The RIOU Endowment Fund for the support and development of the Russian International Olympic University was established in December 2013.

The fund aims to support talented students and foster academic and applied research within the sports industry, as well as encourage the creation of innovative sport-related courses and projects promoting Olympic education. The Fund backs the efforts to establish a RIOU-based Centre for Olympic Legacy and a museum dedicated to the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

The history of endowment funds goes back over 500 years. They are set up on the basis of gifts of money by donors who wish to support the development of an academic institution. The endowed assets are invested in sustainable instruments yielding capital gains. The investment income is spent to support the fund's purpose, while the core endowment principal is kept intact.

The RIOU Endowment Fund is managed by VTB Capital Asset Management.

"We have just started forming our own endowment, and we would certainly appreciate support from philanthropists, our friends and graduates. I do hope that their donations will allow the University to grow and expand, so that one day it becomes an internationally recognised leader in sport business education and a major centre for training top class managers for the Russian sport and the Olympic Movement" (RIOU Rector, Professor Lev Belousov).