HighGround Advisors

What HighGround Advisors does

HighGround Advisors is a Texas-incorporated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1930 (originally as the Baptist Foundation of Texas) that provides investment management, charitable gift planning, donor-advised fund administration, minerals management, and real estate management services to nonprofit organizations, churches, ministries, and charitably minded individuals and families. As of the available data it manages $3.6 billion in assets across 580+ client organizations and 7,640 accounts, including over 3.6 million gross mineral acres and 7,000+ producing oil and gas properties spanning 30 U.S. states and Canada. The firm's wholly-owned subsidiary, HighGround Trust Company (chartered 1996 by the Texas Department of Banking), administers charitable trusts and gift annuity accounts.

The core platform is an Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO) model delivered through a manager-of-managers architecture that allocates across 23+ proprietary multi-asset class funds (Capstone, Keystone, Cornerstone, Equity Index, Mid Cap, Small Cap, International, Global, Private Equity, Bond, Enhanced Cash, Real Estate, Liquid Real Assets, Private Credit, Private Infrastructure, Marketable Alternatives, and DAF-specific Growth/Balanced/Conservative funds) sub-advised by 30+ institutional managers including PIMCO, Dodge & Cox, Northern Trust Asset Management, Vaughan Nelson, Loomis Sayles, Boston Partners, Westfield Capital, MFS Institutional, and Arrowstreet Capital. A distinguishing feature is biblically responsible investment screening that excludes alcohol, tobacco, gaming, adult entertainment, recreational cannabis, abortion, and other activities inconsistent with Christian values. Operational infrastructure relies on Northern Trust as custodian, SS&C Innovest for trust accounting, and a self-service Salesforce-based Online DAF Portal for donors.

HighGround generates revenue primarily through asset management fees (expense ratios deducted daily from fund NAVs), account administration fees for sub-accounting, consolidated reporting, and tax preparation, and operating expenses on investment funds; notably, no administrative fees are charged on donor-advised funds to maximize charitable impact. Distribution is exclusively direct, executed through a Client Solutions Team and senior account managers serving enterprise nonprofit and church clients, supplemented by event sponsorships (CESA Symposium, National Association of Charitable Gift Planners Conference), thought-leadership content (blog, quarterly newsletter, webinars), and a self-serve DAF portal for individual donors.

Name

HighGround Advisors

Legal name

HighGround Advisors

Website

https://highgroundadvisors.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1930

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HighGround Advisors is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1930 that provides OCIO investment management, charitable gift planning, donor-advised funds, minerals and real estate management to 580+ nonprofits, churches, and charitably minded families across $3.6 billion in assets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Investment Management

NAICS

Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (52394), Open-End Investment Funds (525910), Other Financial Vehicles (52599), Funds, Trusts, and Other Financial Vehicles (525)

SIC

Investment Advice (6282), Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)

akta.pro primary industry

Institutional Consulting RIAs (OCIO/Endowments/Foundations/Pensions) (FSAAACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Philanthropy & Foundations Advisory (Donor-Advised Funds, Endowments) (FSAAABAH), Advisory Portfolio Management (Non-Discretionary) (FSAAABAD)

Keywords

• Nonprofit investment management
• Outsourced chief investment officer
• Donor-advised fund services
• Charitable gift planning
• Endowment management

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Asset Management Fees: Fees charged for investment management services based on assets under management across endowment funds, separate accounts, and proprietary investment funds
2. Account Administration Fees: Fees for sub-accounting, consolidated reporting, tax preparation, and account support services. Note: No administrative fees charged on donor-advised funds to maximize charitable impact
3. Investment Fund Operating Expenses: Cost of investment management and operating expenses deducted daily from net asset value of investment funds, expressed as expense ratios

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HighGround Advisors provides nonprofit-focused investment management, charitable gift planning, and account support services to 580+ nonprofit organizations, churches, ministries, and charitably minded individuals. The firm manages $3.6 billion across 23 proprietary multi-asset class investment funds using a manager-of-managers OCIO model with 30+ institutional subadvisors, combined with biblically responsible investment screening. Complementary services include donor-advised funds, charitable trusts and gift annuities, sub-accounting, tax preparation, minerals management, and real estate management.

Product overview

HighGround Advisors is a nonprofit investment management and trust services company offering a comprehensive suite of services including Asset Management (with 23 proprietary investment funds across multi-asset, equity, fixed income, real assets, private markets, and marketable alternatives), Gift Planning (charitable gift vehicles and trust administration), Account Support Services (sub-accounting, reporting, tax preparation), and Donor-Advised Funds. The firm manages $3.6 billion in assets for over 580 nonprofit clients. Its subsidiary, HighGround Trust Company (chartered 1996), handles charitable trust and gift annuity administration. The investment platform operates as an OCIO model using a manager-of-managers approach with over 30 institutional investment subadvisors, serving endowments, churches, ministries, and charitably minded individuals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Asset Management Services Investment and asset management services for nonprofits including endowment management, OCIO capabilities, manager-of-managers investment approach using over 30 institutional investment managers, minerals management, and real estate management.
• Gift Planning Services Charitable gift planning services including gift development, administration, education, donor relations, and technical resources. Structures personalized gift plans for donors including charitable remainder trusts, gift annuities, and donor-advised funds.
• Account Support Services Account administration services including sub-accounting, consolidated reporting, tax preparation and filing, and audit support for nonprofits, churches, and individual donors.
• Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) Charitable giving accounts enabling donors to give, grow, and grant. Allows tax-deductible contributions of cash or noncash assets that grow tax-free, with donors recommending grants to qualified charities.
• HighGround Capstone Fund Primary commingled multi-asset class investment fund for long-term investment assets with global diversification across public equity, fixed income, and alternative investments.
• HighGround Keystone Fund Multi-asset class endowment fund using only public equity and fixed income funds with no exposure to illiquid or semi-liquid alternative investments.
• HighGround Cornerstone Fund Multi-asset class endowment fund employing only passively managed strategies using public equity funds and third-party mutual funds with no alternative investments.
• HighGround Equity Index Fund

Quantifiable outcome

• Manages $3.6 billion in assets for 580+ nonprofit organizations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northern Trust CompanycoreTechnology or IntegrationCustodian of assets for all HighGround clients. Settles portfolio trades, calculates fund NAVs, performs daily reconciliation, and serves as securities lending agent. Founded 1889 with $14.8 trillion in assets under custody (as of March 2021).
• SS&C InnovestcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of trust accounting system with SOC 1 examination for annual review. Risk advisory committee provides risk management insight on transactions and best practices.
• Grant ThorntoncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPerforms annual financial statement audit and SOC 1 examination for HighGround Funds and underlying financial transactions.
• 30+ Institutional Investment ManagerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld-class investment managers including Vaughan Nelson, Loomis Sayles, Boston Partners, Westfield Capital, MFS Institutional, Arrowstreet Capital, Dodge & Cox, PIMCO, and others providing specialized investment strategies across equity, fixed income, alternatives, and real assets.
• Mission AdvancementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on article exploring how complex assets can play a strategic role in nonprofit fundraising initiatives.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/highgroundadvisors
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/highground-advisors
• Instagraminstagram.com/highgroundadvisors
• Xx.com/highgroundadv

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles28 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about HighGround Advisors