Investing 101: How Investing & Payout Strategies Impact an Endowment

Join us for an informal conversation to learn how investing works, beginning with understanding the reason to invest as well as how institutions differ from individuals. We will touch on a broad spectrum of topics including risk tolerance, time horizon, asset allocation, market fluctuations, diversification, rebalancing, and the importance of fiduciary responsibilities. Building on our foundational knowledge, we then dig deeper into payout rates and spending policy and the various methods used to address four critical decisions. More importantly, we will discuss how all these topics work in concert to create and endowment that can remain sustainable forever.

The session will be presented by James L. Ross II, AIF®, Managing Director, and Senior Investment Consultant at Mason Investment Advisory Services.  Mr. Ross joined Mason Investment Advisory Services in April 2016. Prior to that date, Mr. Ross worked for Lancaster Pollard as Vice President of Institutional Investments. He has also held positions as a Portfolio Manager at Morgan Stanley and managed an advisory team at Merrill Lynch. James has more than 17 years working with nonprofit institutional clients. He received a Bachelor of Arts in both History and Economics from Denison University. He earned his Accredited Investment Fiduciary designation in 2016. Mr. Ross is a member of Mason’s Investment Committee and is a frequent speaker on topics relating to institutional investment consulting and nonprofit endowments. In his spare time, James enjoys traveling for new adventures, cooking for family and friends and surfing.

This is a free event hosted by the Mid-Shore Community Foundation. Advance registration is required.  For additional information, contact Heather Pickens at hpickens@mscf.org. 
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