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5 Takeaways from the 2026 NACUBO Annual Meeting
If you've already read Inside Higher Ed's recap of the NACUBO Annual Meeting (held in Anaheim from July 18-21), "A Call to Meet the Moment at NACUBO,” you know federal policy uncertainty dominated...
Endowment Purpose and UPMIFA: What Nonprofit Boards Must Ask
Purpose | Principle I | Principles of Investment Stewardship The Question Every Endowment Fiduciary Should Be Asking For many nonprofit organizations, the endowment is the difference between... Learn More
Themes from the 2025 FAOG Conference for Community Foundations
Last week in Oklahoma City the 2025 FAOG (Finance, Administration & Operations Group) Conference convened experts and over 300 delegates from community foundations around the country to explore the...
A Closer Look at Long-term Returns
In the annual Council on Foundations-Commonfund Study of Investment of Endowments for Private and Community Foundations® (CCSF; the "Study") data was collected on longer-term returns for the first...
Innovative Community Health in Southeast Idaho
Portneuf Health Trust is forging a new path that serves as an example of the power of aligning mission and money for the greater good.
Study of Foundations - Key Highlights [Infographic] 2024
In this infographic, we report the key highlights from the 2024 Council on Foundations-Commonfund Study of Foundations. For the year ended December 31, 2024, participating foundations produced...
Foundations' Endowed Portfolios Produced Double-Digit Investment Returns in 2024
Long-Term Return Data Also Positive Council on Foundations-Commonfund Study finds Outsourcing on the rise; gifts to community foundations increased Wilton, Conn. (August 27, 2025) — In the volatile...
Aligning Mission and Impact
Join hosts George Suttles, Executive Director, and Amanda Novello, Sr. Policy and Research Analyst, in this episode of "Espresso Chats," a series by the Commonfund Institute serving up strong, short...
Benchmarks for Boards
This paper attempts to serve as a guide for trustees and boards that aspire to excel, with particular emphasis on the board’s fiduciary role.
Striking the Balance: A Fiduciary Approach to Risk and Investment Policy
Discover how to effectively balance risk and return as a fiduciary in your investment portfolios.
Essential Not Optional: A Strategic Approach to Fundraising
Fundraising for endowments has become an essential strategic capability that endowed institutions will have to build or acquire in order to thrive.
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.
Mind the Gap: The Strategic Risk of Skipping a Vintage in Private Equity
Private equity (inclusive of buyouts, growth equity, and venture capital) remains a compelling long-term asset class, but recent periods of muted distributions and below-average returns have created...
Tariff Worries Are Likely Here to Stay
Over the last five months, tariffs have fluctuated as deadlines have come and gone. Deals have gotten done, the frameworks of deals have been announced and for countries less willing to negotiate,...
Mission-Aligned Investing for Endowments & Foundations