S6E1: Endowments and Foundations: The Future of Charitable Giving
In this episode of Financial Perspectives, Tanya Suba-Tang sits down with Bahman Mirzaee—Principal and Endowments and Foundations Segment Leader at Mercer—to discuss the evolving investment landscape for endowments and foundations. From educational institutions and cultural organizations to private and corporate foundations, Bahman explores the unique fiduciary responsibilities these entities hold and how they can steward assets to support their missions for the long term.
Bahman shares how Mercer partners with clients through OCIO services, advisory roles, and direct investment support—highlighting how an outsourced model can help organizations with limited resources enhance their investment capabilities. He also tackles the pressing challenges nonprofits face today, from demographic shifts and market volatility to changes in tax policy that affect charitable giving.
Listeners will come away with practical insights on navigating these complexities and strategies to position their organizations for sustainable growth.
Podcast Guest
Bahman Mirzaee
Bahman Mirzaee is a senior leader at Mercer, where he specializes in helping endowments and foundations achieve their financial goals. He manages the client and business development teams in the Western United States, working to ensure they deliver the best possible outcomes for the organizations they serve.
Prior to joining Mercer, Bahman worked at Vanguard, supporting nonprofit organizations in meeting their investment needs. He has also gained experience in thought leadership, product management, portfolio construction, and institutional investing through roles at Vanguard, PIMCO, and First Foundation Advisors. Bahman holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Irvine, where he graduated with honors, and an MBA from UCLA.
- LinkedIn:
- https://linkedin.com/in/bahman-mirzaee/
