At the present stage of the state and legal development of the Russian Federation, special attention is paid to the support of universities and other educational organizations in order to strengthen the national system of science and education. One of the mechanisms of state support is the formation and use of endowment funds of educational organizations. Using the experience of the Financial University and other Russian and foreign universities as an example, the scientific article reveals the positive aspects of endowments as a fundamental mechanism for ensuring the strategic development of universities, as well as the difficulties and risks faced by university funds created to form endowment capital. Ways of leveling such difficulties and ways of improving the Russian version of fundraising based on pre-revolutionary experience and best foreign practices are proposed. These measures include: simplification of administrative procedures; creation of model legal and financial documents; improvement of legislation; ensuring flexibility and transparency of endowment funds, as well as expansion of investment tools.