Commonfund Announces 2024 Diverse Manager Day

January 18, 2024 |
1 minute read
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Commonfund Announces 2024 Diverse Manager Day
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Commonfund begins the New Year with the exciting prospect of continuing to build out our diverse manager commitments. In 2023, we hit a milestone, reaching 10.9 percent of assets under management invested with diverse-led managers.1 While this rate well surpasses the 1.4 percent of total diverse led assets under management in the United States as measured by the Knight Foundation’s 2021 study, we believe there is much more diverse talent to uncover.

Where are we invested?

Commonfund has diverse manager investments in every asset class in which we invest, with the majority invested in both actively and passively managed public equities. Private market allocations across private equity, venture, private credit, real estate, natural resources, and emerging markets comprise about 36 percent of allocations. Smaller allocations to fixed income and diversifying strategies are a reflection of the concentrated nature and constrained portfolio construction methodologies of those asset classes.

From a diversity perspective, approximately 30 percent of assets are invested with Black/ African American managers, 32 percent with Asian managers, 23 percent with managers of two or more races, 11 percent with white women, 3 percent with Latinos, and 1 percent with managers who identify as LGBTQ+. In addition, we are especially pleased that we have 47 percent of diverse manager assets invested with women of color, arguably the manager cohort most under-represented within financial services.

How do we find them?

While Commonfund sources diverse managers from many avenues, one of our key sources has been through our annual invitational Diverse Manager Day, from which we have sourced roughly 10 percent of our diverse managers to date. This year, we are pleased to hold our fifth annual invitational Diverse Manager Day on May 15th, 2024. As in past years, managers will be selected based on new submissions, and updated submissions, to Commonfund’s dedicated Diverse Manager Portal. The portal will accept submissions until February 29th, 2024.

What do we look for?

Managers frequently ask for the selection criteria for invitation to the Diverse Manager Day. Commonfund uses the same due diligence process for diverse managers as for all other managers with which we invest and selection criteria are also influenced by the expected needs of client portfolios for the coming year.

  1. As of December 31, 2023. Diverse managers are defined by Commonfund as firms led by women, African American/ Black, Asian, Latino, Indigenous, people with disabilities, veterans and others not captured by this list. They must have at least 25 percent diverse leadership and additionally, have at least 25 percent diversity within the investment team.
Caroline Greer

Author

Caroline Greer

Managing Director

Disclaimer

Certain information contained herein has been obtained from or is based on third-party sources and, although believed to be reliable, has not been independently verified. Such information is as of the date indicated, if indicated, may not be complete, is subject to change and has not necessarily been updated. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be given by The Common Fund for Nonprofit Organizations, any of its affiliates or any of its or their affiliates, trustees, directors, officers, employees or advisers (collectively referred to herein as “Commonfund”) or any other person as to the accuracy or completeness of the information in any third-party materials. Accordingly, Commonfund shall not be liable for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of relying on any statement in, or omission from, such third-party materials, and any such liability is expressly disclaimed.

All rights to the trademarks, copyrights, logos and other intellectual property listed herein belong to their respective owners and the use of such logos hereof does not imply an affiliation with, or endorsement by, the owners of such trademarks, copyrights, logos and other intellectual property.

To the extent views presented forecast market activity, they may be based on many factors in addition to those explicitly stated herein. Forecasts of experts inevitably differ. Views attributed to third-parties are presented to demonstrate the existence of points of view, not as a basis for recommendations or as investment advice. Market and investment views of third-parties presented herein do not necessarily reflect the views of Commonfund, any manager retained by Commonfund to manage any investments for Commonfund (each, a “Manager”) or any fund managed by any Commonfund entity (each, a “Fund”). Accordingly, the views presented herein may not be relied upon as an indication of trading intent on behalf of Commonfund, any Manager or any Fund.

Statements concerning Commonfund’s views of possible future outcomes in any investment asset class or market, or of possible future economic developments, are not intended, and should not be construed, as forecasts or predictions of the future investment performance of any Fund. Such statements are also not intended as recommendations by any Commonfund entity or any Commonfund employee to the recipient of the presentation. It is Commonfund’s policy that investment recommendations to its clients must be based on the investment objectives and risk tolerances of each individual client. All market outlook and similar statements are based upon information reasonably available as of the date of this presentation (unless an earlier date is stated with regard to particular information), and reasonably believed to be accurate by Commonfund. Commonfund disclaims any responsibility to provide the recipient of this presentation with updated or corrected information or statements. Past performance is not indicative of future results. For more information please refer to Important Disclosures.

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Disclaimer

Certain information contained herein has been obtained from or is based on third-party sources and, although believed to be reliable, has not been independently verified. Such information is as of the date indicated, if indicated, may not be complete, is subject to change and has not necessarily been updated. No representation or warranty, express or implied, is or will be given by The Common Fund for Nonprofit Organizations, any of its affiliates or any of its or their affiliates, trustees, directors, officers, employees or advisers (collectively referred to herein as “Commonfund”) or any other person as to the accuracy or completeness of the information in any third-party materials. Accordingly, Commonfund shall not be liable for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage suffered by any person as a result of relying on any statement in, or omission from, such third-party materials, and any such liability is expressly disclaimed.

All rights to the trademarks, copyrights, logos and other intellectual property listed herein belong to their respective owners and the use of such logos hereof does not imply an affiliation with, or endorsement by, the owners of such trademarks, copyrights, logos and other intellectual property.

To the extent views presented forecast market activity, they may be based on many factors in addition to those explicitly stated herein. Forecasts of experts inevitably differ. Views attributed to third-parties are presented to demonstrate the existence of points of view, not as a basis for recommendations or as investment advice. Market and investment views of third-parties presented herein do not necessarily reflect the views of Commonfund, any manager retained by Commonfund to manage any investments for Commonfund (each, a “Manager”) or any fund managed by any Commonfund entity (each, a “Fund”). Accordingly, the views presented herein may not be relied upon as an indication of trading intent on behalf of Commonfund, any Manager or any Fund.

Statements concerning Commonfund’s views of possible future outcomes in any investment asset class or market, or of possible future economic developments, are not intended, and should not be construed, as forecasts or predictions of the future investment performance of any Fund. Such statements are also not intended as recommendations by any Commonfund entity or any Commonfund employee to the recipient of the presentation. It is Commonfund’s policy that investment recommendations to its clients must be based on the investment objectives and risk tolerances of each individual client. All market outlook and similar statements are based upon information reasonably available as of the date of this presentation (unless an earlier date is stated with regard to particular information), and reasonably believed to be accurate by Commonfund. Commonfund disclaims any responsibility to provide the recipient of this presentation with updated or corrected information or statements. Past performance is not indicative of future results. For more information please refer to Important Disclosures.