Financials

Connecticut Community Foundation stewards more than 600 charitable funds that have been entrusted to us since 1923. Our goal is to invest strategically to meet the current needs of our community while preserving the endowment’s value, so we are able to continue to serve residents in the future. As a public charity, the Foundation adheres to the highest financial disclosure standards. See documents below:

Our Investment Options

The Foundation’s investment policies are overseen by an Investment Committee comprised of active and retired investment managers and other individuals knowledgeable in the investment field. This committee, with assistance from an independent consulting firm, recommends asset allocation strategies and investments to the Board of Trustees, and monitors the performance of the investments on a quarterly basis against designated benchmarks.

Donors to the Foundation may select from the following investment options for their funds:

Traditional endowment fund – This investment option is available for both permanent and nonpermanent funds. This pooled fund offers a broadly diversified portfolio of publicly traded mutual funds, providing full disclosure and liquidity. The focus is on index funds which mirror the market at low cost. Further information on the traditional endowment fund’s individual mutual funds and their returns is available. Contact us at 203.753.1315.
ESG endowment fund – This investment option is available for both permanent and nonpermanent funds. This pooled fund offers investment vehicles that employ screening criteria related to ESG factors – Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance – as part of their investment methodology. Further information on the ESG endowment fund’s individual investment vehicles and their returns is available. Contact us at 203.753.1315
Money market or similar type vehicles – This investment option is available only for nonpermanent funds. This pool offers a money market type vehicle for donors who wish to expend their funds within a shorter timeframe, usually fewer than 2-3 years.

Investment Performance

Connecticut Community Foundation engages IPEX (Investment Performance Evaluation Xperts) to provide independent investment consulting advice to the Investment Committee, monitor investments and make recommendations for changes.

Current Performance Reports

Spending Policy

The Foundation invests its endowment assets for total return (interest, dividends, capital appreciation/depreciation). Each individual fund at the Foundation receives its pro rata share of the total return. Annually, the Board of Trustees establishes a spending rate. The Foundation’s spending rate for 2024 is 5.25%. A 12-quarter moving average (ending one year prior to the beginning of each current year) of ending endowment market values is used to determine spending for grants and scholarships. The Foundation’s Board of Trustees also establishes a fund fee. For permanent endowment funds, the fee is calculated quarterly based on the fund’s prior quarter ending market value. For non-permanent donor advised funds, the fee is calculated quarterly based on the highest market value of the fund in the prior quarter. The Board has historically approved a prudent rate of spending, taking into consideration historic rates of return and inflation. Studies of endowment funds consistently show that spending rates significantly greater than five percent have the potential to erode the value of the endowment after inflation.

For more information, please contact: Barbara Ryer, Director of Finance and Administration bryer@conncf.org | 203.753.1315, x115