Every organization must take the time to stop, reflect on its performance, and ask, “Are we doing the best we can with our current resources?”

In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis speak with Sally Blount, president, and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago, one of the largest human service providers in the Midwest serving more than 500,000 people annually. Sally sheds light on the current environment for nonprofits and strategies to advance your charitable mission.

You will learn:

• The process of re-evaluating and enhancing your nonprofit’s performance
• Caveats to keep in mind while scaling your organizational services
• Factors that lead to effective governance and ideal committee structures
• The importance of aligning your investment portfolio with your core values

This can be a challenging environment for nonprofit organizations, especially those in higher education, contending with investments, revenue, operations, and more.

In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis speak with Rev. Dr. Brian Friedrich, president at Concordia University-St. Paul. They discuss the current outlook for higher-ed organizations, including major opportunities and challenges facing them today.

You will learn:

• Latest trends in enrollment, operations, and advancement in the higher education space
• Reasons to focus on sustainability and long-term results while overseeing endowments
• The impact of rising interest rates on an organization’s finances
• Tips to help achieve greater alignment among committee and board members

Effective governance is key to a nonprofit’s success. It provides strategic direction to your organization.

There are multiple factors to consider — board and committee structures, decision-making authority, and investment policies, to name a few.

In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis speak with Julia Boisvert, a member of Murtha Cullina LLP’s Health Care and Tax-Exempt Organizations Practice Groups. Together, they help nonprofit leaders improve their governance structure and overall operational efficiency.

You will learn:

• How nonprofits can increase their investment reserves with innovative strategies
• Key considerations while creating investment and spending policies
• How committees and board members can collaborate more efficiently
• How to ensure that gifts/donations align with your organization’s core values

How concerned should we be with market and economic trends? How can we improve our DEI efforts? What are opportunities and challenges should nonprofit leaders be focusing on? These are some of the pressing questions we hear from clients.

Join Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis as they speak with one of the most in-demand guests Mellody Hobson, co-CEO & president at Ariel Investments, a firm managing nearly $40 billion in assets. Mellody shares valuable insight into current investment trends, along with strategies to make your organization more diverse and inclusive.

You will learn:

• Effectively diversifying your portfolio, given the recent performance of various asset classes
• Ways to overcome the “unconscious bias” that sabotages your DEI efforts
• How to evaluate investment managers and firms through a DEI lens
• Valuable advice for nonprofit leaders to help them drive positive, systematic change

The NACUBO-TIAA Study of Endowments is a great benchmarking tool for college and university endowments.

In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis discuss the key findings from the latest release of the study including noteworthy trends for colleges and universities on investment returns, asset allocation, ESG investing, and a lot more.

You will learn:

• What nonprofits should keep in mind while comparing performance with peer groups
• How investment strategies and returns might differ based on endowment size
• Latest spending trends among college and university endowments
• The growing adoption of the OCIO model, ESG investing, and DEI policies

Does your nonprofit’s success rely heavily on memberships and attendance?

If yes, then it’s likely that your organization faced a major downturn due to COVID-19.

In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis speak with Laura Lott, president and CEO at American Alliance of Museums. They discuss strategies to help attendance-dependent nonprofits, such as museums and zoos, thrive post-COVID.

You will learn:

• New ways to engage your community and monetize your services
• Why many organizations lack financial sustainability in the first place
• Tips for more effective investment and spending policies
• How investment committees can approach ethical investing

With looming interest rate hikes, market corrections, and ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, it’s time for our first Quarterly Quick Take of 2022.

In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis speak with Brad Long, partner, and deputy chief investment officer at Fiducient Advisors. They provide timely insights into the current economic and market conditions, both in the U.S. and abroad.

You will learn:

• How rising interest rates can influence equity valuations
• Potential economic repercussions of Russia’s invasion into Ukraine
• Key inflation fighters based on current market conditions
• What you can expect upcoming Federal Open Market Committee meetings

There may come a time when your nonprofit experiences a large inflow of cash. For some organizations, this happens when they’re not expecting it at all!

In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis speak with David Piccerelli, president at WSBE Rhode Island PBS and a client of Fiducient Advisors, who has experience in managing an endowment that went from zero to $80 million overnight.

You will learn:

• The first step you should take before investing your newfound wealth
• How to have an investment committee and an asset allocation strategy prepared in advance
• Potential impact of large cash inflows on your organization’s operations
• How Rhode Island PBS built a roadmap for its strategic vision