West Virginia Code 44-6A-4 – Appropriation for expenditure or accumulation of endowment fund; rules of construction
(a) Subject to the intent of a donor expressed in the gift instrument, an institution may appropriate for expenditure or accumulate so much of an endowment fund as the institution determines is prudent for the uses, benefits, purposes, and duration for which the endowment fund is established. This section does not limit the authority of the institution to expend funds as permitted under other law, the terms of the gift instrument, or the charter of the institution. Unless stated otherwise in the gift instrument, the assets in an endowment fund are donor-restricted assets (regardless of their treatment for accounting purposes) until appropriated for expenditure by the institution. In making a determination to appropriate or accumulate, the institution shall act in good faith, with the care that an ordinarily prudent person in a like position would exercise under similar circumstances, and shall consider, if relevant, the following factors:
Terms Used In West Virginia Code 44-6A-4
- Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
- Donor: The person who makes a gift.
- Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
- State: when applied to a part of the United States and not restricted by the context, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories, and the words "United States" also include the said district and territories. See West Virginia Code 2-2-10
(1) The duration and preservation of the endowment fund;
(2) The purposes of the institution and the endowment fund;
(3) General economic conditions;
(4) The possible effect of inflation or deflation;
(5) The expected total return from income and the appreciation of investments;
(6) Other resources of the institution; and
(7) The investment policy of the institution.
(b) To limit the authority to appropriate for expenditure or accumulate under subsection (a), a gift instrument must specifically state the limitation.
(c) Terms in a gift instrument designating a gift as an endowment, or a direction or authorization in the gift instrument to use only "income", "interest", "dividends", or "rents, issues, or profits", or "to preserve the principal intact", or words of similar import:
(1) Create an endowment fund of permanent duration unless other language in the gift instrument limits the duration or purpose of the fund; and
(2) Do not otherwise limit the authority to appropriate for expenditure or accumulate under subsection (a).