Unified Trust Company (“Unified Trust”), a national bank trust company and fiduciary that serves individual, institutional and retirement plan investors with a mix of digital and traditional advice, has introduced a new tool for foundations and endowments to assess how well boards are meeting their fiduciary responsibilities.
The Fiduciary Grade tool is interactive, navigating users through a 13-18 question assessment. Key assessment areas include the board’s decision-making process, investment due diligence procedures, review and monitoring processes and other key fiduciary responsibilities.
Following the online assessment, responses are reviewed by Unified Trust’s fiduciary investment advisors, and respondents are assigned a Fiduciary Grade, which measures the organization’s overall effectiveness in meeting ongoing responsibilities. Unified Trust’s advisors provide the board with personalized guidance to help improve the grade by mitigating reputational and legal risks and implementing a more effective process.
“Foundation and endowment board members have a tremendous responsibility of creating long-term security for the organization and providing the highest level of care for donors,” said Kevin Avent, CFP®, AIF®, Managing Director at Unified Trust. “The Fiduciary Grade is a new asset within the board’s toolbox to assess compliance with fiduciary responsibility and help provide donors with an added level of assurance.”
The tool was introduced on August 9, 2019. Unified Trust uses the Global Standards and the Global Fiduciary Practices in its work with institutional clients. The firm is certified for fiduciary best practices by the Centre for Fiduciary Excellence (CEFEX).
“Unified Trust seeks to serve as a trusted partner for foundations and endowments. We recognize that managing the 140-plus fiduciary responsibilities is an overwhelming task that requires great care and thorough and ongoing review,” added Avent. “We want to give the individuals serving on these boards the tools to succeed.”
To learn more about the Fiduciary Grade and complete the assessment, please visit: https://unifiedtrust.com/fiduciary-assessment-tool.
About Unified Trust Company
Unified Trust Company, N.A. (Lexington, Ky., $5 billion in assets under management) is a national bank trust company and discretionary trustee, serving individual, institutional and retirement plan investors. As a fiduciary, the firm is dedicated to helping people achieve successful financial outcomes. It is the first trust company in the U.S. and among the first globally to be certified for fiduciary best practices by the Centre for Fiduciary Excellence.
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