Endowment and Investment Office
Endowment Overview
The endowment provides essential annual support for Principia’s students, faculty, and programs – from financial aid and academic innovation to athletics, campus operations, and capital improvements. Managed with a long-term investment strategy, the endowment provides a dependable source of funding while preserving resources for future generations.
Rather than spending endowment gifts directly, Principia distributes a portion of the endowment’s investment earnings each year, allowing the principal to remain invested and continue growing over time. Because most endowment gifts are restricted by donor intent, they can only be used for specific purposes, with distributions used in accordance with donor intent, ensuring lasting, mission aligned support.
Support Principia
Why It Matters
Principia's endowment is a vital resource that supports the College and School through annual distributions that fund academic excellence, student opportunities, faculty, and campus operations. As an institution that relies more heavily on its endowment than many of its peers, Principia is committed to disciplined stewardship and thoughtful investment management. By balancing current needs with long-term preservation and growth, the endowment helps ensure the financial strength necessary to advance Principia’s missions for generations to come.
The Lasting Impact of an Endowment Gift
Unlike an annual gift, an endowed gift is designed to provide support in perpetuity. Each dollar is invested to grow over time, with a portion of its earnings distributed annually to support students, faculty, academic programs, and the broader mission of Principia. In this way, a single contribution can create meaningful impact year after year while preserving resources for future generations.
The success of the endowment is measured over long-term rolling periods rather than short-term fixed periods. This disciplined, long-horizon approach enables the portfolio to provide reliable support across market cycles while preserving and growing the endowment for generations to come.
How We Invest
Our investment approach reflects a commitment to both prudence and progress. We employ a multi-asset portfolio designed to generate steady growth while protecting capital against market volatility. This includes investments in public equities, private markets, fixed income, and alternative assets. Our approach incorporates modern risk management tools and a forward-looking perspective to provide dependable resources for Principia.
Investment Leadership
Working in partnership with the Board of Trustees and its investment governance committee, our investment team provides disciplined oversight of the endowment, regularly evaluating investment performance and ensuring alignment with the institutions mission and core values. Guided by the principle of intergenerational equity, the team seeks to steward today’s resources while preserving and enhancing opportunities for future generations of Principia students.
Our office is located at Principia’s School campus:
13201 Clayton Road
Business Office, Suite 101
St. Louis, MO 63131
13201 Clayton Road
Business Office, Suite 101
St. Louis, MO 63131