Endowment Returns in 2010 Less Than in 2009, Say Two New Surveys

Endowments fared well last year, achieving investment returns of about 12 percent, but that is far less than what they achieved in 2009, when returns topped 20 percent, according to two studies — one of foundations and the other of charities — released by the Commonfund Institute.

While returns were smaller compared with last year, they were a marked improvement over 2008, when returns on investment portfolios dropped 26 percent.