en·dow·ment
/in'doumənt, en'doumənt/
A financial endowment is a legal structure for managing, and in many cases indefinitely perpetuating, a pool of financial, real estate, or other investments for a specific purpose according to the will of its founders and donors.
[1] Endowments are often structured so that the principal value is kept intact, while the investment income or a small part of the principal is available for use each year.