Tag: Devon Francis

Episode 8: ESG Investing for Stewards: Part 2 — with Charles Kuchenbrod

Episode 8: ESG Investing for Stewards: Part 2 — with Charles Kuchenbrod

Get ready to explore a new, unique approach to ESG investing for religious institutions!

In part two of their ESG mini-series, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis join Charles Kuchenbrod, the executive associate conference minister at the Southern New England Conference of the United Church of Christ. 

Charles shares his unique approach to ESG investing and the benefits it brings to the church. He also reveals how consolidated trust funds could serve your nonprofit’s investment program.

In this episode, you will learn:

  • About consolidated trust funds and their purpose
  • The structure of Charles’s investment committee 
  • Common concerns about ESG investing for religious institutions
  • How fund participants and churches reacted to the use of ESG investing
  • And more!

Join Bob, Devon, and Charles now to discover a new ESG investing approach that could benefit your organization and its mission!

Resources: ESG Investing for Stewards: Part 1 | DiMeo Schneider & Associates L.L.C. | Bob DiMeo | Devon Francis | Southern New England Conference United Church of Christ | Connect with Charlie Kuchenbrod on Linkedin | FREE GUIDE: 6 Tips to Managing Nonprofit Investments

Episode 7 – ESG Investing for Stewards: Part 1 — With Shreya Canakapalli

Episode 7 – ESG Investing for Stewards: Part 1 — With Shreya Canakapalli

In this episode, we kick off a new mini-series on a topic that is near and dear to many endowment and foundation stewards, ESG investing! 

Join Bob DiMeo, Devon Francis, and DiMeo Schneider’s Shreya Canakapalli as they launch the series with a discussion on Environmental, Social and Governance investing including strategies on how your charitable organization can use ESG to  help advance your mission. 

In this episode, you will learn:

  • The evolution of ESG and SRI investing
  • Trends and issues investment committees should consider
  • How to implement ESG investing within an endowment portfolio
  • The challenges of implementing an ESG strategy
  • And more!

Join us now to learn about the basics of ESG investing and how it could serve you and your foundation! 

Resources: DiMeo Schneider & Associates L.L.C. | Bob DiMeo | Devon Francis | Connect with Shreya on LinkedIn | Episode 5: How the 2020 Elections Could Impact Nonprofit Investors — with Frank Kelly| FREE GUIDE: 6 Tips to Managing Nonprofit Investments

Episode 6 – Higher Education and COVID-19: Part 3 — With Lawyer Michael Cooney

Episode 6 – Higher Education and COVID-19: Part 3 — With Lawyer Michael Cooney

As a steward, how can you effectively manage your endowment fund and avoid common issues that can arise during the process?

Find out in this third and final part of our higher education mini-series! 

In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis welcome lawyer Michael Cooney, an expert in higher education and a Nixon Peabody partner. They discuss the implications and issues stewards should avoid when managing university endowments, especially in today’s climate.

In this episode, you will learn:

  • The state of endowment funds during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • What nonprofit stewards should consider when increasing draws from asset pools 
  • Whether you should borrow or launch a capital campaign during the pandemic
  • What separates a good investment committee from a disjointed one 
  • And more!

Tune in now to discover how you can optimize the way you manage your endowment funds! 

Resources: DiMeo Schneider & Associates L.L.C. | Bob DiMeo | Devon Francis | Michael Conney – Email | Nixon PeabodyHigher Education: Part 1 | Higher Education and COVID-19: Part 2 | FREE GUIDE: 6 Tips to Managing Nonprofit Investments

Episode 5 – How the 2020 Elections Could Impact Nonprofit Investors — with Frank Kelly

Episode 5 – How the 2020 Elections Could Impact Nonprofit Investors — with Frank Kelly

With the 2020 Elections mostly over, what do investors, nonprofits, and charitable organizations need to consider in managing their portfolios? 

To explore the answer, join Bob DiMeo, Devon Francis, and Deutsche Bank’s Head of Global & Public Affairs , Frank Kelly, in this episode. They discuss the impact the elections could have on investors, especially those in the nonprofit sector.

In this episode, you will learn:

  • What the election results mean for the economy and nonprofits
  • How stocks and  bonds might react an a potential silver lining 
  • Answers to common questions about the future of the nonprofit world
  • The impact of the election on nonprofits and their endowment investments 
  • And more!

Tune in now to learn what you should consider when investing in this post-election environment!

