College Endowment Outperforms National Average for 14th Consecutive Year, Reaches All-Time High

SUNY Oswego is a smart investment. The donors who invest in the college will see great returns on their philanthropy—both in terms of student outcomes and in the financial returns generated by the college endowment’s performance. They can take pride in knowing their charitable contribution is being stewarded skillfully and is making the biggest impact possible.

For the past 14 years (17 out of the past 18 years), the college endowment outperformed the average rates of return among the 705 U.S. colleges and universities who responded to a 2020 survey by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO) – Commonfund Study of Endowments.

The endowment, managed by the Oswego College Foundation Investment Committee, surpassed the performance of other college endowments over a one-year, three-year, five-year and 10-year span.

In fact, the Oswego endowment ranked in the top decile of performers—significantly outperforming the average rate—when looking at the five- and 10-year rates of return.

For the first time in its history, the Oswego College Foundation recorded a record-high, 27.8-percent return on its
endowment investments. These returns, combined with our fundraising results, caused the overall endowment to grow to $56.7 million as of June 30, 2021.

In short, the strong rate of return enables the college to provide more direct support for our students. For example,
the college will be able to award $5,000 Marano Scholarships to 90 students next year, instead of the 60 students when the program launched in 2017-18. The original $7.5 million gift now stands at $11.3 million, after distributing $1.1 million in awards over the past four years.

“The college is incredibly grateful to the dedicated group of alumni and friends who volunteer their time and expertise to help manage the college investments,” said President Deborah F. Stanley. “Their consistent, exceptional service has helped us maintain a level of excellence in our endowment’s performance that directly benefits our students and enables us to accomplish more as an institution of higher education.”

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