Frequently Asked Questions

General FAQs are listed below. In addition, here are additional tips created exclusively for endowed professors and directors.

What if I am listed as the administrator for a fund about which I have no knowledge? Where can I get additional information?

• You may contact Cheryl Schlimpert, Manager of Endowed Programs in Accounting and Financial Services, at cschlimp@nd.edu.
  
  

How do I know if the fund has been spent and/or how it was spent if I’m not the person directly utilizing the funds? 

• Spending information is available in Banner and Glez. Alternatively, you may contact your departmental budget administrator or Cheryl Schlimpert, Manager of Endowed Programs in Accounting and Financial Services, at cschlimp@nd.edu.
  
  

What is the difference between an endowed fund and an expendable fund? Do we report on both?

• Yes, reports are sent for both kinds of funds. Endowed funds are invested in the University’s endowment pool and produce an annual distribution amount which is placed into a unique spending account for utilization by your unit throughout the fiscal year. This distribution must be used in accordance with the preferences and restrictions of the fund. The Expendable funds that Stewardship reports on are typically larger funds ($50k+) that are individually purposed and often named for the benefactor. These funds are not invested in the endowment pool and may be utilized directly, also in accordance with the preferences and restrictions of the fund.
  
  

Who do I contact if I am having difficulty with the Ascend platform or have specific questions about writing my impact statement(s)?

• You may contact your divisional stewardship partner with any questions or concerns. 

How are endowment and impact reports shared with benefactors?

• The majority of endowment and impact reports are emailed to benefactors through the ThankView platform. Here is an example to better understand what the donors receive from the University each year. You’ll see that the University communication includes a video message, endowment reports, impact reports and a glossary of key terms and information regarding the Notre Dame Endowment.

I have never submitted an impact statement before. How do I write and submit it?

• Please see the Writing Tips page for instructions on how to write your impact statement, and the Submission Instructions page for how to upload your statement. Here are some prompts to guide you in composing your answer:

  • During the 2024–25 fiscal year, the <<name of fund>> supported….  

  • These resources enabled <<the college/unit>> to <<do these activities/initiatives (include specific examples where possible)>> 

  • These <<activities>> support Unit/Division/University’s mission/goals by… (big picture). 

How long should my impact statement be?

• • Please aim for a statement of 250-500 words. The text box in Ascend has a limit of approximately 550 words (or 3,500 characters), and you will receive an error message if you attempt to save an impact statement longer than this. Note that this limit has been imposed to create consistency with University communications. 

What is the difference between the FY25 Fiscal Year Statement and the Historical/Cumulative Statement?

• The Fiscal Year Statement provides a narrative of the fund’s spending since July 1, 2024, and the impact it provided for your units, students, faculty and/or staff. You will need to compose and submit this statement. The Historical Impact Statement speaks to the impact of the fund over the life of the endowment. You do not need to compose this statement from scratch. Rather, please review the current content for accuracy and note any edits that need to be made. 

In past years, I have noticed changes made to my submitted impact statements. Why did this happen?

• Your Stewardship partner reviews every submitted report and makes changes based on the University Style Guide. Please view our most commonly recommended Writing Tips. Although some small changes to these impact statements may be made based on the donor-centric audience receiving these reports, this important project is entirely dependent on the valuable information you provide regarding the spending of these funds.

Can I include photos and links in my impact statement? 

• You may include links to web pages such as online articles or professional bios in your impact statement. Please make sure that these links are hyperlinks and that they are working at the time your impact statement is submitted. Unfortunately, we do not have a way to share photos with benefactors, but if you have photos or other materials you would like to share with University benefactors separately from these endowment reports, please reach out to your divisional partner to receive help in facilitating this. 

One of my funds was not spent in FY25. What should I do?

• Even if the fund was not spent this fiscal year, the University would like to share a very brief description with the benefactors on how the fund may be spent in the future. Please review the Writing Tips page for best practices for writing impact statements with no spending.

Last fall I submitted a statement about how we spent funds over the summer. Do I have to report on those same activities again?

• If any monies were spent from a fund from July 1, 2024 onward, then they were spent in this fiscal year (FY25). So even if this spending was described during the previous reporting cycle, please provide content describing these activities again for this year, since it falls within this reporting cycle.

The endowment I am reporting on supported numerous students last year, but I don’t know their names. Is it necessary that I include this information? 

• If you are able to track down the names of the students supported it is best to include that information. If you cannot locate names, you might instead list the number of students supported, what group or program the students benefited from, and some specifics on their experience as a result of this support.

Are donor advised funds (DAFs) included with the endowment and impact reports?

• DAF donor reporting is handled separately through the Office of Gift Planning. However, if a DAF distributes to a named endowed or expendable fund, this transfer will be reflected in the report.  

Do we report on funds for deceased donors? 

• In some cases, reports continue to be sent to the donor's surviving family members, but typically impact statements and reports and not required for deceased benefactors. 

Still have questions? You can locate your assigned Stewardship & Donor Relations partner on the Contact Us page.