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Private Equity | Private Equity Insights
Unconventional Thinking – A Reset of the Investment Opportunity in Upstream Energy
Step back in time a little over a decade ago to 2014 and recall the state of the global economy. Five years earlier, global GDP had experienced a significant contraction in the wake of the Global...
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Governance And Policy | Insights Blog
A Closer Look at Private Family Foundations
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Governance And Policy | Podcasts
Purpose-Driven Governance in the Nonprofit Sector
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Investment Strategy | Articles
Mind the Gap: The Strategic Risk of Skipping a Vintage in Private Equity
Private equity (inclusive of buyouts, growth equity, and venture capital) remains a compelling long-term asset class, but recent periods of muted distributions and below-average returns have created...
Perspectives | Press Releases
FY24 NACUBO-Commonfund Study Released
U.S. Higher Education Endowments Report 6.8% 10-Year Average Annual Return, Increase Spending to a Collective $30.0 Billion Annual NACUBO-Commonfund Study shows participating institutions spent...
Investment Strategy | Videos
Chief Investment Officers Share Their Thoughts at Forum 2025
Commonfund hosted its annual Commonfund Forum 2025, March 9-11th, in Orlando, Florida. The agenda included a range of sessions on relevant topics for institutional investors. This Forum Spotlight...
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Responsible Investing | Insights Blog
Four Takeaways from the 2025 Nest Climate Campus Event
At this year’s Nest Climate Campus event, held September 23-25, 2025, during NYC’s Climate Week, the conversation around climate shifted—from ideals to execution, and from rhetoric to financial and... Learn More
Perspectives | Insights Blog
What a Government Shutdown Means for the Nonprofit Sector: Why It Matters to Boards
At midnight on October 1st, the U.S. government shut down after Congress failed to pass a short-term funding bill. The shutdown is a culmination of contentious policy differences between Republicans...
Investment Strategy | Insights Blog
Commonfund Holds Third Convening for Foundations that Support Higher Education
Last month, Commonfund hosted its third Commonfund Convenes event dedicated to advancement of investment knowledge for institutionally-related foundations (IRFs). The latest workshop focused...
Governance And Policy | Insights Blog
Higher Ed in 2025: Top 5 Business Concerns and How Institutions Can Respond
For the past four years, NACUBO has surveyed chief business officers and other financial and administrative professionals about the challenges that confront them—and how they are working to support...
Investment Strategy | Videos
Venture Capital Essentials: Principles and Market Trends
Are you curious about how investors navigate the dynamic world of venture capital? This Commonfund Institute Online workshop offers a practical roadmap for understanding the principles of endowment...
foundations
Governance And Policy | Insights Blog
A Closer Look at Health Conversion Foundations
Commonfund, in partnership with the Council on Foundations (COF), recently released the 2024 Council on Foundations-Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations...
Governance And Policy | Insights Blog
Health Conversion Foundations: Preserving Community Health in a Changing Landscape
In the evolving terrain of American healthcare, health conversion foundations, also known as health legacy foundations, have emerged as powerful stewards of community well-being. These philanthropic...
Governance And Policy | Podcasts
Insights on Private Equity and Market Trends
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...
Private Equity | Private Equity Insights
Understanding the Venture Capital Investment Opportunity
Venture capital (VC) has long been a powerful engine for innovation, fueling the growth of transformative companies and shaping entire industries. From prior technology platform shifts – such as the...
Outsourced Cio | Insights Blog
Growing Use of OCIO by Private and Community Foundations
In the annual Council on Foundations-Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations® (CCSF; the "Study") data show concerns are rising regarding the ability to...
Governance And Policy | Insights Blog
Themes from the 2025 FAOG Conference for Community Foundations
Last week in Oklahoma City the 2025 FAOG (Finance, Administration & Operations Group) Conference convened experts and over 300 delegates from community foundations around the country to explore the...
Perspectives | Insights Blog
A Closer Look at Long-term Returns
In the annual Council on Foundations-Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations® (CCSF; the "Study") data was collected on longer-term returns for the first...
AI and the Productivity Paradox: Are We Finally Seeing the Payoff?