Research Center
Select a Topic:
.svg){kind=icon}
Aligning Capital with Mission: Insights for Nonprofit Institutional Investors
In today's investment landscape, many institutions are reckoning with a fundamental question: Are our investments aligned with our mission? At this year’s Investment Stewardship Academy, Commonfund...
Understanding Buyouts and Growth Equity Investments
Buyouts and growth equity are two investment strategies within private equity that offer investors exposure to companies of differing scale. Buyouts often involve more complex restructuring and... Learn More
Commonfund Trustee, Dr. David A. Thomas, Wins 62nd Annual HBR McKinsey Award
Commonfund's Trustee, Dr. David A. Thomas, wins the 62nd Annual HBR McKinsey Award, for co-authoring the article titled "Getting Serious About Diversity: Enough Already with the Business Case." The...
Chart of the Month | The Surprising Relationship Between Money Supply and Inflation
The potential for rising inflation is becoming a top concern for many investors and consumers. Many believe that inflation is already here as evidenced by price increases in commodities, homes,...
Top 5 Ways OCIO Fees Mislead
Fees are frequently overemphasized by Investment Committees when evaluating an Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (“OCIO”). Committees often believe that fees are a quantifiable and tangible way to...
How Your Organization Can Nurture Innovation While Balancing Risk
The theme for Commonfund Forum 2021 was “Transformation.” The objective of the agenda was to deliver timely, useful content on core subjects related to nonprofit endowment and financial management...
Fareed Zakaria Dissects the Challenges Shaping the Post-Pandemic World
The theme for Commonfund Forum 2021 was “Transformation.” The objective of the agenda was to deliver timely, useful content on core subjects related to nonprofit endowment and financial management...
Trends in the Growing Secondary Market
"The secondary market has become a mainstay for investors, both as 1) more investors move into the secondary market and, 2) as a way to manage investors' existing private portfolios. Both sides of...
Spending at Independent Schools Impacted by COVID-19
The effects of COVID-19 have been felt across the entire nonprofit sector and the independent schools’ community is no different. For the Commonfund Benchmarks Study® of Independent Schools (CSIS)...
Managing Financial Challenges During Crisis – A Checklist for Higher Education
Many educational institutions are facing unpredictable financial challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Costs associated with implementing technologies for virtual learning, decreased...
Forum 2021 | Welcome Address
Mark Anson, PhD, CFA, CAIA, Chief Executive Officer and Chief Investment Officer, Commonfund, welcomes you to Commonfund Forum 2021. This video is a Commonfund Forum 2021 Spotlight. Click here to...
A Fireside Chat with Darren Walker | From Generosity to Justice
Forum 2021 keynote speaker and Ford Foundation President, Darren Walker, shares his bold vision for the future of philanthropy. Since his arrival in 2013, Mr. Walker has transformed the venerable...
Infinite Challenges, Endless Opportunities, Finite Resources
Board members, trustees and others that have oversight of endowed portfolios have well-documented fiduciary duties that govern how they carry out those responsibilities. In times of relative calm,...
Tools for Creating Effective Strategic Policy
Commonfund has worked with nonprofit investors for 50 years. Over that time, we have developed a set of proprietary tools and data to assist boards and investment committees in their quest to create...
Fiscal Year-End and Mid-Year 2025 Market and Investment Review