European Foundation Financial and Investment Officers Group

This group of senior financial and investment officers of large independent European foundations aims to advance the knowledge on the investment environment and practice of foundations across Europe and further the professionalism of its members.

Focus areas

  • Investment governance
  • Endowment asset management
  • Financial market trends
  • Global economic outlook

 

Activities

  • Two meetings per year
  • Annual members’ survey on investment policies and practice
  • Issue-specific surveys on key aspects of foundation investments (e.g. investment governance, spending policy)
  • Building an information base on foundation investments
  • Ongoing exchange with the US-based Foundation Financial Officers Group (FFOG), including a joint conference every five years

Steering Committee (Chair – Goncalo Rocha, Fundacao Calouste Gulbenkian)

ITA
Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo
PRT
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian
GBR
Wellcome Trust

The idea of creating a platform for European foundation financial officers to address specific European investment issues was tabled by members of Philea, with the Van Leer Group Foundation leading the process towards the establishment of EFFIO in 2002. EFFIO currently has 27 Members from 11 countries with a collective asset base of approximately €100 billion.

 

Important speakers and contributors

EFFIO meetings strike a balance between topical discussions on investment topics and integrated discussions on broader macro topics. While the value proposition of EFFIO is the safe and trusted environment it offers to its members to engage in candid discussions, external experts are regularly invited by the group to exchange ideas on a range of pressing topics.

Below is a list of selected celebrated thinkers and leaders from industry, academia, international organisations, think tanks and civil society, who have contributed to recent EFFIO meetings:

EFFIO meetings have also featured representatives from the European institutions.

Contact

Stefanos Oikonomou
Head of Programmes – Peer-Exchanges
stefanos.oikonomou@philea.eu
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