Planning to start an endowment fund? Searching for a new investment partner? Looking for help in structuring and managing your endowment? Need help in explaining your endowment to potential donors? Want to grow your endowment?
ECF’s offers a number of key advantages:
- Our comprehensive package of endowment services sets us apart from the typical investment manager – beginning with conversations about why have an endowment fund at all (vision and purpose), moving to structure, operating guidelines, investment policies, spending rules, investment choices and more, then to ways to grow your endowment through planned giving – we address the full range of endowment needs.
- We serve only on Episcopal entities, so we understand the language and culture of this church and share best practices among our clients.
- State Street Global Advisors (SSgA), one of the largest managers of charitable assets in the world, serves as our investment manager, bringing us the advantages of world class investment advice, reduced fees, and a complete range of investment options including socially screened investments.
- Personal relationships characterize our service because we view our work as ministry.
Getting Organized
Whether you are just starting an endowment fund or have had a fund for many years, getting the structure right will be the key to its success. ECF has worked with hundreds of Episcopal churches and church-related organizations over the years and offers a well-tested set of sample endowment fund policies and guidelines, as well as seasoned counsel and advice to help you through the process.
Getting Invested
Working with State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) as our investment manager, ECF offers several effective investment solutions.
Accounts under $1 million invest in the EMS Pooled Funds; those with assets of more than $1 million can invest in a customized portfolio.
- EMS Pooled Funds - Investors with assets under $1 million (and those over $1 million who so choose) can invest in the Episcopal Funds: an ECF Growth Fund (equities), an ECF Income Fund (bonds and fixed income investments), an ECF Balanced Fund (a 50/50 split between the Growth and Income Funds), or any mixture of the Income and Growth Funds that matches your investment goals (70/30, 60/40 – equities/fixed income, etc.).
- Custom Accounts - For accounts over $1 million, State Street Global Advisors (SSgA) will help to shape an individually managed portfolio tailored to your specific investment guidelines and policies.
All accounts can be socially screened. The screens generally applied exclude investments in tobacco, alcohol, gambling, and weapons manufacturing.
To view current performance of these accounts, please click here. To learn more about investment options, performance, services and fees, please email Ken Quigley, Program Director.
Growing Your Endowment
In addition to helping you structure your endowment, and invest it, ECF will help you grow your endowment through planned giving. The two major areas of service are awareness creation – helping your planned giving committee or stewardship volunteers talk about the various means (and advantages) of planned giving; and major donor support – facilitating life income gifts such as charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts, and pooled income funds, for the benefit of your institution.
Learn more about planned giving here.
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