Commonfund provides investment management services principally to:
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Commonfund’s heritage can be found among the more than 3300 degree granting colleges and universities and the approximately 2000 independent schools in the U.S. We commenced operation in 1971 with 63 endowments as charter members and an initial investment of $72 million. Today Commonfund ranks among the top managers of endowment assets in the world serving the needs U.S. and Canadian educational institutions and including:
- Private colleges and universities
- Public colleges and universities and their supporting foundations.
- Community colleges
- K-12 Independent schools
Having been founded with a $2.8 million grant from the Ford Foundation in 1969 (with the commencement of operations in 1971), Commonfund is testament to the importance of philanthropy and effective stewardship of financial assets. It is with this perspective that Commonfund provides investment and advisory services to a broad range of U.S., Canadian and U.K. foundations, charities and operating nonprofits including
- Private and Family Foundations
- Community Foundations
- Public Foundations and Charities
- Cultural Organizations (e.g., museums, symphonies, ballets)
- Religious Organizations
- Social Services Organizations
Commonfund has served the needs of the nonprofit healthcare sector since 1999 and today maintains a focus on behalf of healthcare clients in the management of
- Operating fund pools
- Insurance reserves
- Funded depreciation reserves
- Endowment and foundation assets
- Defined benefit pension plans
- Cash assets
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Since the 1990’s Commonfund has managed pension assets affiliated with U.S. and (later,) Canadian nonprofit organizations, including hospitals, colleges and universities.
Recently we have broadened our plan sponsor universe beyond this nonprofit community to include corporate and public defined benefit plans.
With plan sponsors we work closely with investment staff and their consultants to construct and implement alternative investment portfolios incorporating strategies and asset classes such as:
- Global Venture Capital
- U.S. Private Equity
- Global (ex. U.S.) Private Equity
- Natural Resources
- Hedge Fund Strategies
- Commodities
- Distressed Investing
Our approach is that of an investment manager either for a single investment program or to implement a broadly diversified alternatives portfolio, complementing the role of your investment consultant and staff as the overseer of your entire portfolio. We provide commingled funds for all programs and offer separate accounts to eligible investors for a range of directional, relative value and diversified hedge fund strategies as well as commodity investments.
Fundamental to our approach to alternative investing is education and on-going due diligence and risk management. We recognize that among the greatest challenges faced by plan sponsors is the effective and efficient matching of liability streams and, for some, the uncertainty of plan funding. And, therefore, it is critical that alternative investment programs are effectively integrated with traditional long-only equity and fixed income portfolios to ensure that the portfolio in aggregate is capable of providing target returns and liquidity within your specific risk tolerances.
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Often, the management and oversight of private and family foundations are closely linked with affiliated family offices and trusts. Further, like these foundations family offices and trusts share a need for professional asset management yet they may find that traditional providers of investment services to family offices and trusts such as bank trust departments, private banks and brokerage firms typically lack an institutional rigor and quality in alternative asset management. For this reason, Commonfund now offers a full array of alternative investment strategies to such institutions, including:
- Global Venture Capital
- U.S. Private Equity
- Global Private Equity ex.-U.S.
- Natural Resources
- Hedge Fund Strategies
- Commodities
- Distressed Investing
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