Understanding OCIO Partnerships: Key Insights and Best Practices
A Chief Investment Office “down the hall.” That’s what we aim to be at Commonfund. Our Mission As an OCIO, our goals are aligned with the institutions we work with and focused on how we can best...
Key OCIO Evaluation Factors
When choosing an Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO), there are eight key factors an organization should consider for increasing the likelihood of a good fit and successful partnership. These...
Considerations for Smaller Institutions Seeking OCIO
Recent data from the Commonfund Benchmarks Studies indicate that smaller nonprofit institutions are using an Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) for investment management more often than their...
Understanding the OCIO Governance Model
Explore the intricate governance dynamics within Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) models and how they shape investment outcomes.
Why do Nonprofit Investors Seek an OCIO?
According to data from Commonfund's Benchmarks Studies, Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) usage is on the rise among private and community foundations and higher education over the past 10...
Increasing Use of OCIO Relationships Requires New Governance Considerations
More and more endowments and foundations are entering outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) relationships as long-term mission-aligned investing becomes mired in the complexity of rapidly...
The Most Overlooked Element of the OCIO Relationship
When properly implemented, outsourcing the investment of nonprofit assets can help institutions establish governance processes, manage a complex portfolio, and navigate operational complexity and...
Top 5 Ways OCIO Fees Mislead
Fees are frequently overemphasized by Investment Committees when evaluating an Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (“OCIO”). Committees often believe that fees are a quantifiable and tangible way to...
Top Ten Tips for Better OCIO RFPs
A tightly run RFP process can help ensure your organization will find an ideal investment partner to help you fulfill your organization’s mission. As the second installment of our blog series on the...
Is It Time to Issue an Investment Manager RFP for Your Nonprofit?
Best practice for nonprofits is to issue a Request for Proposal (“RFP”) for an investment management partner every market cycle. Typically, that is at least every 7 to 10 years, or as it is...
5 Key Questions When Comparing OCIO Provider Fees
The market for Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (“OCIO”) services has boomed over the last decade. Today, OCIO assets under management are by some estimates nearly $1.5 trillion, 2.5 times the...
A Primer on Outsourced Investment Management
Once seen primarily as a solution for small institutions with limited resources, outsourced investment management is now widespread, with a broad range of long-term investors – including those with...
Deciding if an OCIO Provider is Right: Three Factors to Consider
There are three main factors an institution will need to weigh in deciding if working with an outsourced PROVIDER is right for them. Those are: Degree of Discretion: What role do the institution’s...
What is an OCIO?
Outsourced investment management, once primarily a solution for small institutions with limited resources, is now used by a broad range of long-term investors. When properly implemented, outsourcing...
Six Key Questions To Ask OCIO Providers
“Outsourced CIO” (or OCIO) is a term that might not be familiar to many. In the past it has been defined as a traditional consulting model in which the process of interviewing potential investment...