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Governance And Policy | Insights Blog
Impact Investing vs. ESG: Defining Mission-Aligned Investing
Ask ten investment professionals what "mission-aligned investing" means and you are likely to get ten different answers. Some will say environmental, social and governance (ESG). Others will say...
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Investment Strategy | Articles
The Endowment Model - Building Resilient Portfolios for an Enduring Mission
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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
FY25 NACUBO-Commonfund Study Released
U.S. Higher Education Endowments Report Stable Returns, Increase Spending to $33.4 Billion in FY25 The NACUBO-Commonfund Study of 657 colleges and universities reports a 10-year average return of...
Investment Strategy | Videos
Understanding the Private Equity Secondaries Market
This Commonfund Institute Online video explores the evolving landscape of the private equity secondaries market, focusing on both Limited Partner (LP)- and General Partner (GP)-led transactions.
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Governance and Policy | Podcasts
AI Considerations in Portfolio Management: A CIO’s View
In this episode of Espresso Chats, Commonfund Institute's Amanda Novello, Associate Director, sits down with Julia Mord, Chief Investment Officer at Commonfund OCIO, to close out our AI investment... Learn More
Mission-aligned Investing | Insights Blog
Applying the Six Ps to Mission-Aligned Investing
The case for mission-aligned investing continues to grow stronger — not simply as an ethical stance, but as a matter of institutional coherence, stakeholder trust, and long-term risk management. For...
educational-endowments
Perspectives | Index
Higher Education Price Index Forecast August 2026
According to Commonfund Institute's latest update, HEPI forecasts a 3.5 percent inflation rate for U.S. colleges and universities in fiscal year 2026. The latest forecast, based on data through...
Perspectives | Insights Blog
Key Findings From the 2025 Study of Foundations [Infographic]
Investment results, asset allocation, spending and governance practices reported by 285 private and community foundations for the year ended December 31, 2025. Study at a glance 285 participating...
Governance And Policy | Insights Blog
Investment Policy Statement: The Document Behind Every Decision
Policy | Principle II | Principles of Investment Stewardship An investment committee can have talented members, a well-diversified portfolio, and a thoughtful manager roster — and still make poor...
Private Equity | Private Equity Insights
The Other Side of the Liquidity Equation: What Semi-Liquid Funds Cost You on Day One
The focus on how capital can come back from a semi-liquid fund often overshadows an equally important question: the impact on liquidity the moment capital goes in. That asymmetry leads to an...
foundations
Perspectives | Press Releases
Foundation Endowments Post Double-Digit Returns | 2025 CCSF Study
Foundations’ Endowed Portfolios Produced Double Digit Investment Returns in 2025; Alts Returns Rebound Council on Foundations-Commonfund Study finds Community Foundations Report Rising Gifts and OCIO...
Market Commentary | Insights Blog
Why 30-Year Treasury Yields Are at 2007 Highs — And What It Means for Your Portfolio
Amidst all the headlines of a new $500 billion financing partnership Nvidia struck with six of Wall Street’s largest investors to fund the buildout of AI infrastructure, the same borrowing wave is...
Governance And Policy | Insights Blog
How do Endowments Work? Common Misconceptions
In recent months, institutional endowments, particularly those within higher education, have been subject to heightened scrutiny. This attention has, at times, created tension and contributed to the...
Governance And Policy | Podcasts
Responsible Investing in the Age of AI
Join hosts George Suttles, Executive Director, and Amanda Novello, Associate Director, in this episode of Espresso Chats, a series by the Commonfund Institute serving up strong, short shots of...
Governance And Policy | Insights Blog
5 Takeaways from the 2026 NACUBO Annual Meeting
If you've already read Inside Higher Ed's recap of the NACUBO Annual Meeting (held in Anaheim from July 18-21), "A Call to Meet the Moment at NACUBO,” you know federal policy uncertainty dominated...
Market Commentary | Podcasts
Mission-Aligned Investing for Endowments & Foundations
Episode 11 In this episode of Commonfund Point of View, Julia Mord, Chief Investment Officer, is joined by Brian Cohen, Managing Director, and Caroline Greer, Managing Director, to unpack what it...
Governance And Policy | Insights Blog
Philanthropy and Fundraising: Trends & Leadership Insights
At the 2026 Investment Stewardship Academy, held at Yale University this past June, three leaders in the philanthropic sector — Dr. Amir Pasic, Eugene R. Tempel Dean at Indiana University's Lilly...
The State as a Shareholder: Government Equity Stakes