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Case studies
Non-profit with multiple sub-accounts seeks customized administrative solution
A private foundation (the Foundation) provides grants focused on meeting the needs of an aging population. The Foundation also plays an important role in building the capacity of other grant makers with similar missions. The Foundation relied on an endowment of roughly $110 million, which funded more than 800 grants in over two decades of operation. The Foundation has no additional fundraising capacity.
Foundation aligned investment program with mission and reduced costs through ESG beta completion portfolio
A donor-funded foundation managing over $4 billion teamed up with Russell Investments to help better meet its investment objectives through a three-pronged solution. This approach helped the foundation address the multiple challenges it was facing.
University foundation improved portfolio returns and managed risk with factor-based dynamic completion strategy and futures overlay
A university foundation managing an endowment of over $1 billion in assets. The foundation supports the broader university by receiving and managing financial gifts given to foster academic excellence. The foundation is focused on growing the purchasing power of its endowment, reinvesting charitable assets, and delivering a portfolio return of CPI + 5% to help provide scholarships and financial aid, create faculty chairs and professorships, and fund new research opportunities and educational programs for the university.
University endowment reduces complexity, improves oversight while implementing sophisticated alternative investing solution
A private health sciences university comprised of multiple colleges, schools and a nationally ranked hospital. With more than 7,000 employees and 1,100 medical staff, these constituent organizations work together to provide patient care as well as education to future healthcare professionals. The Investment Office is led by the chief investment officer (CIO) and a small staff overseeing five different pools of capital totaling roughly $3 billion. A portion of the assets are held in the longterm pool, which functions as an endowment supporting the financial needs of the overall organization.
Community foundation embraces key features of OCIO: Increased diversification and dynamic portfolio management
A donor-funded community foundation located in the United States. The Foundation provides resources to non-profits through grant making, scholarships and impact funding for social issues in its local community such as homelessness, hunger and education. During the global financial crisis when its community needed more support than ever, the Foundation's pool of assets shrank by 30%. The net result was a renewed focus on improved management of its investment program as a critical component to sustaining the Foundation and the community.
Learn more through our latest comprehensive topical research
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- Finding returns in 2019 with private markets
- 2018 ESG survey
- Key investment issues for non-profit fiduciaries to consider in 2019
- How non-profits can improve upon the endowment model—and make it work for them
- Investing principles for community foundation leaders
- Why dynamic management matters
- Non-profit spending policy options
- Materiality matters: Targeting the ESG issues that can impact performance
- Model portfolios for non-profit organizations
- Elements of a clearly defined investment policy statement for non-profits
- How do your investment committee meetings measure up?
Looking for more non-profit related research? Visit our Insights library for the latest research.
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