The Role and Importance of Cornell’s Endowment

January 19, 2016

Last summer, at a dinner in Chicago with several alumni, one alumnus expressed his strong hope that I would demystify the endowment for all Cornellians. After all, he noted, Cornell’s endowment is vital to the Cornell of today and to the Cornell of the future. He just wasn’t sure that “people really get it” what it is and what it does. The purpose of this white paper is to explain the endowment in a manner that is approachable for all (as written by a French Literature and History major!). Ultimately, it is of paramount importance that we understand the role that the endowment plays, what it accomplishes, and why we must remain focused on its growth as a part of achieving comprehensive growth at Cornell College. Perhaps the best way to begin is by sharing examples of two Cornellians whose lives have been changed by the gift of endowed funds.

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JusticePoint

JusticePoint is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of evidence based criminal justice programs, practices and policies. JusticePoint was founded in 2012 and is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. JusticePoint was recently successful with a bid to provide various pretrial service, the Treatment Alternative and Diversion Program and the Milwaukee County Drug Treatment Court for Milwaukee County.

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