Overview
Effective stewardship of philanthropic assets is key to Berks County Community Foundation’s ability to fulfill its mission of promoting philanthropy and improving the quality of life for the residents of Berks County. Our investment goal: to enhance the real value of these assets over time.
Berks County Community Foundation administers 360 charitable funds.
The Community Foundation maintains well-diversified portfolios which are invested for total return. Under the guidance of the Investment Committee, and subject to a Board-approved Investment Policy, our funds are prudently invested in diversified portfolios that produce funds for grantmaking, while providing for asset growth and security of principal.
The foundation engages Fund Evaluation Group (FEG) as independent consultants. FEG advises the Investment Committee on investment policy and asset allocation for the Community Foundation. FEG also advises on manager selection and performance review of our Core Portfolio, our primary investment pool. Wilmington Trust is custodian for the Core Portfolio. The Foundation also maintains investment pools managed by Buckingham Strategic Wealth, RKL Wealth Management, and Weik Capital Management.
The Community Foundation’s Investment Committee has been charged by the Board of Directors with the responsibility of managing the Community Foundation’s assets. The committee establishes and reviews investment guidelines and evaluates investment performance on a regular basis.
The investment policy of the Berks County Community Foundation is similar to that of most other community foundations, having a diversified and balanced portfolio. The objective of the investment policy is to provide a return, which will preserve and grow the Community Foundation’s assets, while providing a consistent stream of revenue for grantmaking.
Click here to download our Investment Policy in PDF form.
The Spending Policy is a formula to determine the annual charitable payout from a fund that is based on a percentage of the average fair market value of the fund’s investments. The Foundation’s current spending is 4.5% of the fund’s value. It is designed to allow grants to be made from the fund during the donor’s lifetime as well as in perpetuity. Investment return in excess of the spending policy is retained in the fund to provide growth of principal.
The minimum management fee charged to a fund at Berks County Community Foundation is based on a fund size of $50,000. Click below to download the foundation’s fee schedule.
The Community Foundation maintains an Audit Committee, which assists the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibilities relating to the Foundation’s financial, operational and compliance information. They are responsible for overseeing the financial reporting process and annual independent audit on behalf of the Board and reporting results of their activities to the Board.
The Form 990-T, Exempt Organization Business Income Tax return is required to be filed by nonprofit organizations who have $1,000 or more in gross income from an unrelated trade or business. The Community Foundation does not have such income and hence, is not required to file Form 990-T. If the Community Foundation were required to file Form 990-T, it would be made available here.
Fiscal year 2020-2021 Form 990
Bill Hummel from Fund Evaluation Group provides an update on the foundation’s investment management.
Download Investment Briefing Presentation
Listen to the Investment Briefing Podcast
Watch a short video featuring frequently asked questions about our investment strategy
