Research Center
Select a Topic:
.svg){kind=icon}
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....
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... Learn More
A Closer Look at Community Colleges
Earlier this year, Commonfund, in partnership with the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO), released the 2024 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments (NCSE). The...
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....
Reflections on the NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments 2024
Mid-February can be a challenging time of year. For sports fans, the lull between the end of the football season and the beginning of baseball season can feel like an eternity. For many, February...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The Investment Policy Statement - A Commonfund Whitepaper
Successful investing for long-term funds requires a strategic investment policy statement. The plan must be specific, yet it also needs to be flexible.
Request your copy of the latest Study on Foundations
The Council on Foundation - Commonfund (CCSF) Study provides an authoritative and comprehensive survey of private and community foundation investment and governance practices.
Commonfund OCIO Point of View