ENDOWMENT EXPLANATION
The RPI Endowment is a permanent financial foundation for the Institute, stewarded to support RPI’s mission over the long term. It is managed through disciplined investment practices, a governed distribution framework, and a focus on preserving purchasing power across market cycles. Each endowed gift joins the larger RPI Endowment, a collective portfolio made up of hundreds of donor-established funds alongside university resources.
During fiscal year 2025, the Endowment generated solid investment returns while supporting $99.8 million of Board-approved distributions to the Institute in support of the RPI Forward strategic plan, as well as operating and capital budgets. After these distributions, the Endowment ended the fiscal year at $1.02 billion.
“The Investment Committee emphasizes diversification and risk control. The Endowment is not managed to chase short-term performance, but to support RPI reliably across market environments.”
JOHN E. KELLY III ’78G, ’80 PH.D.
Chair, Board of Trustees
ENDOWMENT VALUE
as of June 30, 2025
Endowment Value History
NET OF SPENDING
“The Investment Committee emphasizes understanding forward-looking portfolio risk. Our investment advisor, RockCreek, conducts regular stress testing and scenario analysis to help us understand how the portfolio may behave under different market conditions. This work is not intended to predict outcomes or eliminate risk, but to deepen our understanding of portfolio exposures, including concentration and indirect risks.”
JACKSON P. TAI ’72, MBA
Chair, Investment Committee
ENDOWMENT MANAGEMENT
The RPI Endowment is managed with a long-term, diversified strategy under the oversight of the Board of Trustees. This disciplined approach is designed to pursue strong returns while maintaining a balanced risk profile, allowing the endowment to provide dependable, sustainable funding for institutional priorities — scholarships, faculty support, and programs that enrich the student experience. Over one-, three-, and five-year periods, the RPI Endowment outperformed relevant peer averages, including colleges and universities with comparable or larger endowment sizes, placing it in the top quartile of comparable institutional endowments.
FY25 ENDOWMENT STATS
Distribution Supporting the Institute, Including RPI Forward Priorities
(individual donor-restricted funds and board-designated endowment funds)
ANNUALIZED RETURNS
| 1-YEAR | 3-YEAR | 5-YEAR | 10-YEAR | |
| RPI Endowment | 12.5% | 11.7% | 11.2% | 8.0% |
| Policy Index | 9.3% | 8.8% | 8.1% | 6.1% |
PEER PERFORMANCE
| FY24 | FY23 | |
| RPI Endowment | 11.9% | 10.7% |
| Peers $501M to $1B Average | 10.9% | 7.8% |
| Peers $1B to $5B Average | 10.0% | 5.9% |
“A strong endowment underpins RPI’s long-term growth and financial resilience. Growing RPI’s endowment through strong, sustainable investment performance and through the generosity of our alumni and donors is a top priority for me and for the Institute.”
MARTIN A. SCHMIDT ’81 PH.D
President, RPI