Beacon Pointe’s Institutional Consulting Services Group attended the 2019 Auxiliary Organizations Association (AOA) Conference for the sixth year in a row. Beacon Pointe returned as a Business Partner to the conference held in Indian Wells, CA.  The Annual AOA Conference is an opportunity for the leaders and staff of auxiliary organizations to learn and collaborate on topics and issues that are crucial to auxiliaries, enterprise operations and the California State University (CSU) system. This year broke yet another record for the most conference attendees and Business Partners supporting the conference.

This conference is just one of the many resources created by the Auxiliary Organizations Association. AOA is made up of the auxiliaries from all 23 campuses in the CSU system. Typically these organizations include foundations that manage contracts and grants or gifts to the university, enterprise corporations that run bookstores and food services, associated student organizations and student unions, and sometimes athletic or housing corporations.

These auxiliaries enhance the capabilities of each CSU campus in areas such as property purchase or management, procurement, investment, and business administration, by providing alternatives to public procedures and undertaking entrepreneurial business risk. They provide the universities with hiring flexibility, cash flow for seed programs, and flexible ways to hold and use funds.

From Beacon Pointe, Michael Dow, CFA, CPA, Chief Investment Officer and Felix Lin, CFA, President, Institutional Consulting Services presented at this year’s Philanthropic Track sessions. Their discussion, “Is Active Management Dead?” is a current hot topic among public university foundations and Chancellor Offices. Michael and Felix discussed the trending debate of active versus passive investment management  as well as the pro and cons of each style. Their presentation was supplemented by thoughts from CSU Foundation Chief Financial Officer, Aaron Moore, who provided additional insight from the staff perspective of managing a nonprofit portfolio in the CSU system.

Beacon Pointe is proud to continue our support for our California State University clients and all auxiliaries in the CSU system. Congratulations to AOA for another successful conference and to the CSU programs positively impacting student lives!