Topics
Knight Foundation promotes the best ideas to advance journalism, the arts and the success of cities. Here are some of the topics we care about, organized as resources so that you can join us in working for positive change.
Local and Nonprofit News
Trust, media and democracy
Technology and Democracy Research
Freedom of Expression
Public Spaces
Engagement Through the Arts
Arts and Technology
Elections and Voting
Diverse Asset Managers
Libraries
Leadership and Talent
Successful Cities
Digital Storytelling
Starting in 2010, Knight Foundation embarked on an effort to diversify its endowment holdings. As of June 30, 2018, the foundation had invested $830 million with diverse-owned firms, representing 36 percent of its endowment. Below, read more research, insights and news on diversity in asset management.
Woman- and minority-owned firms currently manage 39% of the Knight Foundation endowment
Since 2010, Knight Foundation has intentionally sought diversity in the ownership of the asset management firms where it invests. As of December 31, 2019, the foundation had invested $875 million with firms that are substantially- or majority-owned by women or minorities, representing 39 percent of its endowment.
RESEARCH
report
Diversity of Asset Managers in Philanthropy
A study to assess the representation of women and racial or ethnic minorities among investment firms used by the country’s top 50 charitable foundations
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February 12, 2020
Diversity of Asset Managers in Philanthropy
report
Diversifying Investments: A Study of Ownership Diversity and Performance in the Asset Management Industry
Research across a multitude of fields and industries has identified the potential economic and social benefits of diversity. Yet the asset management industry continues to struggle with a lack of diversity. […]
January 28, 2019
Diversifying Investments: A Study of Ownership Diversity and Performance in the Asset Management Industry
report
Diversifying Investments
A study of ownership diversity in the asset management industry
May 3, 2017
Diversifying InvestmentsREFLECTIONS FROM THE FIELD
article
Aligning investments with our mission: Diversifying Investment Managers
Since its founding in 1940, the staff and trustees of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund have increasingly recognized how our philanthropic efforts have influence beyond just grant dollars. The RBF, therefore, has taken the position that all its activities and resources must be utilized for meaningful progress toward its mission to advance social change, which contributes to a more just, sustainable and peaceful world.[…]
Aligning investments with our mission: Diversifying Investment Managers
article
Diversification can generate better returns
Eight years ago, Silicon Valley Community Foundation began examining the diversity of our staff, grantees, board members and our community, prompting us to also look closely at our investment portfolio. We discovered that it clearly lacked diversity. […]
Diversification can generate better returns
article
Investing in Diverse Asset Managers: A Performance Imperative
The investment team at Carnegie Corporation of New York is tasked with maximizing our endowment’s returns so that the grantmaking foundation established by Andrew Carnegie more than 100 years ago can fulfill its mission of doing “real and permanent good in this world.” […]
Investing in Diverse Asset Managers: A Performance ImperativeFURTHER READING
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Diverse Asset Managers: Opportunities for inclusion
Research shows firms owned by women and minorities manage just 1.3 percent of assets in the $69 trillion asset management industry, though their performance is not statistically different from the industry as a whole, Knight Foundation’s chief financial officer Juan Martinez told the U.S. House Finance Committee’s Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion. In fact, a […]
June 25, 2019
Diverse Asset Managers: Opportunities for inclusion
article
Op-Ed: Diversity Pays
Women- and minority-owned companies manage more than a third of the Knight Foundation’s endowment. It’s paying off. Several years ago, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation decided to start investing portions of our multi-billion-dollar endowment with firms owned and managed by women […]
June 12, 2019
Op-Ed: Diversity Pays
article
An Intolerance of Failure? Evidence from U.S. Private Equity
In our 2018 Diverse Asset Management Study (found here), we show that the asset management industry is characterized by extremely low levels of diversity in ownership. Overall, diverse-owned managers – defined as asset managers with significant female or ethnic minority ownership […]
June 11, 2019
An Intolerance of Failure? Evidence from U.S. Private Equity