Gifts to the Baylor Oral Health Foundation can provide for many different opportunities at Texas A&M University School of Dentistry.
Gifts without restrictions enable the School through the Foundation to take advantage of unexpected opportunities and to support projects and ideas not necessarily eligible for state funds. Unrestricted gifts may also support smaller projects that are innovative and worthy, but unlikely to attract contributions from other foundations of major donors. The use of unrestricted gifts is under the direction of the Board of Directors of the Foundation and the administration of the School.
Donors may also want to address specific issues such as a current campaign, gifts for a specific department, or specific program. When the Foundation accepts gifts under restricted terms, the donor’s wishes will be followed as to the use of the contributed resources. In addition to endowments and quasi-endowments, the Foundation manages funds for many School departments, programs and projects.
Endowments enable the School to compete for the best clinicians and researchers available on a national basis. These gifts are strategic ways to build strength and quality into academic programs. Currently the Foundation manages several endowed chairs.
These provide a competitive advantage in recruiting and retaining outstanding clinicians and researchers at a level below the department chair. As a consequence, they require a lower level of annual income and may be endowed for a smaller fixed amount.
Named scholarship endowments require a minimum of $25,000 to yield adequate interest income to support a scholarship. Scholarship assistance is a recurring need for the School and endowments provide a perpetual and reliable source for meeting that need. The $25,000 minimum can be achieved by multiple gifts given over a five-year period. At present the Foundation manages several scholarship funds.
These endowments provide additional income that departments can direct toward their areas of greatest need and opportunity.