Special report – Should smaller endowments and foundations manage their own money?

The Zen of In-sourcing: Can small institutional funds resist the out-sourcers?  Should they even try?

What is the sound of one small institution managing its own money?  It’s not very loud, apparently, compared to the racket from all the people who want to do it for them.

Should smaller tax-exempt funds just give up managing their own portfolios and succumb to the siren song of outsourcing?  I think the answer is: Not necessarily.

In a previous letter I presented mini-case-histories of two smallish college endowments which recently chose to outsource.

In this special issue, I look at the other side: some small funds which have eschewed outsourcing, and are doing just fine, thank you very much.  Reports from the field suggest that resistance to outsourcing may not be futile at all.

Further below: we gather some wisdom from Jack Rich, CIO at Abilene Christian University; and, for you left-brainers, some statistics — my take on how many institutions are in this “small investor” category.

— CAS

Special Chief Investment Officer Outsourcing Edition

In this issue

Carnegie, GMO, CalPERS change horses

Leo de Bever – running $70 billion on the cheap

Ken Frier – a CIO looks ahead