# Santa Barbara Symphony Endowment

Santa Barbara Symphony Endowment is an Endowment / Foundation based in Santa Barbara, United States.

## Overview

- **Organization type:** Endowment / Foundation
- **Headquarters:** Santa Barbara, United States
- **Region:** North America
- **Address:** Santa Barbara, CA, United States
- **Assets under management:** Undisclosed
- **Website:** thesymphony.org

## Regulatory record

- **Reports private funds:** No

## About

The Santa Barbara Symphony's endowment operates as the long-term financial backbone for one of California's established regional orchestras. The Endowment Trust is stewarded by a group of trustees led by Gregg Hackethal, an advisor at Painted Porch, with oversight from Todd Aldrich, chair of the Governance Committee, and Brett Moore, a portfolio manager at Dunvegan Associates. The capital supports symphonic performances and the Symphony's music education initiatives, which reach students throughout Santa Barbara County. The endowment's investment strategy, while not publicly disclosed in detail, follows a classic asset-owner model for single-purpose cultural institutions: a diversified portfolio tilted toward income generation with enough equity exposure to preserve purchasing power over multi-decade time horizons. Public record shows the Symphony maintains relationships with wealth management professionals, including Howard Jay Smith of Morgan Stanley, who sits on the organization's Executive Board. Community foundation partners, notably the Santa Barbara Foundation, provide complementary philanthropic support that reduces draw-pressure on the endowment during lean seasons. The Trustee group combines local operating knowledge with institutional investment experience. The Symphony's endowment is structurally distinct from the large university endowments that dominate allocator attention. It does not fund multiple departments or pursue alternative-asset-heavy, Yale-model strategies. Instead, its governance architecture — a board-led trust within a single operating entity — demands an asset-allocation approach calibrated to the cash-flow needs of a seasonal performing arts organization. The separation between the Santa Barbara Symphony Orchestra Association and the Endowment Trust creates a governance buffer that protects principal while the Association runs programs.

## Sectors

- Arts & Culture
- Music
- Education

## People

- Gregg Hackethal — Lead Trustee of the Endowment Trust
- Todd Aldrich — Trustee of the Endowment Trust
- Brett Moore — Trustee of the Endowment Trust and Portfolio Manager at Dunvegan Associates
- Howard Jay Smith — VP & Wealth Advisor at Morgan Stanley and member of the Symphony's Executive Board

## Questions

### Who runs investment decisions at the Santa Barbara Symphony Endowment?

The Endowment Trust is governed by a board of trustees. Lead Trustee Gregg Hackethal, an advisor at Painted Porch, and Brett Moore, a portfolio manager at Dunvegan Associates, are the named fiduciaries with investment expertise on the Trust. Todd Aldrich chairs the Governance Committee. The Symphony's investment portfolio is listed as a distinct asset managed from Santa Barbara.

### How is the Santa Barbara Foundation related to the Symphony's endowment?

The Santa Barbara Foundation is a major community foundation partner and donor to the Symphony. Foundation grants provide programming support that reduces the financial burden on the endowment. The Foundation does not manage the endowment's investments directly; rather, it acts as a complementary source of operating capital through its own grantmaking.

### What is the Crescendo donor group's relationship to the endowment?

Crescendo is a professional network and donor group co-founded by Todd Aldrich, a Trustee of the Endowment Trust. It supports the Symphony's mission through fundraising. Donor groups like Crescendo and the Heritage Society (for legacy gifts) are separate from the Endowment Trust, but their contributions can flow into the endowment over time through planned giving.

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Last updated: 2026-08-11T02:43:31.692Z

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