Making Your OCIO Search Easier & More Efficient

Helping You Find the Best in Class Investment Manager

Your OCIO Search Consultants

Let PlanPILOT guide you through the time and effort-consuming process of selecting or evaluating an OCIO provider. We are fully committed to making the search for your OCIO provider easier and more efficient.

ABOUT THE OCIO Model

As the complexity and size of higher education and not-for-profit institutions’ endowments and foundations increase, meeting their investment oversight and administration needs can become a daunting challenge. Institutions have sought to alleviate this fiduciary challenge by outsourcing investment responsibilities to a qualified and competent external source – an Outsourced Chief Investment Officer (OCIO).

Choosing an OCIO provider for the first time or monitoring an existing manager is a lengthy process that requires intensive research and assessment of potential candidates. It is crucial to select the right OCIO that complements your existing institutional infrastructure and will meet your institution’s spending needs and investment goals.

Every institution is different with varying needs regarding their investment program. OCIO providers also vary in their investment approaches, such as the use of indexing, alternatives, and impact investing. An external consultant can assist in matching the institution’s needs and the provider’s approach by bringing an objective, independent and thorough expertise to the evaluation process.

What We Do

PlanPILOT is actively engaged in providing an objective, independent approach to conducting searches for OCIO service providers for clients with endowments/foundations or other asset pools. To maintain independence and avoid any conflicts, PlanPILOT does not provide OCIO management services, we only lead the due diligence efforts over an external provider. Whether selecting an OCIO initially or reviewing an existing OCIO relationship, we lead clients in a RFI or RFP process to best match the OCIO to their institutional objectives, free-up internal resources and satisfy their fiduciary oversight responsibilities for good stewardship.

OCIO Myths Debunked

Will OCIO Limit My Investment Choices?

Many OCIO firms offer access to new managers and alternative asset classes that you might not otherwise have access to, such as emerging market and alternative investments.
You can incorporate flexible choices during investment implementation - from commingled funds or separate accounts to active or passive investment strategies.

Will I lose all control if I outsource?

You can pick the investment advisors you will work with.
You will receive a more direct educational experience regarding your financial assets from the selected advisors.
You can tailor your level of discretion.
Investment guidelines are set by you or your board, who will have total control of all investments.

Will it minimize my role and make it unclear?

You'll be able to focus on making strategic decisions and long-term plans for the organization. Your OCIO will manage the day-to-day so that your in-house talent can focus on helping the institution succeed.
Delegating power to an OCIO only simplifies your role in managing investments. A communicative OCIO will still consult you regarding any major changes because the decision-making power is still yours.

Why Work with us?

Independent, Conflict-Free Advice

We are not affiliated with any investment managers, banks or insurance companies, and we don't offer or sell investment products to investment managers or OCIO providers.

Extensive Experience

We principally serve higher education and not-for-profit institutions. Our expertise will enable us to quickly present opportunities to improve outcomes based on your organization’s needs and the ﬁrms’ capabilities.

Broad Database of Providers

We maintain an extensive database of relationships with OCIO providers, including consultants, asset managers, banks and boutique ﬁrms with different styles and approaches to OCIO services that can match your needs.

Highly Recommended

In our 2018 client satisfaction survey, 100% of our clients indicated they would highly recommend our services to other institutions, along with an overall client satisfaction score of 98%

Exceptional Due Diligence

Whether benchmarking an existing provider's services and fees to peers, or performing an extensive search, we help you meet your fiduciary responsibilities and be the best stewards of donors' contributions.

Excellence in Execution

We are committed to providing the highest quality of services throughout the entire search process, beginning with the assessment and through the transition to the selected OCIO ﬁrm.