Investment Pool Performance
Funds of the Community Foundation are combined into investment pools for both economy of management and access to top management and advisory talent. Different pools provide you with options to meet your philanthropic goals.
Local professionals comprise our Investment Advisory Committee, which meets regularly to guide our investment policies and monitor the performance of our professional managers. The Committee's work ensures that our portfolio is well-managed and that it produces an ever-increasing income stream for the long-term benefit of our community.
Pool performance is shown below.
Pool |
Pool Assets at 8/31/11 |
12 Month Return (net of investment fees)* |
Inception Date of Pool |
Return Since Inception |
Benchmark Returns Since Inception |
Long-Term Pool |
$70.4 M |
12.33% |
February 1997 |
6.58% |
5.70% |
Socially Responsible Long-Term Pool |
$15.1 M |
13.56% |
June 2001 |
3.13% |
4.03% |
Intermediate Term Pool* |
$5.2 M |
4.80% |
August 2003 |
4.36% |
5.13% |
*All returns annualized. Foundation support fees are not included in return calculations. Information on investment managers and investment fees available upon request.
For long-term investments, our strategy is designed to protect and increase assets over time. Investing to sustain endowment funds also requires an acceptance of market volatility. Our long-term investment policy specifies a target asset allocation among seven major categories of equity and fixed income investments. It also requires regular portfolio rebalancing to its target.
Greg Young, a Community Foundation donor advisor, talks of the rewards of supporting a nonprofit organization with a local branch in Sebastopol. "I belong to Bread for the Journey because I want to support local start-up organizations that need a little boost to achieve their vision. That boost is often money, but sometimes it's simply asking the right question like, 'What is a business plan and why do you need one?' Watching these seeds sprout is even more rewarding than I had dreamed; meeting people who have the passion and knowledge to make our community a better place is an amazing experience. It fills me with hope for the future... and joy."
Helen McStravick’s commitment to caring for those in need spans her lifetime and continues today through her donor-advised fund with the Community Foundation Sonoma County. After Harry’s death in 2001, Helen has continued to make grants from their donor-advised fund to support the mentally ill homeless population in Sonoma County, and she will leave the remainder of her estate to do the same. It’s comforting as she grows older, “a gift for me,” she says, and a way of honoring her husband’s wishes and extending her reach in the community. More…