Endowment and Foundation Services
Helping Endowments and Foundations Achieve Their Mission
Endowments and foundations are driven by a mission to help change the world by supporting thriving communities. Fulfilling that mission requires a long-term, sustainable, diversified, and disciplined investment strategy that evolves with market conditions and your organization’s changing needs.
Let Mercer Advisors be your partner in helping your nonprofit make an impact in the communities you serve. Click on one of the options to contact, talk, or connect with us and we’ll get in touch with you shortly.
Philanthropy-Centered Fiduciary Support
The work your organization does is vital, and it demands a singular focus on achieving long-term, sustainable results. Our seasoned investment team is made up of investment advisors who have spent decades partnering with endowments and foundations and serving on the nonprofit boards in their own communities.
In our roles as nonprofit board leaders and directors, we’ve had to make many of the same decisions you do. As a result, when you partner with us you can expect more – beyond investment management and asset allocation, investment policy statements, and spending policy analysis:
- Philanthropic guidance to donors on how to include your organization in their legacy giving through charitable remainder or lead trusts, donor advised funds, and other estate planning strategies.
- Fundraising strategies to help your organization build its endowment/foundation capacity by introducing new opportunities for giving that your donors may not have previously embraced, such as donating appreciated stock or alternative assets, in addition to helping advise you on targeting new donors, such as millennials.
- Ongoing Board education and guidance on best practices in governance to prepare members to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities in compliance with state and uniform code regulatory requirements.
- Knowledgeable fiduciary support, including long-term financial planning strategies that encompass your organization’s cash flow and grant-making cycle, along with comprehensive reporting to your Board and finance committee.
Investment Strategies with Purpose
The purpose of foundation investing is to achieve the organization’s ultimate mission and goals. Donors give money to a non-profit because of its mission, and because they trust their funds will be invested in alignment with the causes and communities your organization serves.
We work with our clients to focus on how the organization’s purpose is furthered by the investment and stewardship of its endowment, which means:
Endowments and foundations have investing timelines that extend decades, even centuries. Philanthropy isn’t only about the here and now, it’s about building strong foundations for future generations to thrive. Our investing strategies and comprehensive advice are constructed to help secure the future of your organization and the communities you serve.
Our firm’s size, and nimble investment approach, provides us pricing leverage relative to many industry peers. Mercer Advisors’ model portfolios generally have low internal expense ratios with a median ratio of 13bps versus 50bps for industry peers. *
Our portfolio structure is designed to minimize risk, endure market ups and downs, and help your organization continue its commitment to the community. We help you to prepare for those times when the market is volatile and contributions decline while need increases, by building portfolios aligned with your long-term goals, not just your immediate needs. And by building a portfolio that harmonizes with your organization’s mission.
Bill Berg
Sr. Wealth Advisor
Bill Berg
Sr. Wealth Advisor
As a Senior Wealth Advisor, Bill manages client portfolios and assists clients in meeting their wealth management objectives. Prior to joining Mercer Advisors, Bill directed research for a venture capital investment banking firm. He started his career as a corporate and securities attorney with Stoel Rives LLP. He went on to found Sigma Investment Management Company in Portland, Oregon in 1992. Bill received undergraduate and graduate degrees in economics from Stanford University and a law degree from Harvard Law School. Bill sits on the board, executive committee, and investment committee of each of the Oregon Community Foundation and the Oregon Health & Science University Foundation, as well as on the investment committee of The Ford Family Foundation.
Mark Eshman
Director of Endowments and Foundations Group, Sr. Wealth Advisor
Mark Eshman
Director of Endowments and Foundations Group, Sr. Wealth Advisor
Prior to joining Mercer Advisors, Mark was Co-Founder, Chairman, and Chief Investment Officer of ClearRock Capital. He began his career in 1982 at Drexel, Burnham, Lambert in Beverly Hills. Mark is passionate about his clients’ financial well-being, working with families and non-profit organizations to ensure their peace of mind. Mark cares deeply about his community: he currently serves on the Executive Committee of The Argyros Performing Arts Center in Ketchum, Idaho and previously served on the Executive Committee for HomeRise in San Francisco. He earned an A.B. from Duke University.
Drew Harper
Sr. Wealth Advisor
Drew Harper
Sr. Wealth Advisor
CFA®, CFP®, CAIA®
Drew began his wealth management career in 2006. Before joining Mercer Advisors in 2020, he served with M.J. Smith and Associates and Foos Financial Group. Drew’s areas of expertise include high-net-worth financial planning, investment management, estate planning, and insurance strategies.
Drew enjoys helping clients understand their options, gain confidence in their decisions, and feel reassured. He is committed to providing quality advice and transparency. Drew holds a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from the Metropolitan State University of Denver. He is a Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA) charter holder and a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® professional.
