Research Center
Select a Topic:
.svg){kind=icon}
Charitable Giving in a Changing Policy Landscape
Join hosts George Suttles, Executive Director, and Amanda Novello, Sr. Policy and Research Analyst, in this episode of "Espresso Chats," a series by the Commonfund Institute serving up strong, short...
Defending the Digital Frontier | Q&A
Geopolitical tensions are rising, AI is evolving faster than our guardrails, and cyber threats have never been more sophisticated. The threat landscape has never been more complex — and the stakes... Learn More
Community Colleges: Analyzing Endowment Performance and Trends
Earlier this year, Commonfund, in partnership with the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), released the 2025 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments (NCSE). The...
Small Cap Equity Investing: From Activism to Constructivism
Small‑cap equity investing has long offered fertile ground for investors seeking overlooked opportunities, but the tools used to unlock that value are changing. A Commonfund Forum 2026 topical lunch...
Fundraising and Gifts: A Growing Area of Concern
Gifts are a critical component of the independent school business model: adequate gifts, endowment returns, tuition and student enrollment enable schools to serve students year after year. This...
A Closer Look at Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ Endowments
Earlier this year, Commonfund, in partnership with the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), released the 2025 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments (NCSE). The...
Around the Horn: Risks and Opportunities in Global Capital Markets
Commonfund recently hosted its 28th annual Commonfund Forum, February 25th-28th, in Hollywood, Florida. In this Forum Spotlight, Commonfund asset class leaders will discuss their approach to...
Study of Independent Schools - Key Highlights [Infographic] 2025
For fiscal year 2025, independent schools reported an average return (net of fees) on their endowment assets of 11.5 percent. In this infographic, we report the key highlights from the 2025...
Private Credit’s Next Chapter: Diversification, Value & Alpha
Private credit’s evolution from a niche allocation to a $2 trillion global market has brought both opportunities and challenges. Investors and allocators are asking where alpha still exists, how...
Independent School Endowment Insights
Join hosts George Suttles, Executive Director, and Amanda Novello, Sr. Policy and Research Analyst, in this episode of "Espresso Chats," a series by the Commonfund Institute serving up strong, short...
Forum 2026 Key Statistics [Infographic]
Commonfund recently hosted its 28th annual Commonfund Forum, February 25th-28th, in Hollywood, Florida. The event brought together institutional investors to engage in a three-day conference to...
The Iran War and the Gulf Energy Crisis
The Iran War and the gulf energy crisis are an (un)friendly reminder that diversification still matters. Early returns on the U.S. and Israel-led war with Iran in the Middle East offer an important...
Institutional Investors Lower 2026 Return Expectations Amid Geopolitical Risk
Nearly half of institutional investors surveyed expect the S&P 500 Index to have lower returns in 2026, compared to the 10-year average annualized return. Private equity and public equities cited as...
The End of Asset-Light: How AI Is Accelerating Technology Spending