Held every two years, the UJC Investment Institute brings together investment committees, board members, chief financial officers and foundation CEOs representing the Jewish federation system’s $13 Billion network of endowment funds and foundations. The next conference will take place in February, 2011 in South Florida. The Investment Institute has historically consisted of a two-and-a-half day educational program highlighting topics and trends central to endowment fund investing. 

The 2009 Institute theme was “Successful Endowment Investing in a Time of Global Uncertainty.” Conference highlights included:

• Opening night Gala featuring remarks by Mario Gabelli
• Keynote Addresses by Northern Trust and SEI on the role Global Investing in Today’s Market Environment
• A Special Report on Jewish Federation/Community Foundation Investment Programs using data from the 2008 Commonfund Benchmarks Study
• Session on “All-Weather Strategies for Managing an Investment Program” by David Brief, Chief Investment Officer, Chicago Jewish United Fund
• Harvard Business School professor, Paul Gompers, speaking on the “Transformational Role of Venture Capital”
• Panel discussion on investing in Israel’s private and public markets featuring the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange and Vintage Venture Partners

For information about sponsoring the UJC Investment Institute and UJC’s ongoing work with endowment management and governance, please contact Alan Secter: alan.secter@ujc.org.

Please browse the Investment Institute resources below with include a variety of multi-media presentations on topics important to endowment and foundation asset management.

INVESTMENT INSTITUTE RESOURCES

• Investment Policy Core Principles and Best Practices:
  
  
  Endowment Roundtable - Best Practices Report
  
  
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  Endowment Conference Presentation
  
  
  Endowment Roundtable - Due Diligence Slides
  
  
• Spending Policy:
  
  
  A Superior Approach to Endowment Distribution Policy
  
  
  Intergenerational Equity and Other Thoughts on Spending Policy
  
  
  Evaluating Your Spending Policy in Challenging Economic Times
  
  
  Endowment Spending Policy—Senior Advisory Council Presentation
  
  
• Due Diligence: 
  
  UJC Teleconference Series, Part 1: Due Diligence in the Wake of Madoff: Click here for a recording. UJC Teleconference Series, Part 2: Fiduciary Responsibility in the Wake of Madoff: Click here for a recording; click here for a  transcript. UJC Teleconference Series, Part 3: Jewish Philanthropy in the Wake of Madoff: Click here for a recording.
  
  Endowment Governance: speech by Jonathan J. Hirtle, CEO of Hirtle Callaghan & Co. Click here to download Part 1 and Part 2.
  
  Proskauer Rose LLP Client Alert: Four Times Five is [Fifty] and Four Times Six is [Eighty]: A Discussion of Investment Management Practices for Charities in the Wake of Madoff
  
  Commonfund Principles of Nonprofit Investment Management: The Key Issues Facing Trustees and Financial Officers
  
  The Madoff Case: Proskauer Rose LLP Roundtable on Personal Planning, Corporate, Litigation and Tax Issues
  
  Sample Conflict of Interest Policy from Council of Foundations
  
  Op-Ed: How not to get burned by the next Madoff, by Steven B. Nasatir (JTA)
  
  
• Outsourcing:
  
  SEI’s Nonprofit Management Research Panel recently conducted a Quick Poll specific to nonprofit executives and investment committee members responsible for overseeing endowments and foundations. The poll was conducted in June 2009 and was completed by 160 executives overseeing asset pools ranging in size from $25 million to over $1 billion. The poll shows that nonprofit foundations and endowments are thoroughly evaluating their overall investment management process in response to continued market volatility. Nearly one-third of nonprofits currently using a consultant model for investment management said they are concerned about this approach. Please click here for a summary of the key findings and contact Alan Secter for more information.
  
  
• The Economy:
  
  Managing an Investment Program through a Global Dislocation: Click here for a recording of the Investment Program teleconference.
   

• UJC Teleconference: The Economy and its Impact on Philanthropy: Click here for a recording of the teleconference.

• Investment Institute:
  
  
  2009 Conference agenda: Click here to download it
  
  After the Flood: Endowment Investing for the Next 100 Years: speech by David Brief. Click here to view select portions of the speech. Download presentation doc.
  
  A Pragmatic Approach to Endowment Investment Policy for Chaotic Times from Veritable, LP
  
  Commonfund Best Practices Workshop: Report on Jewish Federation/Community Foundation on Investment Programs