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Creating Your Chair or Professorship
Creating a chair or professorship is one of the most significant investments a contributor can make at UW Medicine. These positions provide the resources our faculty need to do outstanding work in research, patient care and teaching. They also confer prestige to the holder and the institution. As a result, chairs and professorships provide UW Medicine with an important tool in recruiting and retaining fine faculty.
There are several different types of chairs and professorships, and they are associated with different levels of investment.
We’ve provided some information on these funds, below, and we welcome additional questions. Please contact UW Medicine Advancement at 206.543.5686 or writemed@uw.edu to learn more.
The commitment
Chairs and professorships can be made with outright gifts, such as cash or stock. They also can be established through multi-year pledge payments, or through gifts made through wills and other planned giving vehicles.
Endowed chairs and professorships are legacy gifts — funds that are invested in the University’s Consolidated Endowment Fund. The income from these endowed funds provides permanent support to a department or division. Read more about gifts to endowed funds.
| Type of position | Gift amount |
| Endowed chair | $2 million |
| Endowed professorship | $500,000 |
Term chairs and professorships are short-term gifts — made to support a faculty member for a specific number of years.
| Type of position | Gift amount |
| Term chair | $75,000/year for at least 3 years |
| Term professorship | $15,000/year for 3–5 years |
How endowed funds work
When a donor gives sufficient funds to establish an endowment, the money is invested in the University of Washington’s Consolidated Endowment Fund. A portion of the interest earned is given to a department or division for the use of the chair or professor.
Appointing a holder
Once a fund is created and the time is right, the process of appointing a holder begins. The appointment process involves multiple offices at UW Medicine and at the University of Washington, and it culminates with the UW Board of Regents’ selection of the holder of the chair or professorship.