At Fairlight Advisors, we work exclusively with nonprofits — foundations, endowments, and mission-driven organizations. Every dollar you steward represents someone’s generosity and a community’s hope. That’s why we view investing not just as managing money, but as protecting your mission today and for generations to come. Our investment approach is built on a set of core beliefs shaped by years of experience working Read More
Now Is Always the Time: Why Nonprofits Can’t Wait for the “Right Moment” to Invest
Nonprofit leaders are no strangers to uncertainty. They navigate fluctuating funding cycles, shifting community needs, evolving regulations, and unpredictable economic environments. Yet when you have an endowment or board fund — or are considering launching one — one question seems to resurface with renewed urgency in every moment of market turbulence: “Is now a good time for our nonprofit to invest?” This concern is Read More
Financial and Investment Challenges Faced by Nonprofits with Large Philanthropic Gifts
MacKenzie Scott has already donated an estimated total of $146 million to 24 nonprofits this year, according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy. This amount is based on organizations that have publicly stated they received a donation from Scott in 2023. The number of nonprofits is probably much higher. Scott's donations range from $1 million to $15 million, and she has given to community-led and -focused organizations Read More
Basic Investment Glossary Terms to Help Optimize Your Endowment
Endowments can provide a long-term source of financial stability and growth for a nonprofit organization. Nonprofit boards and endowment committees don’t have to be experts in investing to successfully manage an endowment. There are a few key terms and concepts that every stakeholder should know to make informed decisions and maximize the potential performance of your endowment. Inflation This is a hot topic all Read More
Fairlight’s Q2 2023 Market & Economic Snapshot
The stock market gained in the second quarter of 2023 driven by the performance of a mere 10 stocks. At the same time, the bond market was a mixed picture. While headline inflation was down, core inflation is still high. What does it all mean? Read about it in Fairlight’s Market and Economic Snapshot. Talk to the financial experts at Fairlight Advisors to learn more about managing your nonprofit’s Read More
Nonprofit Investing: Growing After a Major Gift
It's a dream come true After years of planning and managing a well-crafted fundraising campaign, your nonprofit lands a game-changing, million-dollar, unrestricted gift. Or maybe it’s an accumulation of smaller donations that develops into a pool of cash many times greater than the nonprofit’s annual budget. While you’d think such an opportunity would launch a flurry of activity to deploy those funds, we’ve found Read More
3 Things Nonprofits Need to Know About Markets
Nonprofit endowment investors depend on the stock market to be reasonably consistent so they can meet their philanthropic program spending. Unfortunately, the stock market has been extremely unpredictable or volatile, zigzagging like a rollercoaster, reacting emotionally to the latest news. So how do nonprofits with a true endowment navigate these volatile market conditions? Here are 3 things nonprofits should know Read More
Why Target Date Funds in Your 403B?
Whether your nonprofit is starting a 403 B Plan or you are reviewing your retirement plan investments, having Target Date Funds in the line-up is a good thing. Why are Target Date Funds a good thing in a 403 B or Nonprofit Retirement Plan? At Fairlight, we often find nonprofit employees asking us questions like “Where should I put my money” and “How often do I need to look at my retirement plan”? We also hear Read More
Three Lessons For Nonprofits When Banks Fails
On Friday, March 10th, major headlines around the world announced the failure of Silicon Valley Bank (ticker SVB) and the largest bank failure since Washington Mutual in 2008. Understandably, this made investors nervous, including nonprofit leaders and board members even though many did not hold deposits with SVB directly. The question on their minds: “Our my bank deposit accounts at risk now? Were other, regional or Read More
U.S. News & World Report: What Are the Types of IRAs?
