Investment Management for Mission-Driven Organizations
With headquarters in San Francisco and advisors based in Oakland and Seattle, Fairlight Advisors works with nonprofits across the U.S., including California, Washington, New York, and Virginia. Our investment management and consulting services help nonprofit boards and leadership teams oversee reserves, endowments, and other invested assets while keeping their organizations’ financial priorities and missions in view.
FAQ: Nonprofit Investment Management & Consulting
How do we know if our nonprofit is ready for professional Investment Management and Investment Consulting?
Signs you’re ready include holding meaningful cash reserves or endowment funds, wanting more structure around how they’re invested, and needing regular reporting that your board can rely on. Many nonprofits come to Fairlight when they outgrow bank accounts and ad hoc investment choices and want a written investment policy, disciplined oversight, and support for staff and board decision-making.
What’s the difference between Investment Management and Investment Consulting for nonprofits?
With Investment Management, Fairlight designs your nonprofit’s portfolio and also handles implementation, including trading and rebalancing. With Investment Consulting, Fairlight still designs and monitors the portfolio, but your team or an existing provider places the trades and manages day-to-day implementation. Both options include the same level of advice, reporting, and board education; the difference is who executes the transactions.
Our nonprofit board is worried about fiduciary responsibility. How do you support us?
Fairlight provides fiduciary and governance training tailored to nonprofit boards and finance committees. We help clarify roles and responsibilities, develop or update your investment and gift acceptance policies, and create reporting that makes it easier to document a prudent, repeatable decision-making process.
We have limited staff capacity. How much work will Investment Management and Investment Consulting be for our nonprofit?
Fairlight’s goal is to reduce the administrative burden on staff and volunteers. We help set up or refine your policies, establish a clear investment plan, and provide quarterly reporting and economic updates that you can share directly with your board. Once the structure is in place, your team spends less time chasing data and more time focusing on programs and fundraising.
Can you align our investments with our nonprofit’s mission and gift restrictions?
Yes. Fairlight works with nonprofits to distinguish between operating reserves, board-designated funds, and restricted or endowment assets so each pool is invested appropriately. We also help boards explore values-aligned or mission-related investment options where suitable, while maintaining attention to liquidity, risk, and long-term return needs.

