Episodes

It’s been a year since Nonprofit Investment Stewards was launched! A big thank you to all our wonderful listeners and guests who have been a part of this journey. In this special episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis take a trip down the memory lane, highlighting some of their most memorable episodes. Then, they move on to share five invaluable – and timely – tips for nonprofit investment committees and other stakeholders who oversee endowments and foundations. You will learn: Key takeaways from...

With public equity markets reaching all-time highs in 2021, many investment committees are concerned about future returns. Consequently, they are exploring or adding allocations to alternative investments, such as private equity. In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis speak with Matt Kaminski, partner and research director at Fiducient Advisors, who directs the firm’s Global Private Markets Group. Matt shares valuable insights to how nonprofit organizations can make private equity investme...

Focusing on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) is more than just the “right thing to do.” It can help your nonprofit make better decisions and achieve greater results. In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis speak with Cynthia Primo Martin, founder of the Trustees of Color initiative. They discuss actionable strategies to create diverse investment committees, overcome common DEI challenges, and leverage DEI initiatives to achieve your core organizational mission. You will learn: Top re...

Nonprofits seek to attract, retain and reward great people – an attractive retirement plan is part of the solve. In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis speak with Vin Smith, partner and practice leader of the nonprofit defined contribution practice at Fiducient Advisors. They help nonprofit leaders better design their 403(b) plans, create efficient investment menus, and evaluate their existing fee structures to remain relevant. You will learn: How retirement plans for nonprofits have evol...

If you’re looking for investment strategies that help your nonprofit stay relevant in today’s ever-changing markets, then this episode is for you. In this show, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis speak with Brad Long, CFA, partner and research director at Fiducient Advisors, who oversees the firm’s global public markets. They discuss crucial investment considerations for endowments, such as active versus passive investing, portfolio diversification, and mission-aligned investment. You will learn: How ...

Oftentimes, the best way to communicate your nonprofit’s core values and mission to your audience is through storytelling. In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis are joined by Park Howell, founder of Business of Story, brand storytelling strategist, and international keynote speaker. As the world’s most industrious storyteller, Park discusses how charitable organizations can craft and leverage compelling stories to communicate their investment strategies, exceed their fundraising goals, op...

With limited resources and staff, it can be difficult for investment committees to focus on both endowment management and the advancement of the organization’s mission. This circumstance has compelled many nonprofits to consider the Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) model. In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis are joined by Matt Porter, managing partner and head of endowments and foundations at Fiducient Advisors. Matt explains how an OCIO might help your investment committee opt...

Amidst financial planning and endowment management, it’s common for institutions to underestimate the impact that operations can have in sustaining a nonprofit. In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis are joined by Jeff Bethke, managing partner at Ingenuity Advising, to help your nonprofit optimize both financial and operational planning. Jeff draws from his experience as former executive vice president and CFO at DePaul University to explain how educational institutions can overcome common...

For high-net-worth families who are charitably inclined, private foundations are a great way to make an impact while maintaining control over your investments. In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis speak with Adam Newell, partner at Fiducient Advisors and director of consulting at The Wealth Office®. Adam helps charitable foundations overcome common challenges, shares investment strategies used by successful families and discusses how foundations might avoid getting flagged by the IRS. Yo...

In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis talk to Jeffrey Shields, president and CEO at National Business Officers Association (NBOA). Jeff shares insights into the challenges independent schools face including enrollment and optimizing their endowment funds. You will learn: Ways to contend with major financial challenges faced by independent schools The impact of tuition pricing on enrollment demand The important role an endowment plays for private schools Best practices for private school ...

Regularly assessing the impact of your nonprofit’s initiatives and even its mission is more important than ever to all stakeholders including your donors. In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis speak with Annie Duflo, executive director at Innovations for Poverty Action. Together, they explore the steps involved in using effective data that fits your organizational needs, analyzing it to identify the core issues and investment opportunities, and making more informed decisions that help you...

It is projected that by the year 2025, more than 50% of the population will be aged 65 and older. Leadership at senior living communities must keep up and adapt to changes in the industry to be financially prepared for the future of senior living. In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis sit down with David Bordonaro, president of McLean Senior Living Community, as they talk about the senior living industry, its opportunities and its financial challenges. David shares how McLean has updated ...

