A blue sky with puffy clouds above Peters Hall.

Investment Office

Managing the endowment for Oberlin’s future.

Photo credit: Matthew Lester

The Investment Office carries out Oberlin’s investment strategy and facilitates the daily operations associated with managing the endowment, which is the financial keystone of the institution.

Investment earnings from Oberlin’s endowment provide essential support for such things as student scholarships, professorships, faculty research, and building maintenance. The endowment grows over time in two ways: through gifts to Oberlin from generous alumni and friends, and through increases in the market value of the pooled investments.

Video series: Understanding the Endowment

Understanding the Endowment

We get questions about Oberlin’s endowment on a regular basis. To help answer the most common of these questions, we’ve created the following video FAQ. We hope this series is helpful in explaining a bit more about Oberlin’s approach to endowment management.

What is an endowment and why does Oberlin have one?

Are there restrictions on how Oberlin’s endowment is used?

Who is responsible for managing and investing Oberlin’s endowment? Who controls the endowment?

What is Oberlin’s approach to endowment management, and how successful has that approach been?

How much does Oberlin spend from the endowment each year, and how is that amount determined?

What role do Oberlin’s values play in how the endowment is invested? How does Oberlin’s investment approach impact climate change? Does Oberlin invest in fossil fuels?

What are the internal and external expenses associated with managing the endowment?