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Climate Adaptation and Resilience: Keys to Sustainable Investing
When investors think of climate-focused investment and sustainable investing generally, they often envision thematics such as renewable power, electrified transport, and industrial decarbonization,... Learn More
Religious-Affiliated Higher Ed: Endowment Performance & Investment Practices
Earlier this year, Commonfund, in partnership with the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), released the 2025 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments (NCSE). The...
Performance and Practices of Smaller Institutions in the NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments
Earlier this year, Commonfund, in partnership with the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), released the 2025 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments (NCSE, or,...
AI in Venture Capital: Separating Hype from Opportunity
Join host Amanda Novello, Sr. Policy and Research Analyst, in this episode of "Espresso Chats," a series by the Commonfund Institute serving up strong, short shots of governance and leadership...
Market Insights: Record Highs and the Rise of Small and Mid-Caps
The S&P 500 closed at an all-time high, above 7,400, in early May 2026, up almost 8.5 percent year-to-date as of May 13th. But for the first time in several years, the headline index may not be the...
Endowment Spending: The Increasing Role in College Budgets
Studies over the years show operating budgets are claiming a greater share of annual endowment spending. Is the most recent jump an anomaly or the new normal?
Evolution of Educational Budgets Warrant Changes to the Higher Education Price Index
Commonfund’s Higher Education Price Index (HEPI), the premier inflation index for the education sector, is used by thousands of practitioners to ensure their budgeting processes account for real...
A Closer Look at Institutionally-Related Foundations’ Endowments
Earlier this year, Commonfund, in partnership with the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), released the 2025 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments (NCSE). The...
The Risks and Opportunities of the Influx of Retail Capital into Private Markets
For decades, private markets have delivered a meaningful premium over public equities, compensating investors for illiquidity and the patience required for long-term investing.
Real Estate & Infrastructure: Finding Opportunity After the Repricing
Episode 10 In this episode of Commonfund Point of View, Chief Investment Officer Julia Mord sits down with Paul Von Steenberg, Managing Director and Head of Real Estate and Infrastructure Investing,...
Vendor Risk: Lessons from the Anthropic Mythos Breach
On the morning Anthropic launched Mythos, one of the most advanced artificial intelligence (AI) coding models released to date, reporting suggests a private Discord group was already inside. They...
Putting Private Credit Headlines in Perspective
Recent articles in the financial press such as the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg have focused on noted challenges surfacing in private credit investments. Some examples of the headlines: An...
Under Allocating to Private Strategies Could Shortchange Your Mission
Three Considerations for Evaluating Your Exposure The ultimate goal for endowment portfolios is to achieve intergenerational equity, meaning the portfolio should provide a similar level of support to...
Building a Resilient Portfolio: Navigating Demographic Shifts and AI-Driven Productivity
The June jobs report was one of contradictions. Payrolls grew by a lackluster 57,000 versus consensus expectations of 115,000. However, unemployment dropped slightly to 4.2% compared to May’s 4.3%...