Endow [ en-dou ]
to provide with a permanent fund or source of income:to endow a college.
to furnish, as with some talent, faculty, or quality; equip:Nature has endowed her with great ability.
Obsolete. to provide with a dower.
(of a life-insurance policy) to become payable; yield its conditions.
An endowment is a donation of money or property to a nonprofit organization, which uses the resulting investment income for a specific purpose. An endowment can also refer to the total of a nonprofit institution's investable assets, also known as its principal or corpus, which is meant to be used for operations or programs that are consistent with the wishes of the donor(s). Most endowments are designed to keep the principal amount intact while using the investment income for charitable efforts.