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Board-Level Advisory for Portfolio Strategy and Oversight
Strategy development, policy alignment, and portfolio monitoring consistent with your organization's spending needs, risk parameters, and long-term objectives.
Philanthropic Organizations
Explore our financial stewardship services for mission-driven institutions. Select a service below to preview our approach — then visit the full page for a deeper look.
Board-Level Investment Consulting for Philanthropic Organizations
Your organization's investment portfolio exists to fund your mission — today and for generations to come. But most boards and investment committees don't have the expertise, time, or resources to manage that portfolio themselves. They need an independent advisor who understands institutional investing and can translate complex strategy into clear, actionable recommendations.
BRIM's Investment Advisory Services provide non-discretionary consulting to foundations, endowments, nonprofits, and religious institutions. We advise your board or investment committee on asset allocation, spending policy, manager selection, and portfolio construction — presenting clear recommendations backed by data. Your committee retains full decision-making authority. We provide the expertise, analysis, and reporting they need to make informed choices.
This is consulting — not portfolio management. We attend your board or committee meetings, present recommendations, answer questions, and implement the decisions your committee approves. If your organization wants full delegation instead, our Outsourced CIO service gives BRIM discretionary authority to manage the portfolio directly.
Investment Advisory Services
We provide the investment expertise your board needs to make informed decisions — without taking over the decision-making itself. Every recommendation comes with the data and analysis to support it.
Asset Allocation Strategy
Developing and recommending a target asset allocation for your portfolio — based on your spending policy, time horizon, risk tolerance, and liquidity needs. We model multiple scenarios so the committee can see the trade-offs between growth, income, and stability.
Portfolio Review & Rebalancing
Quarterly review of your current holdings against the target allocation — identifying drift, recommending rebalancing trades, and presenting the analysis to your committee for approval before any changes are made.
Investment Policy Statement
Drafting or updating your IPS — the governance document that defines your investment objectives, allowable asset classes, risk parameters, rebalancing triggers, and the roles and responsibilities of the committee and advisor.
Spending Policy Analysis
Evaluating your current spending rate against the portfolio's expected return — modeling whether the current distribution is sustainable long-term and recommending adjustments if spending threatens to erode the corpus over time.
Committee Meeting Support
Attending board or investment committee meetings — presenting performance reports, walking through recommendations, answering questions, and providing the independent perspective your committee needs to fulfill its fiduciary duties.
Manager & Fund Evaluation
Evaluating investment managers, funds, and strategies against performance benchmarks, peer groups, and fee comparisons — presenting the committee with clear data on what's working, what isn't, and what alternatives exist.
The Advisory Engagement
Every engagement starts with understanding your organization, its mission, and its financial position. From there, we build a consulting framework tailored to how your board operates.
Portfolio & Policy Assessment
We review your current investment portfolio, IPS (if one exists), spending policy, governance structure, and any existing vendor relationships. We identify what's working, what's missing, and where the committee needs the most support.
Strategy Recommendations
We present the committee with a recommended asset allocation, spending policy framework, and any changes to the current portfolio — backed by modeling, scenario analysis, and clear rationale. The committee discusses, asks questions, and votes.
Implementation
Once the committee approves, we implement the changes — executing trades on Charles Schwab, updating account allocations, and documenting the decisions in the meeting minutes. Nothing moves without committee approval.
Ongoing Quarterly Reviews
Each quarter, we prepare a full performance report and present it at the committee meeting — covering returns, allocation drift, spending rate, market commentary, and any recommended adjustments. The committee reviews, approves, and we execute.
Organizations That Benefit from Investment Consulting
Investment advisory is ideal for organizations whose boards want to stay actively involved in investment decisions — but need an independent expert to guide the process and provide the analysis.
Private & Family Foundations
Foundations with investment committees that meet quarterly to oversee the endowment. BRIM presents allocation recommendations, monitors spending against the 5% minimum distribution requirement, and coordinates with the foundation's accountant on investment-related tax matters.
Educational & Institutional Endowments
Schools, universities, and cultural institutions with permanent endowment funds and an investment committee responsible for oversight. We provide the institutional investment expertise the committee needs — without the cost of a full-time CIO or investment staff.
Nonprofit Organizations
501(c)(3) organizations with operating reserves, donor-restricted funds, or planned giving assets that need professional investment oversight. We help the board establish a prudent investment framework and provide the ongoing reporting to demonstrate good governance.
Religious & Faith-Based Institutions
Churches, synagogues, and religious organizations with endowments, building funds, or reserve accounts. We provide investment counsel aligned with the institution's values and the transparent reporting its congregation and leadership expect.
Clear Deliverables, Every Quarter
Investment consulting is only valuable if the output is clear, actionable, and delivered on schedule. Here's exactly what your committee receives.
Investment Performance Report
Portfolio returns vs. benchmarks, asset allocation vs. targets, individual fund performance, and market commentary — formatted for board presentation with plain-language explanations, not financial jargon.
Rebalancing Recommendations
When the portfolio drifts beyond the IPS tolerance bands, we present specific rebalancing trades for the committee to approve — with the rationale for each change and the expected impact on risk and return.
IPS & Spending Policy Review
Annual review of whether the investment policy and spending rate remain appropriate — accounting for changes in the organization's circumstances, market environment, and portfolio size.
Manager & Fund Scorecard
Performance evaluation of every fund in the portfolio against its benchmark, peer group, and fee comparison — with a clear recommendation to retain, watch, or replace each holding.
Committee Meeting Attendance
BRIM attends every investment committee meeting — presenting reports, fielding questions, and providing the independent perspective your committee needs to make confident, well-informed decisions.
Special Projects
Ad hoc analysis as the need arises — capital campaign investment strategy, gift acceptance policy for non-cash assets, liquidity planning for major disbursements, or any other financial question your board needs answered.
Independent Expertise, Aligned with Your Mission
BRIM serves as your organization's independent investment consultant — bringing institutional expertise to your committee table and coordinating with your existing service providers.
The Board Going It Alone vs. The BRIM Approach
Your Committee Deserves an Advisor Who Speaks Their Language
Whether your organization manages $500,000 or $50 million, your investment committee deserves independent, institutional-quality guidance — with clear reporting, honest recommendations, and a fiduciary standard that puts your mission first.
Questions? Seeking Further Insight?
Connect with our team to discuss your goals. No obligations, no pressure — just a straightforward conversation about how we can help.
Questions? Seeking Further Insight?
Connect with our experts at BRIM.