustainable source of support—today, tomorrow, and far into the future.

Who manages the endowment?

Fort Worth Academy’s Board of Trustees, the Finance Committee, and the school leadership.

Can I designate my gift to a specific student activity or program?

Yes, designated, named endowments may support a specific student activity or subject area and are established with a minimum gift of $25,000. The Fort Worth Academy Advancement Office will partner with you to create a gift agreement that clearly defines the intent and stewardship of your gift.

Smaller and/or additional contributions may always be made to Fort Worth Academy’s Trailblazers of Tomorrow Endowment Fund, our general endowment dedicated to offsetting the cost of financial aid. By easing financial barriers, this fund ensures that talented, curious students can access a Fort Worth Academy education—regardless of economic circumstances.

How does the endowment process work?

Gift agreement - For gifts of $25,000+, a formal agreement documents your gift, intent and administration.
Convert to Cash - Non-cash gifts (such as securities, real estate, etc.) undergo special processing and are converted to cash to increase the endowment.
Deposit to Account - Gifts are deposited into FWA’s endowment account.
Gift Receipt - You receive an acknowledgement and tax-deductible receipt if applicable.
Disbursement - Funds are drawn down from the endowment account interest income in accordance with the FWA Endowment Policy.
Future Additions - You can make additional contributions at any time.

What assets can I use to fund an endowment?

Cash
Securities
Other real property
Endowed gifts can be paid over 5 years and are tax deductible as allowed by law

What happens if the market declines or the money loses value?

The market can be volatile, however, the FWA Endowment Committee mitigates risk with a diversified portfolio. If an endowment’s principal fell below its original value, a temporary reduction in distributions to allow the corpus to recover.

Who can I contact with questions?

Fort Worth Academy Advancement Director
MaryEmily Pardue, mepardue@fwacademy.org l 817-370-1191

What kind of reporting will I receive?

Endowments established with a minimum gift of $25,000 will receive an annual endowment report detailing investment performance, fund distributions, and overall impact. Information on smaller endowment contributions and overall endowment performance is included in Fort Worth Academy’s annual report.