Foundations & Endowments

What we know is less important than what the organization wants. We listen, then advise.

Our approach is collaborative and explores an organization’s desires and capabilities.

How we work with foundations is similar to how we work with individual financial planning clients. We begin with the “why” - the organization’s overarching values and aims. We acknowledge past successes, present frustrations, and differing board perspectives.  With the “why” clearly defined, better decisions result.

We are a boutique firm that enjoys near-perfect client retention due to our highly tailored, attentive, service to existing clients. Forming an engagement is a two-way interview. We want to be certain we and our clients are a good fit for each other.  Together we design a complement of services in order to meet their needs and uncover opportunities for growth.

This may include collaborating with industry experts who facilitate strategic planning, grant-making processes, fiduciary compliance, board governance, and communication strategies. We bring decades-long experience of personally working on community boards and overseeing their endowments.

In our experience, boards typically need assistance with investor education, portfolio monitoring, and budget forecasting. Our services also include creating an investment policy that sets out investor expectations and how to monitor performance.

We help organizations define thoughtful guidelines that align their portfolio with certain social or environmental goals. For instance, a health organization would likely prohibit investment in tobacco. This would be one example of a “screen” included in an organization’s investment policy.

As an independent, Registered Investment Advisor, Hanke & Co. Wealth Management, LLC is governed by the fiduciary standard - the requirement to always put the client’s interest first. As a fee-only advisor, the firm operates without the conflict of interest posed by commission compensation or the presence of sales managers. The firm is “agnostic” in its approach – we recommend only those investments deemed best for the client.