Prime Capital Financial Launches Endowments and Foundations Practice, Appoints Mark Hays as President
Prime Capital Financial has announced the launch of a new Endowments and Foundations practice designed to provide specialized investment management, impact strategy and governance support to mission-driven organizations. The firm has appointed Mark Hays as president of the new practice, bringing nearly two decades of institutional investment and mission-aligned investing experience to the role.
The new practice is intended to serve a broad range of organizations, including family foundations, museums, educational institutions, health-focused foundations and nonprofit endowments. Through the initiative, Prime Capital Financial aims to provide these organizations with access to institutional-caliber investment expertise while maintaining a high level of personalized attention and strategic support.
The launch represents an expansion of Prime Capital Financial’s institutional capabilities and reflects the firm’s focus on organizations that manage capital in pursuit of both financial and mission-related objectives.
For endowments and foundations, investment management often involves considerations that extend beyond traditional portfolio construction. Organizations must balance long-term financial sustainability with spending requirements, fiduciary responsibilities, governance structures and, in many cases, a desire to align their capital with their broader social or institutional mission.
Prime Capital Financial’s new practice is structured to address those considerations through three primary areas: institutional investment management and outsourced chief investment officer, or OCIO, services; impact strategy and mission alignment; and foundation governance and philanthropic advisory.
Mark Hays Named President of New Practice
Hays brings extensive experience in institutional and mission-aligned investing to Prime Capital Financial. His career includes positions at Cambridge Associates and J.P. Morgan Asset Management, giving him experience across institutional investment management and advisory environments.
Most recently, Hays spent nearly seven years at Glenmede, where he served as Managing Director and Director of Sustainable Investing. During his tenure, he built, developed and led the firm’s mission-aligned investing platform.
In that role, Hays advised a range of clients, including endowments, foundations, families and institutions, on investment and impact strategies. His background provides a direct connection to the needs of the organizations Prime Capital Financial is targeting through its new practice.
The firm’s leadership sees Hays’ experience as an important component of its plans to develop the practice into a significant national offering.
“Endowments and foundations deserve a true partner who can match institutional-caliber expertise with real personal attention, and we’ve already been building that capability across our platform,” said Glenn Spencer, chief executive officer of Prime Capital Financial.
“Mark gives us the leadership to bring it all together, scale it, and deliver it to organizations at a level few firms in this space can match,” Spencer added.
Hays’ appointment comes as Prime Capital Financial seeks to combine its existing institutional investment capabilities and centralized resources with dedicated leadership focused specifically on endowments and foundations.
Addressing the Needs of Mission-Driven Organizations
Endowments and foundations operate differently from many traditional investment clients because their capital is often connected directly to an organization’s long-term purpose.
A foundation may need to generate sustainable investment returns to support grants and charitable programs, while an educational institution may rely on endowment assets to help fund programs and operations over extended periods. Museums, healthcare-focused foundations and other nonprofit organizations can have similarly complex financial requirements.
At the same time, these organizations frequently operate with relatively small internal investment teams. As a result, they may require external expertise to support portfolio construction, manager selection, risk oversight, reporting and governance.
Prime Capital Financial’s new practice is particularly focused on small and mid-sized endowments and foundations, including organizations with approximately $5 million to $250 million in assets.
These organizations can face many of the same investment and governance challenges as much larger institutions, despite having fewer internal resources. They may need sophisticated investment strategies, but also require direct access to experienced professionals who can understand their specific objectives and constraints.
The new practice is designed to provide that combination of institutional expertise and personalized service.
Three-Pillar Approach
Prime Capital Financial’s Endowments and Foundations practice will operate around three core pillars.
The first is institutional investment management and OCIO services. This area will cover key elements of investment management, including asset allocation, investment manager selection, risk analysis and ongoing reporting.
For organizations that do not have extensive internal investment resources, an OCIO structure can provide access to external professionals who help oversee the investment program. This can allow trustees, boards and investment committees to focus on broader organizational priorities while maintaining appropriate oversight of their investment portfolios.
Prime Capital Financial intends to use its existing institutional investment capabilities and centralized resources to support this part of the practice.
The second pillar is impact strategy and mission alignment.
Many foundations and endowments are increasingly interested in understanding how their investment capital relates to their organizational values. Mission-aligned investing can involve efforts to incorporate an organization’s objectives into portfolio decisions while maintaining an appropriate focus on investment discipline, risk management and fiduciary responsibility.
The new practice will help organizations translate their values into investment portfolios and grantmaking strategies. The goal is not to separate financial considerations from mission objectives but to help organizations evaluate how the two can work together within an overall investment framework.
The third pillar is foundation governance and philanthropic advisory.
Strong governance can be particularly important for organizations whose investment decisions are overseen by boards, trustees or investment committees. Prime Capital Financial’s new practice will support organizations in establishing or strengthening these structures, improving governance processes and creating greater structure around philanthropic strategy and operations.
This approach recognizes that effective investment management involves more than selecting assets and managers. Clear decision-making processes, defined responsibilities and effective oversight can also contribute to the long-term sustainability of an institution.
Increasing Complexity for Endowments and Foundations
The launch comes as small and mid-sized endowments and foundations face increasingly complex investment markets and growing governance and reporting expectations.
Organizations in the $5 million to $250 million asset range may have significant responsibilities associated with managing their capital, but they may not have the staffing or resources available to larger institutions.
