We have worked with endowments and foundations for more than 40 years, and we’re proud to be associated with so many institutions that are making the world a better place.
We understand the investment challenges non-profit investors face. We also believe that every institution is different. That’s why our investment teams work to understand each client’s needs and to build a customized portfolio that aligns with each client’s long-term investment objectives, risk tolerances, liquidity needs, and other enterprise considerations.
With deep expertise in alternative assets, impact investing, and governance issues, we bring the needed resources to bear and deliver the portfolio that’s right for each client. Our enterprise advisory group specializes in linking enterprise factors like governance, finance, and fundraising to the investment portfolio to help inform good investment decisions — supported by decades of peer data and best practices.
We have experienced investors operating in key financial hubs around the world to source and evaluate opportunities with the goal of delivering the best investment ideas to our clients. We also leverage our market presence and scale to negotiate favorable terms and fees with managers, often creating a net reduction in overall fees paid. To increase alignment with our clients, we do not offer our own proprietary off-the-shelf investment products or accept payments by managers for recommending their products.
In this segment, Margaret shares her thoughts on the endowment model given the COVID-19 crisis and whether she believes it’s possible for an institution to achieve a 5% real return in the current market environment. She discusses investing in industry “disruptors,” the importance of diversification, and the debate around growth vs. value.
Investors are facing a challenging period for earning what they spend and achieving adequate portfolio diversification. With most DM sovereign bond yields near or below zero, expected returns for bonds are at all-time lows and diversification qualities are constrained. In this edition of VantagePoint, we evaluate defense and diversification options to identify a modern approach to diversification in this low-yield era.
There are many facets of higher education finance, and it is often challenging to describe how the endowment fits into an institution’s financial picture. Endowment Radar is a visual tool that plots the endowment’s role in the college and university business model. It focuses on four key metrics to assess the endowment’s contributions to the […]
Investors have predominantly relied on developed markets sovereign bonds for defense in balanced portfolios, but low rates have diminished their diversification characteristics.
Yes, because rising concentration reflects rising valuations for the largest stocks, which are likely to serve as a headwind to index returns. Further, the growing market share of these companies increases the potential for rising regulatory oversight.
In this webinar we explore the findings of a recent survey on how the pandemic is impacting non-profit revenues and endowment spending levels and addresses the role of the endowment in this environment, near-term and long-term implications of spending decisions, and balancing a sustainable financial equation.
As 2020 comes to a close, we expect some key investment drivers to persist into next year. While our views speak to many different challenges confronting investors, including the poor bond yields on offer, the fate of US-China relations, and where to find growth, they are rooted in the belief that 2021 will be a year of healing for the global economy.
