Accessible Investment Management

Providing tailored Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) solutions to help foundations, charities, and endowments support their visions and maximize impact.

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Simple. Transparent. Focused

How OCIO services can add support

Today’s institutions face increasingly complex markets, making it more difficult to focus on their core missions. Gaard’s OCIO services alleviate daily challenges, reduce costs, and enhance decision-making, providing clients with the clarity and capacity to better achieve their goals.

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OUR PHILOSOPHY

Why GAARD?

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Simple

We eliminate unnecessary complexity and avoid upselling costly, trendy investment products. At Gaard, simplicity wins—we focus on providing clear and straightforward guidance that empowers clients to make informed decisions free from conflicts of interest.

Transparent

With a simple 0.50% annual fee, we keep costs low so your organization can retain more of its returns to fuel its mission. Our transparent approach focuses on enhancing returns, not fees, ensuring your resources are maximized to achieve your goals.

Focused

Built on a scientific and data-driven approach, we create customized portfolios to fit each client’s unique risk, return, and other investment characteristics.

OUR APPROACH

While other OCIOs offer a broad range of services, we focus exclusively on asset management.

Step 1

Diagnose

We work closely with organizations to design strategies that align with their goals, risk tolerance, performance objectives, and liquidity needs.

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Step 2

Construct

We transform your objectives into a structured investment plan, incorporating asset allocation, risk management, and stress testing.

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Step 3

Monitor

Using advanced risk management tools, we continually monitor and adjust your portfolio to respond to market changes, ensuring long-term sustained growth.

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WHY WE ARE DIFFERENT

Acting as an extension of your team, we align our goals with yours.

Unparalleled Expertise

We are committed to cutting-edge research and have a deep understanding of market mechanics. This allows us to discover and seize investment opportunities tailored specifically to your needs.

Costs Clarity & Efficiency

We believe in clear, straightforward pricing. No hidden fees, no surprises—just efficient, low-cost investment strategies that let you keep more of your returns to grow your mission.

Client-First Approach

Your mission is our priority. We build personalized strategies that reflect your values and objectives, meaning we stay aligned with what matters most to you. Our dedicated service anticipates your needs so you can focus on your impact.

Radical Transparency

At Gaard, transparency is non-negotiable. We provide clients with clear insights into their investment strategies, performance, and fees, prioritizing long-term partnerships.

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Case Studies

See Our Tailored Investment Solutions in Action

Case Studies

Case Study A

Our Client

A non-profit organization seeking to minimize risk in its portfolio while achieving steady growth. Their goal was to ensure they had ongoing funds available to support their mission’s needs.

Our Approach

  • We began by gaining a deep understanding of how the client’s investment objectives align with their mission’s core goals.
  • We analyzed their past investment performance to identify potential vulnerabilities and risks that could hinder their ability to address the needs of their mission.
  • By studying the client’s business model, sector, and future resource demands, we tailored our strategy to fit their specific financial needs.
  • Our investment plan prioritized protection against volatility while ensuring steady growth and maintaining enough liquidity to meet urgent funding demands.

Our Solution

  • We rebalanced the portfolio to focus on cash and liquid assets, ensuring the organization could meet sudden, high demands for funds when necessary.
  • We established a robust oversight system for managing cash and liquid assets, securing them in low-risk, steady-return investments.
  • A small portion of the portfolio was allocated to higher-risk, diversified investments to boost returns without compromising security.
  • Throughout the process, we ensured that every investment aligned with the organization’s mission and values.

Case Studies

Case Study B

Our Client

A prestigious university endowment looking to manage a diversified portfolio to ensure the long-term sustainability of its resources. Their goal was to support research and teaching excellence, provide student scholarships, and maintain a competitive position among peer institutions.

Our Approach

  • We began by gaining a deep understanding of the university’s strategic priorities—its vision for research, teaching, student body composition, faculty and staff, and how it aims to position itself within the higher education landscape.
  • We then analyzed the broader economic factors affecting higher education, recognizing that demographic and financial challenges could impact the university’s future. We built a profile of its cash flow and asset requirements tailored to its unique institutional characteristics and goals.
  • Working closely with the university, we crafted a comprehensive investment strategy designed specifically to support its sector, profile, and long-term aspirations.

Our Solution

  • We developed a portfolio that accounted for maturity risks, ensuring the university could adapt to shifts in student demographics and future financial needs.
  • We incorporated global investment opportunities into the portfolio, optimizing diversification with a mix of risk-return profiles across international markets.
  • The portfolio was designed to be flexible, allowing the university to swiftly respond to changes in both the higher education sector and its own institutional priorities.
  • We provided ongoing portfolio monitoring and maintained continuous communication with the client to ensure adaptability as the university’s needs evolved.

