OCIO Services

What is OCIO?

Outsourced Chief Investment Officer. The traditional iteration of an outsourced chief investment officer is one that takes on the day-to-day investment responsibilities that typically fall to your board and investment committee: portfolio management, policy compliance, rebalancing, and reporting.

For most nonprofits, that means your board gets back the time and energy it was spending on investment mechanics and redirects it toward mission, fundraising, and governance.

Is OCIO right for nonprofits?

If your committee spends more time on investment mechanics than on mission, the answer is usually yes. Outsourced or semi-outsourced investment management services allow your organization to prioritize mission, fundraising, and governance.

How does Scharf invest nonprofit assets?

Most nonprofit relationships start with the Scharf multi-asset strategy, which we have managed since 1993. It pairs Scharf equity with fixed income and commodities for growth and income in a single portfolio. The public fund version is 70% stocks and 30% multi-asset, but for nonprofit clients we customize the allocation to match your risk and return preferences. Over 30+ years, the strategy has delivered minimal drawdowns, high liquidity, cost-effective diversification, and favorable risk-adjusted returns.

What does an OCIO partnership with Scharf look like?

Boutique by design. You work directly with senior portfolio managers, not junior analysts or rotating client service reps. Every relationship includes high-touch, dedicated service, portfolios built to your specific objectives and policy constraints, the research depth and compliance rigor of a larger firm, and reporting that is substantive and relationship-driven.

What’s the difference between fully outsourced and semi-outsourced OCIO?

In a fully outsourced model, Scharf handles all day-to-day investment decisions. In a semi-outsourced model, the investment committee partners with Scharf and stays involved in specific portfolio decisions. Both models give you the same senior team.

How is Scharf different from larger OCIO providers?

You work directly with senior portfolio managers. Portfolios are customized to your service model, policy, and constraints, never slotted into a template. You get the rigor of a larger firm without the layers.

What types of nonprofits do you serve?

Foundations, endowments, religious organizations, healthcare nonprofits, educational institutions, and operating nonprofits. We customize allocations across mission types and portfolio sizes.

Will you work with our existing investment policy?

Yes. We start by reviewing your current investment policy statement. If it’s working, we manage to it. If it needs revision, we can rebuild it with your committee to reflect your spending policy, time horizon, and risk tolerance.

How often do you meet with the investment committee?

Quarterly is standard. We attend committee meetings, walk through portfolio performance, review markets, and answer questions. We’re available between meetings whenever the committee needs us.

How do we get started?

Schedule a portfolio review. We’ll assess your current allocation, policy, and committee structure, and tell you honestly whether OCIO is the right fit for your organization.