David Lipscomb University Endowment

The Board of Trustees holds final authority over the endowment's investment policy, asset allocation, and manager selection. An investment committee of trustees works with an external investment consultant to craft the strategic asset allocation and monitor fund performance. Day-to-day treasury and cash-management functions are handled by the university's finance division under the President's oversight.

Lipscomb operates a traditional consultant-driven model rather than an outsourced CIO structure. The investment committee selects external managers across each asset class, guided by the consultant's research and recommendations. There is no dedicated internal investment staff distinct from the university's finance and treasury personnel.

The endowment is governed by a Board of Trustees whose members are drawn from the Church of Christ tradition, and the spending policy prioritizes mission-aligned uses such as need-based scholarships, faculty support, and campus ministry programs. Investment guidelines do not explicitly screen for faith-based criteria, but the board's conservative posture and long time horizon reflect the institution's cultural approach to stewardship.

In 2019, Lipscomb acquired the former Tennessee State Fairgrounds property adjacent to its Nashville campus, converting a portion of the site into an innovation campus. While funded primarily through campaign gifts and debt issuance, the real estate serves as a long-duration asset on the university's consolidated balance sheet alongside the endowment. The September 2023 capital campaign targets additional gifts to complete the campus build-out.

Like most private universities, Lipscomb uses a smoothing formula that typically draws between 4% and 5% of a rolling multi-year average market value to support the annual operating budget. The exact rate and smoothing period are set annually by the Board of Trustees and are not publicly disclosed in detail. The draw funds scholarships, academic chairs, and select institutional priorities.