# Bennington College Endowment Bennington College Endowment is an Endowment / Foundation based in Bennington, United States. ## Overview - **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation - **Headquarters:** Bennington, United States - **Region:** North America - **Address:** 1 College Drive, Bennington, VT 05201, United States - **Founded:** 1932 - **Assets under management:** $50M–$100M (Altss estimate) - **Website:** bennington.edu - **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/school/bennington-college/ ## Regulatory record - **Reports private funds:** No ## About Bennington College established its endowment in 1932 alongside the founding of the institution in Vermont. The fund is overseen by a Board of Trustees that includes Nicholas A. Stephens, a Partner at Edgewood Management who purchased a portion of the campus in 2021, and William Q. Derrough, a Managing Director at Moelis & Company. The endowment's capital base has been shaped by major patrons like Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan, who co-chairs the Art for Access committee and donated to the college in 2021. The endowment allocates its capital across a mix of traditional and alternative asset classes, aiming to fund operations and student financial aid. Its real assets are unusually visible for an institution of its size. The portfolio includes the Robert Frost Stone House Museum in Shaftsbury, Vermont, the Paran Creek Apartments in North Bennington, and the Shaftsbury Farmland, which saw a partial sale. The Art for Access Collection and the broader campus art collection are active financial instruments, with select works sold to directly fund scholarships. With approximately $59.4 million in assets, the endowment is managed by an investment committee chaired by Safir, who is also the founder of New Century Advisors. The college is a member of NACUBO, the industry association for higher education business officers, and the Association of Academic Museums & Galleries. In 2021, the endowment benefited directly from a Bucksbaum family donation and the land acquisition by Board Chair Stephens, anchoring a period of campus consolidation. The endowment's structure is defined by the operational integration of its academic mission with its physical and cultural holdings. Instead of holding an opaque diversified portfolio, the fund openly marries a traditional investment pool with a collection of real estate and art, a governance structure built on Wall Street practitioners, and a documented willingness to liquidate non-essential property to meet current spending needs. ## Sectors - Education - Real Estate - Art & Collectibles ## People - Ellen Beskind Safir — Investment Committee Chair - Nicholas A. Stephens — Board Chair - William Q. Derrough — Trustee - Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan — Trustee ## Questions ### Who runs investment decisions at the Bennington College Endowment? The investment committee is chaired by Ellen Beskind Safir, founder and CEO of New Century Advisors. The oversight board includes Nicholas A. Stephens, a Partner at Edgewood Management who serves as Board Chair, and William Q. Derrough, Co-Head of Recapitalization & Restructuring at Moelis & Company. This structure brings direct capital markets and asset management experience to the endowment's governance. ### How does the endowment use its art collection in its investment strategy? Bennington holds a dedicated Art for Access Collection, co-chaired by Trustee and donor Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan. The college views the collection as a financial resource and has sold select works to directly fund student scholarships, effectively treating the art as an illiquid endowment asset class rather than a purely cultural holding. ### What direct real estate assets does the endowment hold? The portfolio includes operational assets that support the college's mission. These holdings comprise the Robert Frost Stone House Museum, the Paran Creek Apartments for student housing, and a parcel of Shaftsbury Farmland that has been partially sold to generate liquidity. Board Chair Nicholas A. Stephens purchased additional campus land in 2021. ### How is the fund structured relative to the college's operating budget? The endowment functions as a traditional non-profit asset owner, with returns supporting operating expenses and financial aid. What distinguishes its structure is the visible linkage between capital allocation and physical campus assets. The school liquidated part of its farmland and monetized pieces of its art collection to meet spending needs, blurring the line between long-term investing and real-time campus stewardship. ### What was the financial significance of the 2021 gifts and transactions? In 2021, the endowment's asset base was bolstered by both a donation from Mary Bucksbaum Scanlan and a real estate transaction in which Board Chair Nicholas A. Stephens personally purchased a portion of the Bennington campus. These moves injected liquidity and consolidated the college's physical plant under a trustee, freeing up capital for the endowment's broader portfolio. ## Related profiles - [Port Arthur Firemen's Retirement Fund](https://altss.com/profile/port-arthur-firemen-s-retirement-fund) - [Galveston Employees Pension Plan For Police](https://altss.com/profile/galveston-employees-pension-plan-for-police) --- Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/bennington-college-endowment Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology