# HighGround Advisors

HighGround Advisors is an Endowment / Foundation based in Dallas, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Dallas, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 1717 Main Street, Suite 1400, Dallas, TX 75201, United States
- **Founded:** 1930
- **Assets under management:** 3000 (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** highgroundadvisors.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/highground-advisors

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

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.

## Sectors

- Diversified

## People

- Jeff Smith — CEO

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at HighGround Advisors?

Jeff Smith serves as CEO. The firm manages assets internally across public markets, private equity, real estate, and minerals with support from Northern Trust as custodian.

### What asset classes does HighGround Advisors deploy capital into?

Allocations include public equities via ETFs such as IVV and VTI, private equity through the HighGround Private Equity Fund, real estate via the HighGround Mortgage Loan and Real Estate Fund, and hedge fund strategies in the Marketable Alternatives Fund.

### How is HighGround Advisors related to the Baptist General Convention of Texas?

The Baptist General Convention of Texas founded the firm in 1930 as the Baptist Foundation of Texas. It continues to maintain ties through its nonprofit client base and governance history.

### Which nonprofit organizations does HighGround Advisors serve as a client or partner?

Client partners include Baylor University, Buckner International, Hardin-Simmons University, and Ronald McDonald House of Dallas. The firm also manages endowment assets for these entities.

## Related profiles

- [Eversource Retirement Plan](https://altss.com/profile/eversource-retirement-plan)
- [ImpactAssets](https://altss.com/profile/impactassets)

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Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/highground-advisors

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