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Blog Post
Rethinking Endowment Return Assumptions: Long-Term Planning in a Constrained Environment
May 26, 2026 -
Many colleges, universities, and nonprofit institutions built long-term endowment portfolios on assumptions about investment returns, donor giving, and federal support that once enabled confident long-range planning. They often set those assumptions during periods of lower interest rates, expanding access to …
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Blog Post
Data Readiness Is the AI Work: A Case for Starting with Advancement
May 22, 2026 -
University leaders weighing where to invest in transformational artificial intelligence (AI) are facing a question of sequencing as much as strategy. The pressure to “do something with AI” is real, and the temptation is to invest where the headlines are …
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Blog Post
AGB President & CEO Update: Advancing Governance Integrity and Accountability
May 06, 2026 -
You are viewing the Institution and Systems version of this CEO Update. An Institutionally Related Foundation version is also available.
This month, AGB is advancing a set of initiatives that go to the heart of our mission: strengthening governance to ensure …
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Blog Post
Top Strategic Issues for Boards 2026–2027
May 04, 2026 -
The arrival of spring coincides with the release of the latest edition of AGB’s flagship publication, Top Strategic Issues for Boards. The new edition for 2026–2027 is the latest in a long series of biennial publications that frame the most …
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Blog Post
Mental Wellness in Tumultuous Times: Protecting Your Institution’s Most Important Assets
April 27, 2026 -
This AGB blog post is the first in a series on mental wellness in higher education.
It might have been unthinkable until recently that the federal government would strip critical research funding, forbid attendance by certain types of students, dismantle a …
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Blog Post
Keeping the Lights On: A New Challenge?
April 15, 2026 -
The NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments® (NCSE) has shown over the years that operating budgets are claiming a greater share of annual endowment spending. That trend continued in the 2025 study, released in February 2026. Is the most recent jump an …
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Blog Post
AGB President & CEO Update: Innovation in Action: Governing for What’s Next
April 09, 2026 -
You are viewing the Institutions and Systems version of this CEO Update. An Institutionally Related Foundations version is also available.
As we return from the 2026 National Conference on Trusteeship (NCT), which just wrapped up in Denver, one message resonates clearly: …
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Blog Post
Questions for Boards Heard at the National Conference on Trusteeship
April 06, 2026 -
In late March, AGB hosted the annual National Conference on Trusteeship, which brought together board chairs, trustees, presidents/chief executives, board professionals, and other experts from across the higher education sector.
As a member of the AGB Consulting team, I’m in the …
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Blog Post
Effective Board and Committee Meetings
March 24, 2026 -
Organized, collaborative, and well-run meetings are necessary for governing boards to maintain the appropriate strategic focus and fulfill their missions to support student success, foster innovation and research, and steward resources effectively. A successful meeting addresses the right topics and …
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Blog Post
The Governance Imperative of Fund Stewardship: A Potential Blind Spot in Higher Education
March 13, 2026 -
Colleges and universities are navigating one of the most complex operating environments in recent history. Demographic shifts, financial pressures, and heightened scrutiny around institutional value are forcing boards and leadership teams to reexamine how they define sustainability and accountability.
At the …
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