Case Studies: Investment Advisor Searches for Asset Owners
Private Family Foundation
Godeke Consulting worked with the board and staff of a private $70 million family foundation to identify up to five prospective impact investment advisors that would be aligned with its investment priorities and objectives. Through a customized interview/survey protocol, board members and key staff objectives were identified to determine the applicable qualifications and necessary alignment with the foundation’s priorities and prospective impact investment advisors. Following interviews with 22 advisors, we proposed five candidates to the foundation.
Ralph E. Ogden Foundation
Godeke Consulting facilitated a board process at the Ralph E. Ogden Foundation to create an impact investing strategy for this family foundation with interests in arts and culture, community development, education and youth leadership, environmental sustainability, land conservation, agriculture and food, and social justice, human rights and international understanding. During this engagement, Godeke Consulting also led a search for a new investment advisor and worked with the three generations of family board members to develop the qualifications and framework for their investment advisor. This collaboration resulted in a customized RFP to use for interviews and the selection of the new investment advisor from a diverse range of wealth management firms. Godeke Consulting subsequently worked with the Ogden board to develop an investment beliefs statement in conjunction with their new investment advisor.
Voqal
Godeke Consulting helped Voqal, a collaboration of five nonprofit organizations that work at the intersection of media and technology to advance social equity, to select their new investment advisor. In this investment advisor search, Godeke Consulting partnered with Voqal staff and their investment committee to construct a customized RFP, interviewed candidates and facilitated the investment committee decision-making process and new advisor onboarding.
High Net Worth Private Client
Godeke Consulting was engaged to work with a high net worth individual to first develop criteria to evaluate candidate investment advisors and to then select a new investment advisor. We developed a customized RFP based on conversations with our client and a questionnaire about her preferences and other key selection criteria. We held initial interviews with over 20 firms, reviewed the detailed proposals from the finalist firms and facilitated in-person interviews with the firms and our client. We also supported the client through the negotiation of the advisor agreement and the onboarding process of the new investment advisor.
The Jacob & Valeria Langeloth Foundation
Godeke Consulting has been working with Langeloth’s investment committee, board and staff to select a new investment advisor. Langeloth’s philanthropy is centered on the concepts of health and well-being, and the foundation would like to align its investments with this mission. We led a series of initial interviews with candidates firms and then developed a customized RFP based on the input of the board and investment committee. We will facilitate in-person interviews with the finalist firms and then assist in onboarding the new advisor.