# Riverside Church

Riverside Church is an Endowment / Foundation based in New York, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** New York, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** 490 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10027, United States
- **Founded:** 1930
- **Assets under management:** $100M–$250M (Altss estimate)
- **Website:** trcnyc.org
- **LinkedIn:** https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-riverside-church

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

Riverside Church opened in 1930 as an interdenominational, interracial congregation in Morningside Heights, funded primarily by John D. Rockefeller Jr. and affiliated with both the American Baptist Churches USA and the United Church of Christ. The endowment operates from the church's main campus at 490 Riverside Drive, with supplementary real estate holdings that include the neighboring McGiffert Hall at 97–99 Claremont Avenue and 99 Claremont Avenue, a former dormitory property. The endowment pursues a dual-strategy mandate covering buyout and early-stage venture allocations, including seed-stage commitments. Its investment framework is explicitly guided by 'Justice Based Investing,' a policy authored by Finance Committee Chair Lisa Hinds, who concurrently serves as an executive at EnTrust Global. This policy directs the portfolio toward managers and strategies aligned with the church's longstanding social-justice mission. Known professional connections include Mark Yim, a GAMCO Investors portfolio manager who serves on the church's search committee, and institutional ties to the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, where Riverside Church is an active member and host of sustainable-investing events. The endowment's real-property portfolio anchors its balance sheet. The main campus at 490 Riverside Drive functions as a mixed-use complex, supplemented by McGiffert Hall and the adjacent former dormitory at 99 Claremont Avenue. Investment management oversight runs through the finance committee with no publicly named chief investment officer. Riverside Church participates in ecumenical networks — the Council of Churches in the City of New York, the Interfaith Center of New York, and the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists — though none of these affiliations alter its independent investment governance. Riverside Church distinguishes itself through an investment policy framework that is both author-driven and structurally embedded. Where many faith-based endowments apply broad exclusions, Riverside Church's 'Justice Based Investing' policy, authored by a finance committee chair who is herself an investment professional, creates a proactive lens for sourcing and diligence. Paired with the church's real estate holdings adjacent to Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University, the endowment's architecture binds together local institutional land stewardship with a national interfaith investor network, making its mandate unusually personal and place-based.

## People

- Lisa Hinds — Chair of Finance Committee
- Mark Yim — Member, Search Committee

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at Riverside Church?

Investment oversight rests with the Finance Committee, chaired by Lisa Hinds. Hinds also authored the committee's 'Justice Based Investing' framework and works professionally as an executive at EnTrust Global. Mark Yim, a portfolio manager at GAMCO Investors, serves on the church's search committee, bringing additional institutional investment connectivity.

### How does Riverside Church's endowment approach investing?

The endowment deploys across buyout and early-stage venture strategies, including seed-stage commitments, under a 'Justice Based Investing' policy written by Finance Committee Chair Lisa Hinds. This framework integrates the church's historic social-justice mission directly into manager selection and asset allocation, going beyond typical exclusionary screens.

### Does Riverside Church participate in interfaith investor networks?

Yes, Riverside Church is an active member of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility and has hosted ICCR events focused on sustainable investing. It also maintains ties to the Council of Churches in the City of New York, the Interfaith Center of New York, and the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, which collectively provide an ecumenical network for its mission-driven allocation work.

### What real estate holdings does the endowment control?

The endowment's real estate portfolio includes the main Riverside Church campus at 490 Riverside Drive, a mixed-use complex, plus two residential properties at 97–99 Claremont Avenue: McGiffert Hall and the former dormitory at 99 Claremont Avenue. These holdings sit adjacent to Union Theological Seminary and Columbia University in Morningside Heights.

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

Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/riverside-church

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