Senior Wealth Advisor
Investment management for nonprofit organizations
A nonprofit's investments need to support both today's work and the organization's responsibilities over time. Boards and committees may be balancing current programs, operating reserves, future spending, donor expectations, liquidity, and the need to manage risk with care.
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I help nonprofit leaders bring those considerations into a clear investment process. We begin with the role of the assets, the decisions the board needs to make, and the policies that guide those decisions. From there, the portfolio can be reviewed and managed in a way that stays connected to the organization's mission and practical needs.
Investment policy connected to
the mission
An investment policy statement gives the board and its advisors a shared framework. It can define the purpose of the assets, decision-making responsibilities, time horizon, spending needs, liquidity, risk parameters, permissible investments, benchmarks, and the process for monitoring the portfolio.
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I can help the board or investment committee review those financial elements and understand how they influence the portfolio. Legal counsel should review the policy language, donor restrictions, governing documents, and state-law considerations that require legal advice.
A governance process the board can follow
Good governance makes investment oversight easier to carry from one committee or board term to the next. The process can identify who recommends changes, who approves them, how often the portfolio is reviewed, what information the board receives, and how exceptions are documented.
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I can support that process with organized reporting and conversations focused on the policy, the portfolio's role, and the decisions in front of the committee. The exact advisory role, authority, and standard of care should be stated clearly in the approved engagement documents.
Endowment investment management
Endowment investment management brings a long time horizon together with present-day obligations. The organization may rely on annual distributions while also seeking to preserve the endowment's purchasing power and ability to support future work. The investment approach should reflect that balance.
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Our discussion can include the endowment's purpose, expected contributions and distributions, spending policy, liquidity needs, time horizon, risk tolerance, and any restrictions that apply. Those inputs help define an asset allocation and monitoring process for the board to consider.
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The plan should also distinguish legal restrictions, accounting treatment, and investment decisions. I coordinate the investment work with the organization's attorney, accountant, auditor, and other professionals when their expertise is needed.
Managing operating reserves and designated funds
Operating reserves often have a different job from endowment assets. The organization may need ready access to some funds, a measured approach for intermediate needs, and a longer horizon for assets that are less likely to be spent soon.
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We can separate those purposes, define the liquidity each pool requires, and consider an investment approach for each time horizon. Clear roles can help the board understand which assets support near-term operations and which are intended for longer-term goals.
Reporting that supports informed oversight
Board and committee members need information they can understand and use. Reviews can connect portfolio results and risk to the policy, spending needs, liquidity, and the organization's time horizon. They can also identify questions that require a policy discussion or coordination with legal and accounting professionals.
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The purpose of reporting is to support oversight and clear decisions. Benchmarks and performance information should be presented with the periods, fees, assumptions, and disclosures required by the firm.