Financial Stewardship in Troubled Times: Managing Endowments and Spending Policies

The National Center for Family Philanthropy is dedicated to serving families who give and those that work with them. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, we are offering conversations on topics of interest to all philanthropic families associated with family foundations, donor-advised funds, family offices, and other philanthropic vehicles. For questions about this series, please contact Jen Crino at jen@ncfp.org.

The economic downturn that has resulted from COVID-19 has many funders worried about the state of their endowments and long-term philanthropic investments. In this webinar, join a candid dialogue between an investment professional and family foundation leader as they discuss the state of the market, how to assess and protect the health of your endowment, and implications for long-term spending policies in wake of the crisis. Our panelists will discuss questions related to foundation financial health, such as:

• How can funders frame discussions about maintaining or expanding levels of giving while endowments and investments are struggling?
• How do families think about legacy and multiple generations of engagement while also giving away a shrinking endowment?
• What investment strategies are available for philanthropies to handle economic downturns and recessions, and what are ways to plan and prepare for the next inevitable financial upheaval?
• How should families be thinking about their long-term spending policies and grant budgets?
• How can trustees be engaged and support active responses?