Asset Management
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Support and Flexibility for Churches and Ministries
Wise stewardship of financial resources is essential for the growth of every nonprofit. That’s why WatersEdge provides asset management services to churches, ministries, Christian organizations, and institutions across the United States. We specialize in long-term management of permanent and semi-permanent endowed assets, creating a predictable source of income that grows with inflation.
WatersEdge also offers cash management services that pair high yields with daily liquidity, providing on demand access to resources. For small to mid-size Christian organizations and institutions, WatersEdge offers outsourced asset management services including both turnkey and fully customized solutions. This provides you with the flexibility to choose the level of support your organization needs.
Biblically Responsible Investing
Scripture calls Christ-followers to honor the Lord in every aspect of our lives. This includes how we invest the resources He has entrusted to us. That’s why WatersEdge employs biblically based social screens designed to exclude investment in companies and corporations whose business activities are contrary to Christian values. These screens include:
No Alcohol, Tobacco, or Cannabis
No Pornography, Unbiblical Media & Entertainment, or Gambling
No Abortion or Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Key Benefits
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ENDOWMENT SPECIALISTSWe’ve been managing and growing endowments for more than 75 years — it’s what WatersEdge was created to do. Predictable distributions that grow with inflation mean a dependable income stream your organization can count on. |
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ACCESS TO ALTERNATIVE INVESTMENTSOur Spending Policy Pool includes traditional market exposure plus alternative investments like private equity and venture capital, which historically offer greater returns with less volatility over the long-term. |
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ATTRACTIVE MANAGEMENT FEESWe’ve lowered asset management fees and will continue working to keep them low because fewer fees mean more resources for ministry.
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EXPANDED SERVICESAsset management includes access to WatersEdge estate planning and planned giving services, which can help your organization attract new resources to fund future initiatives. |
“WatersEdge’s management of our endowment accounts has allowed OBU to have dependable returns with predictable distributions, permitting us to guarantee scholarship awards to students during their four years at OBU. The WatersEdge staff truly cares about the impact of endowment distributions on OBU’s ministry.”
Randy Smith
Executive VP for Business & Administration Services, Oklahoma Baptist University | Shawnee, OK
Long-Term Investment Funds
Spending Policy Pool (SPP)
PURPOSE: Exclusively for the investment of endowment trusts and custodial accounts. The SPP is designed for permanent pools of capital that distribute approximately 4.5% annually and grow future distributions by the level of inflation.
GOAL: Capital appreciation and income; target is 8.5% annualized return with less than 80% of public market volatility.
TIME FRAME: Permanent or semi-permanent; the SPP is designed to retain invested principal indefinitely.
ALLOCATION: 70% equity, 20% income-oriented, 10% inflation-oriented; includes illiquid private limited partnerships (private equity, private debt, venture capital, private real estate, private real assets) that enhance return and dampen volatility.
General Investment Pool (GIP)
PURPOSE: Designed for the long-term investment of trusts that desire a return profile similar to the Spending Policy Pool but with higher liquidity.
GOAL: Capital appreciation and income; target is 7.6% annualized return.
TIME FRAME: 5+ years
ALLOCATION: Primarily liquid public securities (70% equity, 20% income-oriented, 10% inflation-oriented); does not include illiquid private limited partnerships.
Cash Management
Institutional Cash Fund
PURPOSE: Provides high yields on cash assets; designed for custodial accounts managed for institutional clients.
GOAL: Capital preservation and income; historically offer greater returns than cash investments available at traditional financial institutions.
TIME FRAME: Assets are available on demand (daily liquidity), though the fund is ideal for long-term investment.
ALLOCATION: Variable; includes a mixture of liquid allocations (cash equivalents, certificates of deposit, treasury bonds, corporate bonds) and long-term allocations (private debt, ministry loans, real estate). The latter allows the fund to earn a higher interest rate than cash equivalents alone.
Custom Funds
In addition to our Spending Policy and General Investment pools, WatersEdge offers customized investment options. These tailored solutions allow you to blend multiple funds in any combination to suit your organization’s unique needs. We believe that asset allocation is the single largest driver of investment risk and performance. That’s why we’ll work together to identify and understand your specific investment objectives in order to design a custom portfolio to protect, strengthen and grow your organization’s assets.