Investment markets themselves have also become more complicated, requiring organizations to consider portfolio diversification, risk management, manager oversight and changing economic conditions.
At the same time, foundations and endowments may need to demonstrate that their investment programs are consistent with their fiduciary responsibilities and organizational objectives.
These pressures can increase demand for outside investment expertise.
Prime Capital Financial believes many organizations are looking for external partners that can provide customized solutions while allowing them to maintain meaningful access to senior professionals.
The new practice is intended to address this gap by combining institutional investment resources with a dedicated team focused on mission-driven organizations.
Hays Brings Mission-Aligned Investing Experience
Hays’ professional background is closely connected to the strategic direction of the new practice.
During his time at Glenmede, he led the firm’s mission-aligned investing platform and worked with endowments, foundations, families and institutions on investment and impact strategies.
That experience is particularly relevant as organizations increasingly consider the relationship between financial capital and their broader missions.
“My North Star has always been how capital can be used to create lasting impact,” Hays said.
He added that he was attracted to Prime Capital Financial because of the firm’s people, entrepreneurial culture and the opportunity to build a distinctive offering for mission-driven organizations.
“I look forward to helping endowments and foundations align capital, mission and governance to advance their long-term goals,” Hays said.
His comments highlight the broader philosophy behind the new practice. Rather than treating investment management, organizational mission and governance as separate issues, Prime Capital Financial intends to bring them together within a unified advisory framework.
Combining Investment Management and Governance
For foundations and endowments, investment decisions can have consequences well beyond portfolio performance.
Investment assets may provide funding for scholarships, research, community programs, healthcare initiatives, cultural institutions and charitable activities. As a result, maintaining the long-term purchasing power and sustainability of those assets can be critical to fulfilling an organization’s mission.
Governance plays an equally important role.
Boards and investment committees must often establish policies, oversee investment managers, review performance and ensure that the organization remains aligned with its fiduciary responsibilities.
Prime Capital Financial’s three-pillar model is intended to address these interconnected requirements.
By combining investment management, impact strategy and governance advisory, the firm aims to provide organizations with a more comprehensive resource rather than focusing solely on portfolio construction.
Plans to Build a National Practice
Hays will initially draw on Prime Capital Financial’s existing institutional investment experience and centralized resources across the firm’s platform.
The company plans to add dedicated staff to the Endowments and Foundations practice during the fall and continue expanding the team into 2027.
The planned investment in personnel reflects Prime Capital Financial’s intention to build the practice over the long term rather than treating the launch as a standalone initiative.
As the team grows, the firm expects to expand its ability to serve organizations across different sectors and asset sizes while maintaining the personalized approach that it believes is important for smaller and mid-sized institutions.
The development of a dedicated national practice could also allow Prime Capital Financial to establish a more consistent framework for working with organizations that have similar investment, governance and mission-related challenges.
Supporting Long-Term Institutional Objectives
The launch of the Endowments and Foundations practice reflects a broader shift in the way many mission-driven organizations approach their capital.
Investment portfolios increasingly need to be evaluated not only in terms of returns and risk but also in relation to spending needs, organizational priorities, governance responsibilities and long-term sustainability.
For a foundation, investment capital can provide the financial foundation for philanthropic activities. For a museum or educational institution, an endowment can support programs and operations over multiple generations. For a health-focused foundation, investment assets can help sustain initiatives tied to community and healthcare objectives.
These organizations therefore need investment strategies that are designed around their specific circumstances.
Prime Capital Financial’s new practice seeks to provide that customization while giving clients access to institutional-level investment resources.
The firm also intends to maintain a focus on direct relationships between organizations and senior professionals. This is particularly relevant for smaller institutions that may not have large internal investment departments and therefore rely heavily on their external advisors.
With the launch of its Endowments and Foundations practice and the appointment of Mark Hays as president, Prime Capital Financial is expanding its focus on organizations that manage capital in support of long-term institutional and philanthropic objectives.
The practice brings together three complementary areas: institutional investment management and OCIO services, impact strategy and mission alignment, and governance and philanthropic advisory.
Its target market includes family foundations, museums, educational institutions, health-focused foundations and nonprofit endowments, with particular attention to organizations managing approximately $5 million to $250 million in assets.
Hays’ nearly two decades of experience across institutional and mission-aligned investing, including his leadership of Glenmede’s mission-aligned investing platform, provides the new practice with specialized expertise as it begins operations.
Prime Capital Financial plans to build on its existing institutional capabilities, add dedicated staff and continue expanding the practice into 2027.
For the endowments and foundations sector, the initiative reflects the growing importance of combining investment expertise with mission alignment and strong governance. By bringing these capabilities together under a dedicated practice, Prime Capital Financial is positioning itself to serve organizations seeking more customized support as they navigate complex markets, evolving fiduciary expectations and the need to sustain their missions over the long term.
The firm’s investment in the new practice also underscores the continuing role of specialized institutional advisors in helping smaller and mid-sized organizations access resources and expertise that may otherwise be difficult to maintain internally.
As Prime Capital Financial develops the practice, its emphasis on investment management, impact strategy and governance is expected to remain central to its effort to create a differentiated offering for mission-driven organizations and help them align their capital with their long-term financial and organizational goals.
Source link: https://www.businesswire.com
