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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
Investment Strategy | Insights Blog
Investment Committees: Preparing for the Unforeseen
In the world of investing, crises are inevitable. Yet, many investment committees find themselves unprepared when these crises strike because they haven’t taken the necessary time to scenario plan....
Perspectives | Videos
The Seismic Shifts Impacting Nonprofits Today
Commonfund recently hosted its 27th annual Commonfund Forum, March 9th-11th, in Orlando, Florida. This Forum Spotlight explores the financial and operational implications of these major shifts,...
educational-endowments
Perspectives | Press Releases
Institutional Investors Split on U.S. Economic Outlook, Commonfund’s Annual Market Sentiment Survey Finds
Sixty eight percent of institutional investors surveyed (representing over $800 billion in total assets) expect the S&P 500 Index to have lower or negative returns in 2025, compared to the 10-year...
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Perspectives | Insights Blog
Independent Schools Increasingly Depend on Endowments for Operations
Amidst concerns about student enrollment, fundraising, inflation, market volatility, and more, independent schools are relying more on their endowments to cover any gaps. Data from the 2024...
Perspectives | Insights Blog
Key Takeaways from Forum 2025
Commonfund Forum 2025, held in Orlando, brought together registrants from some 370 institutions with more than $800 billion in endowed assets representing 42 states and five foreign countries in a...
educational-endowments
Perspectives | Insights Blog
Forum 2025 Key Statistics [Infographic]
Commonfund recently hosted its 27th annual Commonfund Forum, March 9th-11th, in Orlando, Florida. The event brought together institutional investors to engage in a three-day conference to explore...
educational-endowments
Perspectives | Insights Blog
Top Concerns in Higher Education
In the 2024 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments, a new area of inquiry was asked to participating institutions to identify their top two concerns from an inclusive list of 20 alternatives from...
Market Commentary | Private Equity Insights
Blossoming New Era of Secondaries
The Secondary market vaulted to a record year in 2024 and is poised for another record-breaking year in 2025. Secondary market growth is constrained by both a lack of investable and human capital....
Governance And Policy | Insights Blog
2025 Policy Outlook: What Endowments and Foundations Should Know
On January 30th, Commonfund Institute, in partnership with the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), the Council on Foundations (COF), and the Council for...
Perspectives | Reports And Surveys
NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments
Request the FY2024 Study of Endowments to gain insights on investment strategies, governance, and best practices in higher education endowments
Governance And Policy | Videos
2025 Policy Outlook: What Endowments and Foundations Should Know
Looking back at 2024, uncertainty was the name of the game: inflation, interest rates, market volatility, emerging technology, recession potential, and geopolitical risks all played a role. As we...
Private Equity | Private Equity Insights
CF Private Equity Closes on Three Venture Capital Funds
Firm Closes Its Fifteenth Venture Capital Fund, Second Dedicated Venture Direct Fund, and First Dedicated Venture Blockchain Fund
The State as a Shareholder: Government Equity Stakes