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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...
Endowment Purpose and UPMIFA: What Nonprofit Boards Must Ask
Purpose | Principle I | Principles of Investment Stewardship The Question Every Endowment Fiduciary Should Be Asking For many nonprofit organizations, the endowment is the difference between... Learn More
Not Your Grandparent’s Farm: Emerging Opportunities in an Often-Overlooked Sector
The Rationale for Investing in Agriculture: Growth, Diversification, Sustainability, Inflation Hedge Commonfund Forum 2024 convened a panel to examine emerging trends and opportunities for private...
What's Driving Surprisingly Low Volatility in Energy Markets?
In the current geopolitical environment, we would have historically expected much more volatility in the energy complex. Oddly, that has not been the case over the last 6 months. In fact, crude oil...
Will AI Save the World or Ruin It?
Commonfund hosted its annual Commonfund Forum, March 10-12th, in Orlando, Florida. The agenda included a range of sessions on relevant topics for institutional investors. This Forum Spotlight...
Viewpoint | Top Concerns for Independent Schools
For the first time since the inception of the Study, the FY2023 Commonfund Benchmarks Study® of Independent Schools (CSIS) report asked respondents to identify the top concerns for their...
CF Private Equity Closes its 4th Secondaries Fund at $1.1 BN
Commonfund Capital Secondary Partners IV, L.P. significantly exceeded its $750 million target.
The Economic Equation: Solving for the Unknowns
2 + 2 = ? In the world of economics—a lot of variables may mess with the answer. Two sessions early in the agenda at Commonfund Forum 2024 brought into focus the range of scenarios in play for...
Viewpoint | The Main Purpose of Independent School Endowments
The FY2023 Commonfund Benchmarks Study® of Independent Schools (CSIS) prompted survey respondents to select the main purpose of their school’s endowment for the first time.
Study of Independent Schools - Key Highlights [Infographic] 2023
For fiscal year 2023, independent schools reported an average return (net of fees) on their endowment assets of 9.2 percent. In this infographic, we report the key highlights from the 2023 Commonfund...
Opportunities in Sustainability Private Investing
Global macroeconomic trends signal an increased level of investment in the climate and energy transition sectors, despite broader market volatility over the past few years, as investors aim to seize...
Cash is Queen
2023 was the lowest year in 10 years for U.S. private equity distributions.1 Without the cash from exits, private equity investors are struggling to commit to new private equity funds. Lessons...
Grain Management: Three Questions with David Grain
Commonfund OCIO Managing Director, Paul Von Steenburg, interviews David Grain, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Grain Management in this Commonfund Manager Spotlight.
Study of Endowments - Key Highlights [Infographic] 2023
For fiscal year 2023, U.S. higher education endowments reported an average return (net of fees) on their endowment assets of 7.7 percent. In this infographic, we report the key highlights from the...
Mission-Aligned Investing for Endowments & Foundations