Litman Gregory is an independently owned, boutique investment advisory firm that was founded in 1987. We have been helping investment committees successfully manage endowment and foundation assets for over 30 years. We currently employ a total staff of 50 people across the firm’s five San Francisco Bay Area offices and advise over $2.0 billion total client assets as of December 31, 2020, which includes individuals, families, endowments, and foundations.
Our investment philosophy includes the following elements, which permeate throughout Litman Gregory:
For our endowment and foundation clients, Litman Gregory’s services can be considered in two categories: Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) and Fiduciary Planning:
Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO): Our disciplined investment process combines the objectivity of a consultant with the agility and accountability of a discretionary manager.
Steps include:
Fiduciary Planning: We act as the personal partners of board members, and we provide continuous guidance to an organization, even as board and committee composition changes.
Topics include:
We believe the following distinguishes Litman Gregory from our peers and as a leading provider of investment services to nonprofit clients:
Investment Experience and Risk Management. With an impressive track record of strong risk-adjusted performance, our fundamentally driven investment approach seeks to balance our long-term outlook—and our clients’ unique goals—within a defined level of risk for each customized portfolio.
Advice with Accountability. As a fiduciary partner, we take ownership of our clients’ goals as we help them navigate complex and volatile markets, balancing capital preservation with long-term growth, to help them meet their financial objectives.
Disciplined Investment Process. We have made a significant commitment to independent research. Our in-house research team includes dedicated asset class and manager-selection research analysts. Further, we continue to integrate sustainable investing criteria into our investment framework, as we believe it makes us better stewards of our clients’ assets, improves risk management, and can increase returns.
Client Focus and Service. Our relationship-driven service model ensures proactive attention and clear communication. With over 30 years of experience working with nonprofits, we can help you address a wide range of challenges, from investment policy creation to educating your board on investments and industry best practices.
Contact us with other questions about our expertise and service for endowments and foundations.
Litman Gregory has a strong commitment to serving the interests of our clients and a focus on exceptional client service. As your fiduciary partner, our first step is to gain a deep understanding of your institution: the long-term objectives, fundraising goals, spending policies, and anything else that affects your success. As such, the most robust activity occurs early in our client relationships and we encourage frequent interaction and seek to provide proactive communication. Ultimately, each client will drive their preferred method of interaction, which often involves formal quarterly in-person or video meetings and communication.
As an independent registered investment advisor, we have a fiduciary duty to always act in your best interest. This eliminates conflicts of interest, ensuring that every investment we select for your portfolio is based on your needs, not because we are compensated for recommending it.
Litman Gregory’s services are provided on a fee-only basis and are billed quarterly based on the total account value of all assets placed under management.
For unmanaged assets, such as those in liquidity accounts, we offer our services for a limited fee, or no fee, depending on the specific situation. All the services Litman Gregory provides are included in the account level fee. We do not charge separately for individual services.
Litman Gregory has meaningful experience in environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investing, and increasingly, these strategies are a strategic focus of our firm. We believe the integration of ESG factors into an investment process promotes social and environmental good at the company level and can improve overall risk management and investment performance. As a result, for several years, we have been incorporating ESG investment options into our client accounts and conducting due diligence on active and passive ESG and impact investments.