Investment Update: Doing More Good with Mercer

In January of this year, the Peninsula Community Foundation partnered with Mercer Investments LLC to manage our investment portfolio. When we announced this new partnership, we promised to share how it would help us better steward your support, leading to increased resources that touch and change more lives in our community.
As our first year with Mercer draws to a close, we are happy to report on the excellent progress made on their watch.
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Strong Performance Drives Greater Impact
The best news for our donors is the strong performance of the investment portfolio. Since inception with Mercer in March 2025, the portfolio has achieved an impressive 10.3% return. This performance directly translates into greater available resources, enabling the Foundation to maximize the good we can do locally.

As of September 30, 2025, our investment portfolio balance stood at $18.2 million (with an additional $439.6k in money market accounts). This growth confirms that our strategic target allocation of 65% equities and 35% fixed income is generating the necessary returns to build a sustainable future for our community’s needs.

Why We Chose Mercer
We selected Mercer for their outstanding record and reputation. They are a recognized industry leader, ranking among the top two Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) firms serving US endowments and foundations. Currently, 1,047 endowment and foundation clients partner with Mercer, representing $53 billion in assets under management.

A key factor in our decision was Mercer's acquisition of Vanguard’s nonprofit investment division. This acquisition brought over 200 seasoned investment professionals who are now part of Mercer's proprietary team. Our Foundation benefits from their deep experience, coupled with access to exclusive Mercer funds.

Meet Our Dedicated OCIO Team
The team overseeing our account serves as our official OCIO (Outsourced Chief Investment Officers). These professionals monitor the portfolio daily, assess market developments, and act as fiduciaries for the Foundation’s assets:

Rebecca (Becky) Farnsworth, CFA 
​Our dedicated Senior Investment Consultant. Becky advises on strategy, asset allocation, and risk.​

​Jerry Corrigan, CFA
Leads the Endowment & Foundation team for the East region, ensuring they drive the outcomes needed to meet our objectives.

Natalie Lee
Serves as a senior investment consultant, responsible for preparing investment research and performing portfolio analytics.

This team deeply understands that investing to build resources to do more good requires a different "mindset and heart set" than simply investing to make more money.
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Stewardship—doing the very best we can with all entrusted to us—is at the heart of the Peninsula Community Foundation’s calling. We are grateful to have our partners at Mercer rising to meet that call with us, ensuring our resources grow to help more people across this community.

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