UConn Endowment Returns 12.1% in Fiscal 2024, Plans Major Fundraising

The University of Connecticut on Monday announced that the university’s endowment, managed by the UConn Foundation, achieved a 12.1% return in fiscal 2024. During the period, which ended June 30, UConn’s endowment assets rose by $57 million to $634 million.

Staff of the fund attributed the fiscal year’s returns to technology stocks, as well as diversification strategies. The endowment returned negative 1.07% in fiscal year 2023.

“I want to congratulate the Board of Directors’ Investment Committee and our investment staff for decisions that led to strong growth, generating millions to support students, faculty, innovation, and a vibrant Husky community,” said Amy Yancey, the UConn Foundation’s president and CEO since February, in a statement. “Growing the endowment through sound investment strategy is as important to UConn’s mission and future as raising new gifts.”

The fund achieved a 9.3% annualized return over the past five years. As a part of a strategic 10-year plan adopted last fall, the endowment stated its aim to achieve $1 billion in assets. In its most recent update, UConn announced it aims to achieve $1.5 billion in assets under management in its endowment by 2032 as part of an upcoming fundraising campaign.

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Tags: Amy Yancey, Endowments, UConn, University of Connecticut

The United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund reported a 13.7% investment return for the 12 months ending August 31, raising its asset value to approximately $97.3 billion, according to the UNJSPF’s monthly performance report. Despite the robust gain, the pension fund missed its benchmark’s return of 14.5%.

The pension fund reported 15- and 10-year annualized returns of 7.2% and 6.2%, respectively, as of the end of August, just short of its benchmark’s returns of 7.3% and 6.4%, respectively, during the same time periods. Over the past five and three years, the pension fund returned 7.5% and 2.5%, respectively, compared with its benchmark’s returns of 7.5% and 2.4%, respectively, over the same periods.

Over the longer term, the UNJSPF reported 50- and 40-year gains of 8.8% and 8.7%, respectively, and 30- and 20-year returns of 7.2% and 7%, respectively. Benchmark comparisons for the longer-term returns were not available.

The UNJSPF reported an investment return of 10.53% for the year to September 27. During that period, the pension fund’s public equity investments were by far the top-performing assets, returning 19.46%, with fixed income a distant second with a 4.79% return, followed by a 4.15% return for real assets. The portfolio’s investment cash and Treasury and operation cash returned 4.11% and 4.04%, respectively, while the UNJSPF’s private equity assets gained 2.54%, and its real estate investments lost 1.41%.

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As of September 27, the pension fund’s asset allocation was 44.27% in public equity, 38.18% in fixed income, 8.15% in private equity, 7.27% in real estate, 1.45% in investment cash, 0.41% in real assets and 0.28% in Treasury and operation cash.