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Understanding the Secondaries Market
This Commonfund Institute Online video explores the evolving landscape of the secondaries market, focusing on both Limited Partner (LP)- and General Partner (GP)-led transactions.
AI is Redefining How Startups Scale
Advancements in generative Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) and large language models are enabling early-stage companies to scale faster than ever before. Venture investors who can identify and access... Learn More
Chart of the Month | Home Prices Are Up 32 Percent In Five Years – And Still Climbing
Housing demand appears to be slowing down in the first half of 2021, yet home prices have continued to climb at an accelerated pace. This month’s chart highlights the supply and demand factors...
Commonfund Celebrates 50 Years of Service
On July 1st, 1971, The Common Fund for Nonprofit Organizations commenced operations with a $2.8 million grant from the Ford Foundation under the leadership of President George Keane and the Board of...
Chart of the Month | Supply Chain Woes as the Pandemic Recedes in the U.S.
Supply chain woes continue to wreak havoc for retailers who are grappling with a strong rebound in consumer spending. Average six-month spending on durable goods, spurred by over $5 trillion in...
Endowment Management and the Three Primary Responsibilities of a Board
The fourth blog in the “Six Ps of Investment Stewardship” series addresses People, specifically how boards function within an organization. To learn more about the first four principles in the series...
ESG and Sustainable Investing
ESG and environmentally sustainable investment are increasingly capturing the attention of the institutional investment community. To assess the state of ESG and sustainable investing and how they...
Chart of the Month | Emerging Markets Trail the Pack Despite Rising Demand and Commodities Prices
As growth continues to rebound around the world and investors return to their pre-pandemic way of life, global market performance is beginning to reflect the divergent speed of normalization within...
How to Invest in Diverse Managers
A U.S. capitalist system where approximately one percent of all capital is managed by women and people of color, who make up 70 percent of the population, perpetuates and increases inequality and...
Digging Deeper into Inflation Fears
The current debate about whether the spike we are seeing in inflation is “transitory” should be reframed as “reflation vs sustained inflation.” Just like many other economic data points (ISM,...
In Memoriam: George F. Keane
George F. Keane, 91, of 7408 Eaton Court, Sarasota, FL, founder of The Common Fund, and noted philanthropic investment strategist, passed away Thursday, May 20, 2021, peacefully in the Spring Meadows...
Constructing Investment Portfolios for Endowments
There are fundamental principles of effective endowment management that we have organized into what we call “the 6 Ps of Investment Stewardship” – Purpose, Policy, Process, Portfolio, People and...
Investing in ESG and Sustainability
ESG and environmentally sustainable investments are increasingly capturing the attention of the institutional investment community. Historically, we saw more conversation and less broad investment...
A New Chapter for the Economy
The key driver of the economy, and of public sentiment, has been the aggressive distribution and acceptance of the COVID-19 vaccines. A litany of measures reflects the improved outlook for the U.S....
Commonfund OCIO Point of View