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Investment Strategy | Articles

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...

Perspectives | Press Releases

FY24 NACUBO-Commonfund Study Released

U.S. Higher Education Endowments Report 6.8% 10-Year Average Annual Return, Increase Spending to a Collective $30.0 Billion Annual NACUBO-Commonfund Study shows participating institutions spent...

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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Diversity | Insights Blog

Commonfund’s Investments with Diverse Managers Continue to Grow

Commonfund continues to build exposure to diverse managers1 as a source of return and diversification for our clients. In 2024, we closed the year with allocations to 50 different diverse managers,...
Perspectives | Insights Blog

Winter Wonders: Warming Reads for the Season

Commonfund Institute is excited to share our annual winter reading list, curated by our colleagues. These selections explore themes of personal transformation, resilience, and identity with stories...
Responsible Investing | Insights Blog

Responsible Investing: Terminology and Background

In recent years there has been a rise in available investment strategies and governance considerations to help investors adapt to evolving challenges in the responsible investing space. Norms and...
Perspectives | Press Releases

2024 HEPI Report Released

Inflation for U.S. Higher Education Institutions Rises 3.4% in Fiscal 2024, Down from Fiscal 2023 Rate WILTON, Conn., December 16, 2024 – Data from the annual Commonfund Higher Education Price Index®...
Private Equity | Private Equity Insights

Edging Out the Competition – The Sector Specialist Advantage

Unlike the early days of private equity, when generalist private equity firms predominately relied on financial engineering to generate returns, today’s competitive markets require a much deeper...
Responsible Investing | White Papers

Navigating the Changing ESG Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities

Investment professionals debate whether a portfolio’s long-term performance can be enhanced by including environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations in the security selection process.
Investment Strategy | Videos

Investing in the Creative Economy - Commonfund Coffee Talk

Investing in the Creative Economy In this Commonfund Coffee Talk, the Institute’s executive director, George Suttles, is joined by Upstart Co-Lab founding partner, Laura Callanan, to discuss impact...
Market Commentary | Insights Blog

U.S. Trade Deficit Reaches Record High Amid Global Trade Shifts

As of September 2024, the U.S. trade deficit stands at $84.4 billion, marking the highest level since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war in 2022. During that period in the conflict, the deficit...
Outsourced Cio | Insights Blog

Understanding OCIO Partnerships: Key Insights and Best Practices

A Chief Investment Office “down the hall.” That’s what we aim to be at Commonfund. Our Mission As an OCIO, our goals are aligned with the institutions we work with and focused on how we can best...
Market Commentary | Private Equity Insights

Real Assets and Sustainability Investing Post-2024 Election

The 2024 United States election cycle appears to have handed a Republican sweep with control of the White House, the Senate, and a slender House majority. With President-elect Trump soon to return to...
Governance And Policy | Insights Blog

Three Things You Should Know About Inflation and the Higher Education Price Index

The Higher Education Price Index (HEPI), produced annually by Commonfund Institute, is an inflation measure designed specifically for educational institutions. It is comprised of eight key components...
Governance And Policy | Insights Blog

The Case for the Seventh P: Progression in Nonprofit Investment Stewardship

At Commonfund Institute, we’ve long adhered to the six guiding principles of nonprofit investment stewardship, often referred to as the "6 Ps": Purpose, Policy, Process, Portfolio, People, and...