HighGround Advisors

HighGround Advisors

HighGround Advisors was founded in 1930 by the Baptist General Convention of Texas as the Baptist Foundation of Texas. Jeff Smith leads the firm as CEO. Its mandate centers on protecting and growing assets for nonprofit partners including Baylor University, Buckner International, and Hardin-Simmons University. The firm allocates across public equities, private equity, real estate, and hedge fund strategies. Confirmed holdings include the HighGround Mortgage Loan and Real Estate Fund, a Managed Real Estate Portfolio of over 1,000 assets, a Mineral Interests Portfolio covering 12,000+ interests primarily in Texas, and the HighGround Marketable Alternatives Fund. Geographic exposure centers on the United States with additional international equity positions through ETFs. It also maintains a HighGround Private Equity Fund and a Private Credit Portfolio. HighGround employs 59 professionals and operates a wholly-owned subsidiary, HighGround Trust Company, chartered in 1996. It maintains memberships in ECFA since 1990, ACGA, and the Dallas Estate Planning Council. In May 2024 the firm sponsored the Communities Foundation of Texas Professional Seminar and spoke at the TXCPA Nonprofit Organizations Conference. HighGround functions as both an investment manager and a trust administrator for tax-exempt entities. Its structure includes an internal trust company and direct management of mineral and real estate assets rather than outsourcing those functions.