Our Investment Strategy

Investing with Intention for Our Region’s Future

At the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, every dollar entrusted to us represents more than generosity — it represents belief and trust. Belief in a stronger future for our region, and trust in our role as stewards of the resources that will help make that future real.

Since 1984, the Community Foundation has been carefully building permanent endowments to support lasting change in the communities we serve.

Our investment strategy is designed to support the long-term health of every fund we manage. By targeting a long-term average annual return of 6 to 8 percent, we aim to preserve and grow the value of donor gifts over time, outpace inflation and ensure a steady flow of support for the nonprofits and initiatives that keep our communities strong. A dollar today does not have the same purchasing power it did in 1984, and our approach is built to address that reality.

Our strategy is guided by our Investment Committee and supported by our partnership with Fund Evaluation Group (FEG), an investment consultant with decades of experience serving community foundations and mission-driven institutions. Their expertise, broad portfolio access, and client-focused approach helps us manage risk, navigate complex markets, and remain focused on performance and impact.

Together with FEG and our Investment Committee, we steward more than $1 billion in charitable assets on behalf of thousands of donors. Each investment decision is rooted in our values of integrity, trust and operational excellence. These decisions are aligned with our responsibility to grow opportunity for all who call southeast Michigan home.

We are proud of the trust donors place in us and grateful for the partnerships that make this work possible. Thank you for believing in the future and for helping us invest in it.