Warren Buffett’s Advice … Good for Nonprofit Endowments?

Abstract

Owing to their personal success, affluent individuals are often asked to serve as nonprofit board members to help guide endowment investment policies. The coming wealth transfer, combined with a low-yield financial environment, adds importance to endowment financial management. Standard financial management favors a 60/40 allocation between equities and bonds. Warren Buffett, however, rejected this standard financial advice and directed the trustees of his estate to invest in a 90/10 allocation; 90% invested in the S&P 500 Index and 10% in short-term bonds. This article tests this strategy against various allocation methods for nonprofit endowments using a 5% payout. The heavier stock-weighted portfolios provide a higher likelihood an endowment balance will stay above the nominal initial balance and the inflation-adjusted balance, leading to more certainty the endowment can be relied on for operational expenses. The tipping point appears to be the 80/20 allocation. Allocations with more than 20% bonds perform noticeably worse and allocations with less than 20% bonds perform marginally better.