This paper provides an analysis of the experiences of four organizations in Southeast Asia (three in the Philippines, one in Indonesia) in creating, building, and managing endowments as mechanisms for their financial sustainability. However, it does not intend to compare and assess the performance of the four foundations' endowments. It describes the concept of endowments and draws conclusion about managed endowments, by comparing the four organizations and the differences between funding by grants and funding by managed endowments.