Perm University Endowment Fund

The PSU Endowment Fund was established in 2014. For the first year, the Fund collected RUB 3,000,000 ($ 46,000). To date, the amount of the Endowment capital has reached over RUB 11.000.000 ($ 170,000).

On the constant basis, the PSU Endowment Fund supports a competition, accepting applications for projects in arts and social sciences (humanities). The PSU faculties of History and Political Science, Philology, Philosophy and Sociology, Economics, Law, Modern Foreign Languages and Literature, as well as PSU departments take part in the competition.

As a rule, 12 students from 12 PSU faculties receive one-time payments is from RUB5.000 to RUB10.000 ($ 70-150), depending on the previous year contribution by a particular faculty (graduates, staff and teachers).

Another popular contribution the Fund are travel grants, expanding academic collaborations, literally.

The research-support grants of RUB 50,000 ($ 900), provided for winners of the competition, depend on the scale of research or event. International participants might request such a support showing an intention to collaborate with a PSU partner, upon previous experience or future plans.

It is important to understand, that the endowment foundation, by its nature, does not redistribute its funds, but pays from the annual interest – using the money raised through bank operations. The funds are then directed to support academic activity, research projects and collaborations.

“The PSU Endowment Fund strategy stays original in the sense it develops by a wide range of benefactors. Instead of one or two major donors the Fund relies on all those people who wish to invest into their Alma mater – graduates, alumni, teaching staff,” mentions Oksana Oracheva, Head of the Vladimir Potanin Charity Foundation.

Throughout its activity, the PSU Endowment Fund has contributed to Perm University History Museum, assisting for its public activity, finding partners and drawing international attention, allowing the Museum to receive the UMAC AWARD in 2018.

Later, in 2018-2019, the PSU Endowment Fund initiated a bigger project – the Palm Branch fundrising campaign, attracting RUB 1,000.000 ($15.000) to the University – initiating 61 events, with 3,700 Perm citizens and city guests involved. As a result, the PSU Endowment Fund became the winner of the annual Golden Cat Prize in the nomination The Best Fundraising Campaign (Moscow, Russia).

To remind, the first endowment fund in Russia appeared at MGIMO (Moscow State Institute of International Relationships). Following the steps of leading universities, the fundrising activity serves a variety of educational and cultural institutions, as well as public organizations, all over Russia.