OCIO and Fiduciary Oversight for Foundations and Endowments
Board members and executive directors carry enormous fiduciary responsibility - often without the time, resources, or institutional investment expertise to manage it alone. We serve as your outsourced chief investment officer, providing the governance framework, portfolio oversight, and reporting your organization deserves.
Investment Governance Built Around Your Mission
Nonprofit boards are tasked with protecting and growing institutional assets while staying true to their organization's mission. That means developing a sound investment policy, establishing a disciplined spending policy, selecting and monitoring investment managers, and maintaining clear fiduciary documentation - all while navigating market volatility and evolving regulatory requirements.
Most boards don't have a dedicated CIO on staff, and volunteer investment committee members often lack the time or institutional resources to manage these responsibilities effectively. That's where we come in. As your OCIO partner, we bring the same caliber of investment infrastructure used by large university endowments - scaled and customized for community foundations, private family foundations, and mission-driven nonprofits.
What Our OCIO Engagement Includes
- Full outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO) services with ongoing fiduciary oversight and board-level reporting
- Investment policy statement development and annual review tailored to your organization's risk tolerance and time horizon
- Strategic asset allocation with mission alignment, including ESG and impact-oriented investment options where appropriate
- Quarterly performance reporting with fiduciary-quality documentation and benchmark comparisons
- Spending policy analysis to balance current program needs with long-term corpus preservation
- Mission-aligned and ESG screening options for organizations that want their investments to reflect their values
Beyond Investment Oversight
Investment management is the foundation, but nonprofits face financial questions that go well beyond the portfolio. I work with organizations on the full picture:
- Cash management and liquidity planning to align operating reserves with program spending cycles
- Capital campaign support, including investment strategy for campaign proceeds and gift structuring guidance
- Donor education and planned giving conversations to help your development team speak confidently about financial vehicles like donor-advised funds, charitable remainder trusts, and appreciated stock gifts
- Board financial literacy, including investment committee training and fiduciary education for new board members
- Endowment policy design that balances long-term growth with the spending needs your programs depend on
A National Team Built for Nonprofit Complexity and Growth
I work with mission-driven organizations across the country, not just Arizona. Behind me is a deep bench of institutional specialists: portfolio strategists, fiduciary consultants, tax advisors, and estate planners, many of whom serve on nonprofit boards themselves. That experience shapes how we approach your mandate.
The nonprofit landscape has changed. The frameworks your board adopted ten or fifteen years ago may not reflect today's investment options, risk environment, or regulatory reality. The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. Part of the work is helping boards see what's available today and building a plan to get there.
We also maintain a network of aligned professionals for the work that extends beyond investment oversight: legal counsel, audit firms, development consultants, and planned giving specialists. When your organization needs a referral, it comes from someone who understands your world.
Whether you're evaluating your current investment partner or running a formal RFP process, I'm happy to have the conversation. No pitch deck required.
Common Questions About OCIO Services
What is an outsourced chief investment officer (OCIO)?
An OCIO is a professional investment management partner that assumes day-to-day responsibility for your organization's investment portfolio. Rather than relying on volunteer board members to oversee complex investment decisions, an OCIO provides institutional-grade research, portfolio construction, manager selection, and ongoing fiduciary oversight - freeing your board to focus on mission-driven work.
What types of organizations do you serve?
We work with nonprofits, community foundations, private family foundations, donor-advised fund sponsors, endowments, and other mission-driven organizations in Scottsdale, AZ and across Arizona, California, and Nevada. Our services are designed for organizations with $2 million or more in investable assets that need professional fiduciary oversight.
How does OCIO pricing work?
We charge a transparent fiduciary advisory fee based on assets under management. There are no hidden fees and no proprietary product requirements. The exact fee depends on portfolio size and complexity, and we are happy to discuss specifics during an initial consultation.
Can you help our board meet its fiduciary obligations?
Absolutely. We help boards establish and maintain a clear investment policy statement, provide quarterly performance reporting with fiduciary-quality documentation, and offer ongoing education to board members on investment governance best practices. Our goal is to reduce fiduciary risk while improving long-term investment outcomes.
Explore Our Other Capabilities
Ready to Strengthen Your Organization's Investment Governance?
Schedule a confidential conversation to discuss how our OCIO services can support your board's fiduciary responsibilities and help advance your mission. We serve foundations and endowments in Scottsdale and Tempe.