Case Studies

Case Study B

Our Client

A mid-sized professional services firm managing multiple pension plans and investable assets looking for a tailored investment strategy to ensure financial stability and future growth.

Our Approach

  • We conducted a comprehensive analysis of the firm’s business, assessing cash flows, liability profiles, and key factors impacting long-term sustainability.
  • We worked closely with the client to understand their growth vision, resource requirements, risk tolerance, and potential vulnerabilities to market shocks.

Our Solution

  • We implemented an investment strategy focused on building resilience against fluctuating cash flows, economic volatility, and changes in the firm’s customer base.
  • We advised the client on proactively identifying potential business risks, ensuring rapid interaction with Gaard Capital OCIO and responsiveness to secure effective hedges and diversification.
  • The portfolio was carefully balanced across varying risk levels, with an emphasis on both preserving capital and achieving long-term growth.

Case Studies

5 min read

Case Study A: Solutions for A Non-Profit

A non-profit organization seeking to minimize risk in its portfolio while achieving steady growth.

Case Studies

5 min read

Case Study #2: Solutions for A University Endowment

A prestigious university endowment looking to manage a diversified portfolio to ensure the long-term sustainability of its resources.

Case Studies

5 min read

Case Study B: Solutions for A Professional Services Firm

A mid-sized professional services firm managing multiple pension plans and investable assets looking for a tailored investment strategy

Insights

QUESTIONS

FAQs

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What is an OCIO?

An Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) is a model in which an institution delegates some or all of its portfolio management responsibilities to a third-party investment partner. This arrangement allows the OCIO to make strategic investment decisions on behalf of the organization.

How does an OCIO work?

The OCIO provider assumes fiduciary responsibility and takes ownership of certain portfolio management responsibilities. However, the asset owner retains full authority over asset allocation and defining risk and return objectives.

The OCIO applies relevant investment strategies to achieve these goals, ensuring the endowment can sustainably fund its mission over time.

Who are OCIOs for?

An OCIO is commonly used by institutional investors, including nonprofits, endowments, foundations, pensions, healthcare systems, and family offices. While traditionally sought by smaller entities, larger organizations are increasingly turning to OCIO services to address specific objectives and constraints.

How can an OCIO improve investment performance?

Today’s investors face increasingly complex markets and a need for expertise to achieve desired returns. Gaard’s OCIO services provide the precision and agility needed to make timely portfolio adjustments, helping clients manage risk and capitalize on opportunities in dynamic markets.

By taking a holistic view of the portfolio, we align strategic and tactical asset allocation and implement cost-effective, efficient investment strategies. Our proactive approach ensures clients can adapt to changing conditions and stay focused on achieving their long-term goals.

How can an OCIO help with limited resources?

Investing—building a well-diversified portfolio, setting strategic asset allocations, and managing risk—is at the heart of OCIO services. Gaard focuses on delivering disciplined portfolio management and cost-effective strategies tailored to each client’s goals.

Institutions also value the ‘outsourced’ aspect of OCIO, which reduces the burden of daily investment oversight, simplifies reporting and analytics, and ensures compliance with governance and regulatory standards. By taking on these responsibilities, Gaard allows organizations to save time and maximize resources, empowering them to focus on their mission.

By taking a holistic view of the portfolio, we align strategic and tactical asset allocation and implement cost-effective, efficient investment strategies. Our proactive approach ensures clients can adapt to changing conditions and stay focused on achieving their long-term goals.

What is evidence-based investment?

Evidence-based investing is an approach grounded in research and data, using proven strategies to guide investment decisions. By relying on empirical evidence rather than speculation, this method aims to optimize returns while managing risk effectively.

What are the advantages of evidence-based investing?

Evidence-based investing provides several key benefits compared to other approaches:

  • Higher Long-Term Returns: This approach often leads to more consistent and higher long-term returns by avoiding market timing and speculative bubbles.
  • Lower Costs: Focusing on long-term strategies reduces unnecessary trading, minimizing fees and trading costs and enhancing net returns.
  • Reduced Risk: Diversified portfolios are less exposed to the volatility and risks associated with speculative or sentiment-driven investing.
  • Predictable Outcomes: Grounded in historical data and peer-reviewed research, this approach offers more confidence in the predictability and reliability of investment outcomes.

Still Have Questions About Us and How We Can Help Your Organization?

Please fill out the form below with any additional inquiries, concerns, or comments. Our expert team will get back to you as soon as possible.

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