The Fairfield County Community Foundation is the third largest community foundation in Connecticut with net assets approaching $150 million.
In January 2008, the Greater Bridgeport Area Foundation and the Fairfield County Community Foundation merged. Our combined history includes over $90 million in grantmaking to nonprofits in Fairfield County and beyond.
The Foundation seeks to safeguard assets entrusted to us, and, at the same time, generate total return for grantmaking that responds to current and changing charitable needs in the community.
These criteria dictate our investment philosophy:
- Primary emphasis is placed on preservation of asset purchasing power through investment growth and total return.
- Moderate growth of principal and total return is expected, consistent with maintaining safety of principal.
- The Investment Committee focuses on asset allocation among equity, debt and other investment opportunities, and seeks a return in line with the Foundation's spending policy as it relates to long-term grantmaking goals.
Investment Policy
Spending Policy
Each fund established at the Fairfield County Community Foundation reflects a donor's trust in our ability to invest resources wisely.
The Investment Committee of the Foundation's Board of Directors is responsible for determining the broad allocation of Foundation assets among various asset classes, the design of the investment structure for each asset class, the retention of investment managers and other professionals, and the monitoring of investment results.
Currently, the Foundation's investment pool is invested with Neuberger Berman, TIFF International (The Investment Fund for Foundations), Harris Alternatives and, more recently, with Silchester International Investors, Julius Baer Investment Management and Colchester Global Investors. On a long-term basis, each of these managers has outperformed their benchmarks.
Each fund established at the Fairfield County Community Foundation reflects a trust in our ability to invest resources wisely. The Foundation also recognizes that donors may require investment strategies that are specially designed to enable the donor to meet his or her philanthropic goals.
The Foundation's assets are diversified across asset classes in order to enhance investment results in a variety of markets during both positive and negative market periods. The pie chart below illustrates this diversification using the Foundation's recently adopted long-term investment strategy.
The key to the Foundation's investment performance has been professional money management under the supervision of the Foundation's Investment Committee. For the three years ending September 30, the Foundation has achieved a return, net of fees, of 11.7%, exceeding its portfolio benchmark of 8.9%. The five-year return was12.0% compared to a benchmark of 10.1%.
For a copy of the Foundation's Investment Performance and Asset Allocation Summary, click here.
For more information, contact Mary Zwecker, Director of Finance and Administration, at 203.750.3200.
Growth of Assets
Growth of Grants
Audited Financials
When you establish a fund at the Foundation, you may elect from the following investment options:
- Direct the Foundation to invest the fund in the investment pool that reflects the Foundation's investment philosophy established by the Investment Committee;
- Direct that the Foundation invest the fund in one or more of our alternative investment pools (fixed income, growth or money market pools); or
- For funds established with a minimum of $1 million, request that the Foundation use a specific money manager, contingent upon the Foundation's approval of that manager and investment strategy.
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