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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...
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
Is U.S. Exceptionalism Over? Tariffs, Deficits & Growth
Episode 7 Is U.S. exceptionalism over? In this episode, Julia Mord, the new Chief Investment Officer of Commonfund OCIO, takes over as host and welcomes Kris Kwait for one final conversation before...
Navigating Governance and Leadership in Higher Education
Join hosts George Suttles, Executive Director, and Amanda Novello, Sr. Policy and Research Analyst, in the inaugural episode of "Espresso Chats," a series by the Commonfund Institute serving up...
Tax Regime of Higher Education and Nonprofits Set to Change
On May 12th 2025, the House Ways and Means Committee released its budget proposal that includes major tax changes that, if passed, would apply to many endowments and foundations as described below....
Nonprofit-Dedicated OCIO
Providing nonprofits with customized investment strategies and specialized expertise, a nonprofit-dedicated OCIO can ensure mission-aligned financial stewardship. By concentrating on the nonprofit...
Considerations for Foundations to Meet the Moment
In response to the current political, social, and economic challenges, numerous foundations are increasing their support and adapting their strategies to address pressing issues. There have been...
Fiscal Policy Impacts on the Economy: Maybe too early to tell….
We are now more than 100 days into the Trump administration and six weeks past the “Liberation Day” tariff announcements. In that time the S&P 500 has reached it’s all time high, sold off more than...
A Closer Look at Minority-Serving Higher Education Institutions
Following the release of the 2024 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments (NCSE), Commonfund conducted a focused analysis of data reported by the 97 participating Minority-Serving Institutions (MSIs)....
Grove City College: Conservative, Christian, Committed to Excellence and Affordability
Grove City College is an institution of higher learning where values and value are inseparable.
CIO Roundtable: Meeting Complexity and Uncertainty with Clarity
A foundation, a university and an insurance company operate in different worlds and have different priorities—but make investment decisions in the same environment Institutions depend on their...
Insights from Institutionally-Related Foundations
Last month at Commonfund Forum 2025, we convened senior leaders of institutionally-related foundations (IRFs) to discuss trends among their institutions and peers uncovered in the FY2024...
The Power of We: How Collective Learning and Data Sharing Make Us Stronger
In the midst of today’s volatile economic and policy landscape, collective learning has become not just beneficial but essential for institutional investors. The nonprofit sector as a whole is facing...
Study of Independent Schools Marks its 20-Year Milestone
In 2005, what was then called the National Business Officers Association (now NBOA: Business Leadership for Independent Schools) had reached the seventh anniversary of its founding. Having its...
The State as a Shareholder: Government Equity Stakes