Outside of work, Drew enjoys outdoor activities such as running, hiking, and skiing. He is also an avid fan of all Colorado sports teams and enjoys reading, and playing card and board games. Additionally, Drew volunteers at his local church, QuietWaters Ministries.
Emily Messegee
Wealth Advisor, Sr. Director
Emily Messegee
Wealth Advisor, Sr. Director
Emily leads a national team of advisors and directors at Mercer Advisors, where she is dedicated to helping individuals and families achieve Economic Freedom™. She specializes in strategic financial planning, philanthropic giving, and estate planning, and is a passionate advocate for women’s financial empowerment through her leadership in Mercer Advisors’ internal InvestHERS initiative.
Emily began her career in financial services in 2012 and joined Mercer Advisors in 2020 through the acquisition of Summit Wealth Advisors. Her inspiration to enter the industry came from her experience working at a bank during college, where she saw firsthand how responsible financial management can transform lives. She holds a B.A. in studio art and fashion merchandising from California State University–Long Beach and an MBA from the University of Colorado Denver. She is also a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® Professional.
A former Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco, Emily remains deeply engaged in service. She currently serves with the Junior League of Denver, the Rotary Club of Summit County, the Guatemalan Literacy Project, and The Summit Foundation.
An avid outdoor enthusiast, Emily is a retired endurance athlete and top female finisher of the Leadville Trail 100 Run. She enjoys yoga and exploring new hobbies, most recently earning certifications through the American Sailing Association. Emily considers Colorado her playground and embraces all the adventure it has to offer.
Tunia Mycyk
Regional Vice President
Tunia Mycyk
Regional Vice President
AIF® CRPS®
Tunia specializes in building strong relationships with advisors, strategic partners, businesses, endowments, and foundations. She is passionate about meeting new people, hearing their stories, and learning something new every day. A great day for Tunia is when she can make someone smile or laugh.
Committed to guiding clients to help them achieve their financial aspirations, she began her journey in the financial services industry in 2002 and joined Mercer Advisors in 2023. Tunia has held pivotal leadership roles at organizations such as AssetMark, Mesirow Financial, and Betterment.
She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Loyola University of Chicago and a certificate of achievement from Columbia Business School’s Executive Leadership Program. Tunia is certified as an Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) and Chartered Retirement Plans Specialist (CRPS®) and holds FINRA Series 63 and 65 licenses.
Residing in Chicago, Tunia enjoys biking, cooking, and singing jazz. Traveling is a true passion for her, as she loves seeing the world and experiencing different cultures. She actively engages with her community, including serving as an Executive Board member at the Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art.
Tunia speaks Ukrainian fluently and has been a resident of Chicago for more than 30 years, reveling in the city’s great food, music, museums, and theater.
Mike Squier
Sr. Wealth Advisor
Mike Squier
Sr. Wealth Advisor
CFP®, ChFC®, MBA
Mike has more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Before joining Mercer Advisors in 2023, he spent 17 years at The Vanguard Group, where he served high-net-worth individuals, families, and large nonprofit organizations.
Mike takes an integrated approach to wealth management, integrating financial planning, investment strategy, cash-flow analysis, and tax and estate planning. He is enthusiastic about helping clients achieve their unique financial goals and takes pride in seeing a well-crafted plan come to life.
In addition to his work with individuals and families, Mike serves as an outsourced chief investment officer for local nonprofits. He values the opportunity to collaborate with mission-driven leaders and finds it deeply rewarding to contribute to positive change in the Pacific Northwest.
Mike holds a B.A. in psychology from California State University, Long Beach, and an MBA from Colorado State University. He is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional and holds the Chartered Financial Consultant® designation. He also shares his expertise as an adjunct professor at New York University, where he teaches investment and wealth management.
Outside of work, Mike enjoys exploring the outdoors with his family and taking in the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.
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* Please Note: Limitations. Expense ratio data based upon recognized industry sources. Mercer Advisors and peer firm investment portfolio fees refer to the median operating expense ratios. Mercer Advisors’ investment portfolio fee applies only to the firm’s standard model portfolio. Fees discussed do not account for investment advisory fees or transaction charges that a client may typically incur in the management of their investment portfolio. Actual client fees will vary. No portion of the above should be construed as any guarantee that an investor will experience a certain level of results or satisfaction if Mercer Advisors is engaged, or continues to be engaged, to provide investment advisory services. Lower expense ratios are also no assurance of a satisfactory advisory experience or positive investment performance results. Please Also Note: Different types of investments involve varying degrees of risk. Therefore, it should not be assumed that future performance of any specific investment or investment strategy (including the investments and/or investment strategies recommended and/or undertaken by Mercer Advisors) or any planning or consulting services, will be profitable, equal any historical performance level(s), or prove successful. A copy of our current written disclosure Brochure discussing our advisory services and fees continues to remain available upon request or at merceradvisors.com.
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