At the heart of UC San Diego’s mission to open doors to opportunity and create lasting positive impact through public service is the UC San Diego Foundation’s Endowment, an enduring resource that turns generosity into opportunity for generations of Tritons. Valued at $2.16 billion as of June 2026, the Endowment provides reliable, long-term funding that empowers our students, faculty, and researchers to pursue bold ideas and tackle the world’s most urgent challenges.
FY 2026 was a period of continued strong growth, with the Endowment posting a gain of 21.9%. This success reflects the strength of our diversified investment strategy: the UC Investments General Endowment Pool returned 22.6%, while our global public equity focused allocation yielded 22.3%. Despite a volatile stretch that included a conflict-driven spike in energy prices and tariff-related uncertainty, the power of long-term thinking and a rigorous, disciplined asset allocation strategy designed to deliver consistent, favorable outcomes across a range of market environments prevailed.
Our 10-year annualized return of 11.7% places us among the leading institutions of our size, a result of our consistent investment philosophy and the confidence it inspires. For FY 2027, the Board of Trustees approved an adjustment to the Endowment's spending policy rate, consistent with its ongoing responsibility to prudently steward the Endowment on behalf of current and future generations of Tritons.
Philanthropic support in the form of endowments is critical to sustaining our work and to driving our institutional excellence. Endowed chairs are pivotal to our ability to attract and retain the finest faculty, ensuring UC San Diego remains a global leader in discovery and innovation. These funds also provide essential research infrastructure, filling the gaps from traditional grant funding and keeping our labs at the cutting edge of scientific advancement.
The impact of this generosity is most evident in the lives of our students. Donor-supported funds create pathways to opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students alike, and provide the vital scaffolding that allows the next generation of scholars to pursue ambitious research and thrive throughout their academic journeys. Beyond the lab and classroom, we continue to prioritize the human experience on campus, expanding access to the arts and enriching campus life for our entire community.
Now more than ever, we are committed to sustaining a robust Endowment payout that fuels opportunity, discovery, and excellence across our campus. We are confident that our disciplined, forward-looking approach will continue to expand the Foundation’s impact for generations of Tritons to come.
On behalf of the UC San Diego Foundation Board of Trustees, the Regents, and all who benefit from these funds, we thank you for your continued partnership and investment in UC San Diego!
Christina J. Chase, CPA, JD
Associate Vice Chancellor
Advancement Services
CFO/COO, UC San Diego Foundation
Bosco Luján, MBA ’12
Chair, Investment/Finance Committee
Trustee, UC San Diego Foundation