“One common misconception is that an endowment fund will hurt annual giving. Research has shown that endowment donors not only continue to support the annual fund but often increase their annual support.”

David Snow

In this edition of The Beacon Podcast, Karen Baldwin speaks to David Snow, a senior consultant with Lighthouse Counsel, about endowment development.

David discusses the importance of having an endowment for nonprofit organizations and outlines how to establish and manage endowments to ensure financial stability well into the future. David answers questions about endowment development including:

• What exactly is an endowment? Are there different kinds of endowments?

• How does a nonprofit know when it’s ready to start an endowment?

• How does an organization communicate with donors that endowment giving is a good thing and explain why it’s important?

About our Guest

David brings more than four decades of experience in executive and development leadership in health care, education and social services. He is an expert in annual support campaigns and endowment development strategy, with the unique perspective of a staff member, a volunteer and a major donor.

Most recently, David served as chief development officer of the YMCA of Greater Houston for 10 years, doubling its annual campaign to nearly $8 million, significantly growing the endowment and leading $50 million in capital campaigns. He previously led institutional advancement at The Dominican Campus in Nashville, Tennessee, where he led three successful capital campaigns to fund campus expansions.

David currently serves on the board of John Paul II Preparatory School, the Advancement Committee for Aquinas College and the Development Committee of the Diocese of Nashville. He currently serves on the capital campaign cabinet of YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly, Black Mountain, North Carolina.

Follow David on LinkedIn.

Or read this thoughts on the Lighthouse Counsel blog at lighthousecounsel.com/blog.