Stewardship for capital that has to last.
We advise foundations, nonprofit organizations, and trusts on investing, governing, and sustaining assets for the missions and beneficiaries they serve.
Our view
Foundations and trusts carry a different kind of responsibility.
The capital isn't there to be spent once. It has to fund a mission, support beneficiaries, or protect a legacy for decades.
That requires disciplined investment policy, clear governance, and a team of professionals who coordinate with each other. Pacific Advisory Group serves as an independent advisor to boards, trustees, and executive directors. We help you make well-documented decisions you can stand behind.
- 01
Protect the corpus
Build portfolios and spending policies designed to preserve purchasing power over the long term.
- 02
Strengthen governance
Put clear policies, fiduciary processes, and reporting in place so every decision is well documented.
- 03
Fund the mission
Align capital, liquidity, and giving strategy with the outcomes your organization is trying to achieve.
Find the page for your organization.
- 01Non-ProfitsGovernance, reserves, and benefits for mission-driven organizations.
- 02Charitable OrganizationsGiving, donor stewardship, and grantmaking strategy.
- 03EndowmentsPolicy-driven investing for capital that has to last.
- 04Trusts & FoundationsStewardship for family, settlement, and legacy trusts.
Advisory designed around your fiduciary duty.
Six areas of work for boards, trustees, and the professionals who support them.
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A sound investment program starts with a written policy, not a market view. We help you define what the portfolio must do, then build it to do that.
- Investment Policy Statement (IPS) development and review
- Asset allocation and liquidity planning matched to spending needs
- Spending policy design and sustainability modeling
- Discretionary investment management, available through our affiliate The Pacific Group
- Performance reporting and benchmarking for board review
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Good intentions are not a defense. Documented process is. We help boards and trustees build and maintain a record of prudent decision-making.
- Investment committee structure and charters
- Fiduciary process review and documentation
- Manager, vendor, and fee benchmarking
- Board and trustee education
- Coordination with legal counsel and auditors
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Whether a trust holds family wealth or a court award, the structure should serve the beneficiaries over the whole time horizon.
- Trust investment strategy and review
- Dynasty, spousal lifetime access (SLAT), grantor retained annuity (GRAT), and life insurance (ILIT) trust planning, coordinated with counsel
- Distribution policy and beneficiary education
- Asset protection structuring
- Large settlement trust management and fiduciary oversight
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Giving works best when it is planned. We help you connect the money you give with the impact you want.
- Charitable giving structure and vehicle selection (private foundations, donor-advised funds, charitable trusts)
- Planned giving strategies, including charitable remainder and lead trusts, coordinated with counsel and CPAs
- Appreciated asset and pre-transaction giving strategy
- Grantmaking process and distribution planning
- Multi-generational giving and family governance
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Many boards want their investments to reflect their values, and want to access private markets prudently. We bring structure to both.
- Mission-related and values-aligned portfolio construction
- Independent due diligence on private equity, real estate, and other alternative investments
- Illiquidity and capital call planning
- Real estate holdings, 1031 exchange, and DST advisory where appropriate
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Nonprofits compete for talent without the equity packages of the private sector. We help you do it well.
- 403(b), 457(b), and 401(a) plan design, audit, and fee benchmarking
- ERISA 3(21) and 3(38) fiduciary support, with implementation through our affiliates as needed
- Executive compensation and retention design, including deferred compensation for tax-exempt employers
- Key-person coverage and continuity planning
- Group benefits strategy
A process built for prudence.
Understand
We learn the mission, the governing documents, the stakeholders, and the constraints.
Assess
We review your current investments, policies, and fees against your objectives and fiduciary standards.
Recommend
We present clear options with the tradeoffs spelled out, documented for your board or trustees.
Implement
We work with your attorneys, CPAs, custodians, and managers to put the plan into action.
Report
We provide regular, plain-language reporting and revisit the strategy as circumstances change.
How this differs from our corporate practice.
| Corporate clients | Trusts & foundations | |
|---|---|---|
| Primary goal | Growth, enterprise value, profitability | Preservation, sustainability, mission or beneficiary outcomes |
| Time horizon | Business cycle, exit, succession | Perpetual or multi-generational |
| Key decision makers | Executives, owners, boards | Trustees, investment committees, boards |
| Central framework | Corporate strategy and capital allocation | Investment policy, spending policy, fiduciary process |
Shared strengths: retirement plan design, risk protection, valuation, treasury and real estate strategy.
Built for fiduciaries.
We serve as an independent advisor to the people responsible for capital that has to last.
- Private and family foundations
- Nonprofit organizations and endowments
- Donor-advised fund sponsors and charitable giving programs
- Family, irrevocable, and dynasty trusts
- Court-mandated settlement and special-purpose trusts
- Boards, trustees, executive directors, and their counsel
Experience you can verify.
- Fiduciary experienceAssets advised and years serving fiduciaries.
- CredentialsCFP®, CFA®, CAP®, and other designations.
- Selected engagements"A family foundation reviewing its spending policy..."
Let’s Talk About What’s Next
Start with a confidential conversation. We’ll review where you are, show you your options, and you decide what comes next.