The Maples Group is to support the Leon Levy Foundation, a private philanthropic foundation with USD450 million in assets. The New York-based foundation’s mission is to continue the legacy of Leon Levy, a Wall Street investor and philanthropist, and supports development in six key areas, which include understanding the ancient world, arts and humanities, preservation of nature and gardens, neuroscience research, human rights and Jewish culture.
In 2018, the Leon Levy Foundation decided to evaluate its operational platform with the goal of streamlining processes and improving its access to highly reliable portfolio and investment data in an intuitive and contextualised manner. The Leon Levy Foundation engaged the Group to provide a consolidated operational and technology platform for data aggregation, portfolio accounting and portfolio reporting. During on-boarding, the Group worked collaboratively to customise the platform to the specific requirements of the Leon Levy Foundation’s team. Over the course of 2020, the Group has recommended a range of new analytics and reporting and has tailored the platform accordingly. This has included incorporating additional processes into the platform such as portfolio audit support as well as enhanced reporting of performance and risk to help navigate the changing investment landscape due to the impact of Covid-19.
This approach has enabled the Leon Levy Foundation to outsource the maintenance of the foundation’s portfolio books and records across a broad array of asset classes. In addition, it has allowed the Leon Levy Foundation to meaningfully analyse its investments in a timely manner while better understanding the strategies to which it has allocated capital. With this information, the foundation and its board have been able to pursue a more transparent and informed investment decision-making process, ensuring it is well-positioned to meet its ongoing philanthropic and operational commitments.
“The Maples Group is one of the most knowledgeable, approachable and innovative service providers we have worked with and has truly embraced its role as our partner,” says Rob Goldrich, President and Chief Financial Officer of the Leon Levy Foundation. “They have a deep understanding and appreciation of our needs and the nuances of our operations and has become a seamless extension of our team.”
“Through a consultative approach and commitment to developing customised solutions, we have developed a proven platform that has enhanced the operational infrastructure of some of the world’s leading foundations, endowments, pension funds, family offices and OCIOs,” says Mark Weir, Deputy Global Head of Fund Services for the Maples Group. “We are proud to work with the Leon Levy Foundation and look forward to further evolving our relationship and ensuring they have the operational and technological support they need to continue their important philanthropic efforts.”