Resources: DiMeo Schneider & Associates L.L.C. | Bob DiMeo | Devon Francis | DWS America | Kevin Sheehan | Frank Kelly | FREE GUIDE: 6 Tips to Managing Nonprofit Investments

Episode 4 – Higher Education and COVID-19: Part 2 — With Bruce Laning

Episode 4 – Higher Education and COVID-19: Part 2 — With Bruce Laning

Managing endowments at higher education institutions regularly includes uncertainty and challenges. 

Now this seems more true than ever.

In part two of their mini-series on higher education, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis join Wealthspire’s Bruce Laning. As the chair of the Valparaiso University endowment investment committee, Bruce discusses the challenges endowment committees are dealing with in today’s environment and how they plan to overcome them.

In this episode, you will learn:

  • How Valparaiso’s endowment portfolio has evolved over the years
  • Views on active and passive endowment management
  • What makes for a good investment committee 
  • How Bruce helps committee members stay aligned with long-term goals 
  • And more!

Listen now to learn about endowment committees and the challenges they’re facing in the current environment! 

Resources: DiMeo Schneider & Associates L.L.C. | Bob DiMeo | Devon Francis | Bruce Laning | Valparaiso University Endowment | FREE GUIDE: 6 Tips to Managing Nonprofit Investments

Episode 3 – Community Foundations and Current Challenges — With Roberta Herman Dietrich

Episode 3 – Community Foundations and Current Challenges — With Roberta Herman Dietrich

Community foundations are essential pillars of our societies.

But how has this unprecedented year impacted these organizations and the important work they do in communities?

To find out, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis visit with Roberta Herman Dietrich of the Houston Jewish Community Foundation in today’s episode. Roberta shares what the foundation does for its community and the challenges they face given the global pandemic, social unrest and more. 

In this episode, you will learn:

  • How the Houston Jewish Community Foundation helps donors fulfill charitable goals
  • The Foundation’s investment committee and governance structure
  • How COVID-19 has affected the HJCF
  • An executive director’s view on socially responsible investing
  • And more!

Tune in and learn about how community foundations are managing investments and serving their communities during COVID-19! 

Resources: DiMeo Schneider & Associates L.L.C. | Bob DiMeo | Devon Francis | Houston Jewish Community Foundation | FREE GUIDE: 6 Tips to Managing Nonprofit Investments

Episode 2 – Higher Education: Part 1 — With Donna M. Carroll

Episode 2 – Higher Education: Part 1 — With Donna M. Carroll

Higher education impacts everyone from employers to students. While these institutions bring many great benefits to our societies, like many others, they are now experiencing new challenges in the face of COVID-19. 

In this episode, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis launch a new three-part mini-series on higher education with the help of Donna M. Carroll, the president of Dominican University. 

Donna shares her insight on how schools are navigating this pandemic and reveals the economic and financial impact of the crisis on these institutions and their endowments. She additionally provides insightful tips and strategies for ways schools can manage, and manage their investments, through this challenging time.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

  • The challenges higher education institutions are facing
  • How COVID-19 has impacted endowments and donor giving 
  • Ways investment and finance committees plan to address the long-term security of their institutions
  • How the pandemic has changed higher education investment structures 
  • And more!

Tune in now to discover how higher education is navigating this pandemic!  

Resources: DiMeo Schneider & Associates L.L.C. | Bob DiMeo | Devon Francis  | Donna M. Carroll | FREE GUIDE: 6 Tips to Managing Nonprofit Investments

Episode 1 – Welcome to the Nonprofit Investment Stewards Podcast!

Episode 1 – Welcome to the Nonprofit Investment Stewards Podcast!

Are you interested in learning about endowment, foundation and other nonprofit investments and how investment strategy can further your charitable organization’s mission? 

If so, you’ve come to the right place!

In this inaugural episode of the Nonprofit Investment Stewards Podcast, get to know your hosts, Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis of DiMeo Schneider & Associates. Together, they share their expertise and passion for nonprofit investments and provide insight into what’s to come in this podcast.

In this episode, you will learn:

  • Who Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis are, professionally and personally
  • About Bob and Devon’s involvement in volunteer activities and non-profit organizations
  • The silver linings Bob and Devon have experienced during this global pandemic
  • What nonprofit leaders, board and committee members can expect from this podcast
  • And more!

Tune in now to meet Bob DiMeo and Devon Francis — and for your official introduction to the Nonprofit Investment Stewards Podcast! 

Resources: DiMeo Schneider & Associates L.L.C. | Bob DiMeoDevon Francis | FREE GUIDE: 6 Tips to Managing Nonprofit Investments