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The Divestment Question: Focus on Governance

“Divest now!” Passionate voices are demanding distance between the endowment and investments that can be connected to war and human suffering. Divestment campaigns may seek to influence change, take an ethical investing stance, and/or ensure that the capital of the institution they care about does not fund or profit from a cause or actions they […]

May 2024

Endowment Radar Study 2023: Endowment Dependence Grows with Higher Costs

Higher costs and higher rates of endowment spending are the major story lines of the 2023 Endowment Radar Study. In 2023, the endowment provided a stable source of funding for the growing costs of private college and university business model (Figure 1). The four components of Endowment Radar measure the endowment’s role in supporting the […]

March 2024

The Transformative Public University Endowment

In today’s dynamic funding and operating environment, a lot is at stake for public colleges and universities and their endowments. The public university endowment is more than a static funding source; with strong stewardship, a growing endowment can transform a university’s financial equation. The most forward-thinking public universities use their endowments for far more than […]

January 2024

Net Zero Investment Consultants Initiative Progress Report, September 2023

The 2023 Net Zero Investment Consultants Initiative Progress Report underscores our commitment to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 or sooner. This first progress report, published in September 2023, details initiatives in client education, investment manager assessments, and portfolio alignment with net zero targets to drive real-world emissions reductions. Achieving net zero is […]

September 2023

Endowment Spending Amid Record Inflation

Inflation is having a moment. After laying low and playing a minor role in institutional financial decisions for decades, inflation has soared, dominating headlines and raising expectations for future costs. In addition to its impact on financial markets and investment portfolios, inflation increases the costs of delivering the nonprofit mission and makes it more challenging […]

May 2023

Endowment Radar Study 2022: A Dynamic Role

Endowment Radar is a methodology that Cambridge Associates developed to visually evaluate the endowment’s role in the college and university enterprise. The four components of Endowment Radar measure the endowment’s role in supporting the annual budget (Endowment Dependence), pricing strategy (Endowment Support-to-Financial Aid), balance sheet health (Endowment-to-Debt), and financial sustainability (Net Flow Rate). Our 2022 […]

March 2023

The Work of a Lifetime: Spend-Down Funds

An increasing number of institutions and families are electing to spend down their assets during a limited time period. Why? Some causes—such as climate justice—feel urgent to donors and they respond with more immediate action. Other donors believe greater financial support today through a spend-down fund compounds their impact, leading to better outcomes in totality compared to providing […]

January 2023

Endowment Governance: Aligning Foundation Investments and Mission

Where Do We Start? An institution considering initiating or adding to a mission-aligned investing strategy must first define its objectives. Next, it should evaluate the available approaches and tools on portfolio structure, impact, and performance expectations. Any planned changes must be balanced with the need to continue support for ongoing operations and grantmaking activities. Drawing […]

November 2022

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