2015 Endowments and Financial Services Summit Programming
Programming
The content developed for the 2015 Finance and Endowment Summit was designed for the c-suite executive that oversee finance and investments for their foundations. The working group, with their finger on the pulse of what important to finance professional in philanthropy, orchestrated and designed the following topics:
Diversity Management – These sessions will focus on best practices with proven results that foundations can use to find and create a diverse and inclusive staff and investment advisor team. Sessions will cover how to make the business case for more diverse and equitable strategies. We will help you link success in this area with investment results and provide data on the benefits of diversity among portfolio managers.
Endowments– These sessions will showcase how foundations have developed advanced portfolio management strategies to achieve the greatest possible returns. Discussions will include a review of the opportunities and challenges offered by alternative investments such as hedge funds and private equity. Attendees will also use case studies of foundations that have used alternatives and learn to manage expectations in a world with volatile financial markets.
Governance – These sessions will provide a review of critical governance issues that foundations must consider to remain in compliance with prevailing and emerging laws and regulations. There will be a strong focus on fiduciary responsibility as it relates to duties of care, loyalty, and responsibility. Discussions will outline how to: achieve excellence in board governance, identify and nurture capable leadership, build a solid organizational structure, and attend to fiduciary duties. Attendees will leave with a better sense of how to foster a culture that binds the board members and executive together as a cohesive and effective team.
Mission Related Investing – These sessions will discuss emerging trends in environmental, social, and corporate governance, as well as socially responsible investing and impact investing. Presenters will discuss the wide range of options available to align your foundation’s mission with your investment strategies and policies. Sessions will also provide criteria that can be used in investment policies to ensure your foundation generates long-term competitive financial returns and positive social impact.
Ken Jones, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at The Annie E. Casey Foundation, previews the 2015 Endowments and Financial Services Summit programming.