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Perspectives | Insights Blog
In Memoriam: Mamak Shahbazi
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Commonfund Board Member, Mamak Shahbazi. Mamak was a dedicated and talented board member and a great friend to the firm, its clients, and...
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Private Equity | Private Equity Insights
Understanding Buyouts and Growth Equity Investments
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Investment Strategy | Articles
Viewpoint | Top Concerns for Community Foundations: Donor-Advised Fund Regulations
Potential regulations on donor-advised funds (DAFs) and their effect on the philanthropic sector was the most-cited concern among community foundations in this year’s Council on...
Perspectives | Press Releases
FY23 NACUBO-Commonfund Study Released
U.S. Higher Education Endowments Report 7.7% Return for FY23 While Spending More in Support of Their Missions 50th anniversary NACUBO-Commonfund Study shows participating colleges and universities...
Investment Strategy | Videos
Chief Investment Officers Share Their Thoughts at Forum 2025
Commonfund hosted its annual Commonfund Forum 2025, March 9-11th, in Orlando, Florida. The agenda included a range of sessions on relevant topics for institutional investors. This Forum Spotlight...
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Featured
Perspectives | Insights Blog
Summer Literary Journeys: A Pathway of Pages into Growth, Grit, and Collective Imagination
Commonfund Institute is excited to share our annual summer reading list, thoughtfully curated with recommendations from our Commonfund colleagues. Inspired by the spirit of the summer solstice –... Learn More
Investment Strategy | Articles
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...
educational-endowments

Perspectives | Index
Higher Education Price Index Forecast May 2025
According to Commonfund Institute's latest update, the HEPI forecasts a 3.7 percent inflation rate for U.S. colleges and universities in fiscal year 2025. The latest forecast, based on data through...

Responsible Investing | Articles
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...

Perspectives | Insights Blog
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...

Perspectives | Insights Blog
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...

Investment Strategy | Videos
Chief Investment Officers Share Their Thoughts at Forum 2025
Commonfund hosted its annual Commonfund Forum 2025, March 9-11th, in Orlando, Florida. The agenda included a range of sessions on relevant topics for institutional investors. This Forum Spotlight...

Market Commentary | Insights Blog
Policy Uncertainty Impacts All Assets (Not Just Equities!)
Since the February peak in the S&P 500, reams of newsprint have been dedicated to the volatility in the equity markets and to a lesser extent the U.S. Treasury markets – but what about the U.S....

Private Equity | Private Equity Insights
Data Centers, AI and the Evolving Energy Landscape
You can't just flip the switch. As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape industries and redefine technological capability, it is also poised to become one of the most significant drivers...

Perspectives | Insights Blog
Key Takeaways from the 2025 CASE Conference for College & University Foundations
Commonfund Institute provides analysis and thought leadership across the nonprofit institutional investing space. But investments don’t happen in a vacuum – they are part of the institutional...

Responsible Investing | Insights Blog
Fiduciaries Guide to Mission-Aligned Investing
At Commonfund Forum 2025, Caroline Greer, Managing Director, Commonfund OCIO and George Suttles, Executive Director, Commonfund Institute sat down with panelists, Margot Brandenburg, Senior Program...

Outsourced Cio | Insights Blog
Increased Use of OCIO for Independent Schools
Data from the 2024 Commonfund Benchmarks Study of Independent Schools (CSIS) show that schools across the size spectrum reported an increase in use of an outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO)...
educational-endowments

Investment Strategy | Insights Blog
In Pursuit of Intergenerational Equity: Inflation is the Big Headwind
For all the differing goals and objectives laid out by colleges and universities for their endowments, one that is universally shared is intergenerational equity, or the concept that endowed...
Fiscal Year-End and Mid-Year 2025 Market and Investment Review