The Grinnell College endowment is intended to provide a permanent source of stable income to support the institutional mission, balancing immediate institutional needs with those of future Grinnellians.
The endowment is made up of funds donated by individuals and organizations to the College with the intention that the principal (the original dollar amount) be invested and provide an ongoing income stream to support the College’s mission and purpose. The endowment was created when, in 1846, Trustee James J. Hill ceremoniously laid a silver dollar before those assembled and sounded a call to action that created Grinnell College.