How we look to create stability in uncertain times

For most of our Foundation clients and their grantees, support is the key word. They need support regardless of the economy, the stock market, the year, the season, the time of day. They need support all the time. And often, when the economy and the stock market are doing the worst, that’s when the grantees need support the most.

That’s why, when starting out with clients, it’s good to know their priorities up front. To gauge those moments when they need us to come through for them, whether in good times or bad.

When working with some of our oldest Foundation and Endowment clients, we knew from the get-go that their goals and objectives were focused on security. With this clearly defined, we developed customized strategies for each foundation, in line with our investment priorities of security, income and growth with a heavy emphasis on security.

For these clients, we sought to create a generous and consistent flow of income in the form of dividends and interest the foundations can depend on. This approach also reduced their risk of having to sell securities when the market goes down.

When the Dow dropped 37% during the 2008 recession, our Foundation clients’ dividends and interest only decreased by 3%. This allowed them to continue supporting their grantees, without touching their principal.

 

With support and security established from the beginning, we can work on letting our clients breathe easy, knowing they can count on their portfolio for reliable and dependable income, and continue to conduct business as usual.