Designate, as funds

EARMARK

["Set aside money for a specific purpose, often in budgets or legislation."]

The clue "Designate, as funds" hints at the word "earmark," which means to set aside money for a specific purpose. The term comes from the practice of marking livestock ears to show ownership, but in finance, it refers to allocating funds. There’s no wordplay here—it’s a straightforward definition clue pointing to a common financial term.