Commonfund recently hosted its 25th annual Commonfund Forum, February 13-15th, in Boca Raton, Florida. The agenda included a range of sessions on relevant topics for institutional investors. This Forum Spotlight featured a lively discussion on changes and challenges facing nonprofits today.
One could argue that we are currently experiencing one of the most significant periods of change affecting nonprofits in the last fifty years. While we are still slowly emerging from the existential threat posed by the pandemic, there are potentially more consequential secular changes already in motion. For example, it looks as if the 40-year period of steadily declining interest rates and tame inflation that boosted endowed portfolios has come to an end, spelling real challenges in the years to come. Simultaneously, many nonprofits’ operations are feeling the negative effects of aging demographics, rapidly changing constituent behavior and the ever-increasing needs of the communities they serve.
Our panel of experts spoke about the implications of these momentous changes, both financially and operationally with a focus on where they see potential solutions and how their organizations are strategically addressing the challenges. Commonfund OCIO's President & CEO, Tim Yates, moderated the panel; Shannon Polk, President & CEO, Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation; Susan Scroggins, Board of Directors, & Past Chair, NACUBO, Senior Vice President Emerita, Valparaiso University; Jerry Wise, Chief Financial Officer, Newfields.