News and Analysis of Foundation Investment Performance

Trustee Resources

FoundationMark 15 Asset Allocation

By

The FoundationMark 15 The FoundationMark 15 (“FM 15”) is a selection of 15 of the largest and best-known private foundations in the United States. Most private foundations, like those comprising the FM 15, rely on their investment returns as an important, and, often, their only, source of income to support their philanthropic goals.  To view the performances and full … [Read more...] about FoundationMark 15 Asset Allocation

Giving Has Been Growing

By

Charitable Disbursements up 40% in the Past Five Years As the chart below shows, private foundations have increased their annual philanthropic support (green line) by nearly 40%, from $54 billion (FY2013) to $73 billion (Most Recent), an increase of $19 billion per year. Also growing at a rapid pace have been incoming contributions (blue line) with new contributions … [Read more...] about Giving Has Been Growing

The Institutional Approach

By

Setting A Course In a related article, Who Controls The Money?, we discussed different approaches to managing foundation assets.  In this article we discuss the "Institutional Approach". Of the 45,000 foundations we estimate that only about 5% follow the institutional approach described below that is more common in endowments.  It bears noting that the 2,000 or so … [Read more...] about The Institutional Approach

Who Controls The Money

By

Setting A Course The title of this article, Who Controls The Money?, is intentionally provocative.  In the foundation world it is an easy answer, the 150,000 trustees that control the $1.2 trillion in assets and $80 billion in annual giving.  A more interesting question might be "How do foundations differ in their approaches to managing their assets?" We have categorized … [Read more...] about Who Controls The Money