Managing liquidity, identifying suitable governance policies, and building the right investment committee are just a few of the challenges that nonprofits face on a regular basis. How can you navigate these challenges with greater ease? Find out in this episode, as Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis talk with Dennis Morrone, managing partner of Grant Thornton LLP’s not-for-profit and higher education practices. Together, they provide proactive solutions to common challenges that nonprofits face in ever...

An investment committee member might be doing everything right. But just one wrong move could derail an endowment or foundation from your path to success. To help prevent this, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis share their list of the 10 Best Investment Committee Practices in this episode. These tactics are extremely powerful and can have a significant impact on the success of your portfolio and your mission. You will learn: Qualities that define an ideal investment committee member How to maintain a...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, most fundraising events have come to a standstill. For many, face-to-face interaction with donors is limited at best. How can nonprofits adapt to and raise funds in such an environment? To answer this, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis welcome Amy Schiffman, president and CEO of Evolve Giving Group, to today’s podcast. They discuss how nonprofits can ensure long-term sustainability and viability by cultivating lasting relationships with donors and by working towards a com...

DiMeo Schneider was founded in 1995 and one year ago, combined with Fiduciary Investment Advisors to form one of the largest RIAs in the U.S. In this episode, Devon Francis interviews two key members of Fiducient Advisors’ leadership team, Bob DiMeo and Michael Goss. Join them as they reveal the reasons behind rebranding, what changes you should – and should not – expect, and current efforts to achieve diversity, equity, and inclusion in the organization and the investment community. You will le...

As a nonprofit organization, you don’t want to spend too much of your portfolio now, robbing future generations of the benefits of your mission. At the same time, you want to spend enough to have impact today. So, how can you find a spending policy that will provide a good balance between the two? Find out in this episode, as Devon Francis joins Bob DiMeo to share her extensive knowledge on the ins and outs of spending policy. Devon highlights the importance of meaningful spending policies and b...

Hospitals and healthcare systems contend with a variety of challenges, and the need for effective management of their investment programs remains as important as ever. Russ Gronewold, CEO of Bryan Health, joins Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis in this episode to share insight and expertise. Together, they discuss important methods to help investment committees effectively manage a variety of investment pools, ranging from board-designated reserve funds to employee retirement plans. In this episode, y...

Do you have a thorough understanding of how associations manage their investments? If not, get ready for your crash-course in all-things associations in today’s episode with DiMeo Schneider’s Ahmed Farruk! As DiMeo Schneider’s Washington, D.C. regional director and as a senior consultant, Ahmed has years of experience in working with associations and helping them further their missions. Today, he shares his expertise and knowledge on everything you need to know about associations and their inves...

When the time comes for your endowment or foundation to hire a new investment consultant, how should you go about the process? And how can you stack the odds in your favor to hire an investment consultant who is well-suited for your charitable organization and its mission? Find out in this episode, as Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis chat with Alpha Capital Management founder, Brad Alford. Brad shares his expertise and exclusive insight on how he helps nonprofit leaders find the best investment consu...

Charitable organizations and endowment funds are at the forefront of the ESG movement. With increased interest in this investment strategy, how might the ESG landscape evolve? In this third and final part of their ESG mini-series, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis join BlackRock director Kaitlin Bergan to explore this and more. Kaitlin shares her experience with sustainable investing solutions across asset classes and reveals the trends she sees in mission aligned investing, both today and in the year...

With a new year and a new environment, now is the perfect time to examine your endowment or foundation’s investment strategy and asset allocation so that you can adapt to ever-changing market conditions! To help you do this, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis join Matt Rice, the chief investment officer at DiMeo Schneider & Associates, in today’s episode. They talk about their updated capital market assumptions for 2021 and provide several great tips for prudent investing. In this episode, you will lea...

Get ready to explore a new, unique approach to ESG investing for religious institutions! In part two of their ESG mini-series, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis join Charles Kuchenbrod, the executive associate conference minister at the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ. Charles shares his unique approach to ESG investing and the benefits it brings to the church. He also reveals how consolidated trust funds could serve your nonprofit’s investment program. In this episode, ...

In this episode, we kick off a new mini-series on a topic that is near and dear to many endowment and foundation stewards, ESG investing! Join Bob DiMeo, Devon Francis, and DiMeo Schneider’s Shreya Canakapalli as they launch the series with a discussion on Environmental, Social and Governance investing including strategies on how your charitable organization can use ESG to help advance your mission. In this episode, you will learn: The evolution of ESG and SRI investing Trends and issues invest...