/ Offices/ Office of Business and Finance/Investments

Investments

The Business Office is responsible for endowment, trusts and other investments of the college.

Endowment

Lewis & Clark College, formerly known as Albany Collegiate Institute, was founded in 1867 when Albany residents raised $8,000 in cash and promissory notes to erect a building for the school on land donated by Thomas and Walter Monteith. Over the years, thousands of donors have established endowed funds for scholarships, professorships, and many other purposes. Today, Lewis & Clark’s endowment comprises nearly 70 funds with a market value of $241.7 million as of May 31, 2020. The endowment at Lewis & Clark plays a vital role in supporting the college’s educational mission.

The long-term financial objective for the endowment is to preserve and enhance the value of the principal to provide a stable stream of earnings in perpetuity supporting the College’s spending needs. The College’s Investment Committee provides oversight for the endowment investment management. Investment decisions are made with the intent of obtaining returns sufficient to grow the inflation-adjusted value of the endowment in perpetuity. The approved investment and spending policies listed below serve as guidelines for the endowment investment program.

Investment Policy - sets the asset allocation, and is reviewed regularly and updated as needed.
Spending Policy - spends 4.5 percent of the sixteen-quarter moving average market value of the Endowment Fund annually for the designated purposes of the funds.

May 31, 2023 Market Value & Asset Allocations

Asset Allocation	Actual Allocation	Market Value ($M)
U.S. Equity	12.4%	$38.1
Global Equity	7.3%	$22.2
International Developed Equity	8.5%	$25.9
Emerging Markets Equity	4.9%	$15.1
Venture/Private Equity	30.9%	$94.8
Marketable Diversifiers	12.5%	$38.4
Private Diversifiers	5.5%	$16.9
Private Real Assets	3.9%	$11.9
Fixed Income	12.7%	$38.9
Cash & Other	1.4%	$4.2
Total Endowment Value	100%	$306.4

Trusts

Charitable Remainder Trusts, a tool of planned giving, are accounted for in the Business Office. Trustors/ Donors may wish to contact The Office of Development - Planned Giving. Beneficiaries are welcome to contact Mike Waddell at 503-768-7933; or email: waddell@lclark.edu.

Giving to the College