Investment Advisor Request for Information (RFI)
The Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula (JLPA•MP) is currently reviewing candidates for Investment Advisor to help manage both our short-term cash and long-term investments.
We are issuing this Request for Information (RFI) to source the best candidate firm. We welcome you to accept our invitation. The closing date for submissions is March 11, 2020.
1. Introduction and Background
The Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula is an exempt organization as described in Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
OUR MISSION: The Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula is an organization of women committed to promoting voluntarism, developing the potential of women and improving communities through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers.
For more than 50 years, the Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula (JLPA•MP) has been serving the needs of our community through the outstanding leadership and effective action of our trained volunteers.
The Junior League of Palo Alto•Mid Peninsula (JLPA•MP) has created this Request for Information (“RFI”) for the purpose of assessing investment and cash management services that can meet JLPA•MP needs. The needs of the JLPA•MP are primarily twofold:
- First, to maximize the interest earned while minimizing risk on the cash reserves.
- Second, to maximize return while managing risk of the restricted and unrestricted investment assets in The Endowment Fund. The Endowment Fund has a required annual distribution of 4% (calculated on an average fund value over the trailing five years).
2. Company Background, Personnel and References
| 2.1 | Provide company’s name and address, the primary RFI contact’s name, phone number, email address and fax number. |
| 2.2 | Provide a brief history of your company including ownership structure, age of company, and any significant developments affecting the company in the last five years, such as changes in ownership, restructuring, personnel changes, reorganization, or philosophy. |
| 2.3 | What is the average size of your client portfolios? |
| 2.4 | What percentage of your clients are non-profit businesses? |
| 2.5 | What percentage of your clients have Endowment Funds? |
| 2.6 | Provide the names, titles and biographies of key individuals who would be directly responsible for providing services to JLPA•MP. Provide information on the roles and the scope of their involvement for this assignment. |
| 2.7 | Provide three references and contact information. |
3. Investment Philosophy
| 3.1 | Briefly describe your investment philosophy and how it has evolved over time. Describe any policy differences in place for non-profit organization portfolios. |
| 3.2 | What are your preferred instruments for organizations such as JLPA•MP? |
4. Process and Portfolio Summary
| 4.1 | Describe your approach to managing risk. |
| 4.2 | Describe your portfolio construction process. |
| 4.3 | Describe your approach to cash management. |
| 4.4 | Describe your company’s portfolio and performance reporting and evaluation services. |
| 4.5 | Please provide a sample of your reporting package. |
5. Fees and Meetings
| 5.1 | Please describe your fee structure including fee structure for assets under management, performance fees, commissions, and custody fees, as well as a description of provided services. |
| 5.2 | What are your investment minimums if any? |
| 5.3 | What special considerations, if any, are available for non-profit organizations? |
| 5.4 | How often, during a calendar or fiscal year, would you expect to meet with our Investment Committee or Board of Directors? |