Here are examples of how Fairlight works with clients.
Case 1: Strengthening a Capital Campaign Through Long-Term Financial Planning
An independent school preparing for a future capital campaign wanted to expand its facilities while also strengthening its long-term financial infrastructure. At the time, the school had a small board-designated fund, significant cash reserves and incoming gifts managed on an ad hoc basis, no formal investment policy, and no dedicated investment committee. Leadership wanted to ensure that both existing assets and future campaign proceeds would be managed thoughtfully and responsibly.
Fairlight worked with the school to develop a formal investment policy, establish an investment committee, create a framework for managing reserves and longer-term assets, and implement an investment strategy aligned with anticipated future cash needs. As major campaign gifts began arriving before construction was scheduled to begin, Fairlight also structured the investment approach so funds would become available when payments to contractors and project partners were expected.
As the school strengthened its governance and demonstrated a commitment to long-term stewardship, donor confidence increased. One leadership donor made a substantial gift not only to support the capital campaign, but also to help build the school’s endowment, and another significant endowment gift followed later.
The stronger financial framework also gave trustees greater confidence when evaluating how fundraising, reserves, invested assets, and long-term borrowing could work together to support the project. What began as preparation for a capital campaign ultimately helped the school formalize its investment practices, expand its long-term financial resources, and build a stronger foundation for future financial resilience.
Case 2: Strategizing for a Restricted Gift
A nonprofit received a large, seven-figure restricted gift that would allow the organization to deliver more impact than ever before. However, the organization did not have the appropriate knowledge to develop the necessary strategy, policies, and procedures to meet the donor’s intent and provide the proper level of oversight. Additionally, they wanted the services of an investment professional experienced with the specific requirements needed to manage a nonprofit endowment.
Fairlight met with the nonprofit’s leadership team to develop solid spending and investment strategies to fit the donor’s philanthropic intent. In collaboration with the board of directors, Fairlight drafted policies to ensure ongoing compliance with the endowment strategies allowing the organization to move forward effectively and confidently.
Case 3: Growing Liquid Assets Through Endowment Management
A growing nonprofit was sitting on a large cash bank balance that accumulated over years of successful fundraising. However, keeping the funds in a bank account was earning nothing in potential investment income. Nonprofit leadership’s objective was to be more proactive with its finances by ensuring that the organization:
- had appropriate cash flow in the face of an emergency and
- could fund specific long-term projects specified by the nonprofit’s board of directors.
After evaluating the organization’s financial condition, Fairlight provided the board and staff with nonprofit endowment governance principles.
The team then developed a cash management and investment strategy that reflected the organization’s funding needs to support the program and operational strategy. Once Fairlight implemented the agreed-upon investment approach, it facilitated ongoing investment reporting to ensure funds meet the philanthropic needs of the organization.
Fairlight also provides investment governance education to move the organization toward better financial oversight. Today Fairlight provides regular investment reporting and economic snapshots for effective board oversight of the endowment fund and will recalibrate the endowment if necessary to ensure optimum performance to meet objectives.
Case 4: Creating a Cost-Effective Retirement Program with Ongoing Support
A nonprofit’s head of HR was looking to replace the organization’s high-cost retirement program. The nonprofit’s relationship manager at the existing investment firm was difficult to reach when HR had critical questions and the platform that technology platform that was used to administer the plan was complex and glitchy.
Fairlight evaluated the organization’s existing plan and was able to recommend lower-cost investment options, as well as an administrator that used a more streamlined technology platform. Because many of the nonprofit’s employees were inexperienced investors, Fairlight provided one-on-one retirement education meetings to ensure full staff participation in the plan. Fairlight regularly engages with the nonprofit’s leadership to address plan adjustments.
Case 5: Modernizing an Investment Policy and Strengthening Oversight
A nonprofit museum had an investment policy and reserve funds in place, but the policy had not been meaningfully reviewed in years. The organization also lacked a dedicated investment committee, a formal review process, and ongoing guidance to ensure its investment strategy continued to reflect current financial needs and market conditions.
Following the operational and financial disruption caused by the COVID pandemic, museum leadership began reassessing its financial infrastructure. Fairlight reviewed the organization’s existing investment framework and identified assumptions that no longer reflected the museum’s current circumstances, including investment and spending practices developed under a very different market environment.
Fairlight worked with leadership and the board to update the investment policy, clarify investment objectives, establish clearer oversight responsibilities, and create a process for ongoing review. The updated framework helped reconnect the museum’s investment decisions with its mission, risk tolerance, reserves, and long-term organizational goals.
The engagement ultimately strengthened more than the museum’s investment policy. It created greater accountability around financial governance and gave leadership a clearer structure for regularly evaluating whether its investment strategy continues to support the organization’s needs.
