Strong management and governance practices bolstered the rating of the $45m foundation following a third party verification
[Boston, MA] (February 9, 2026) - The Intentional Endowments Network is pleased to announce the Gold rating achieved by the Dan & Margaret Maddox Fund (“Maddox Fund”) after completing the third-party verification through IEN’s Endowment Impact Benchmark (EIB), a framework that assesses foundations and endowments on their commitment to impact and sustainable investing.
The Dan and Margaret Maddox Fund centers justice and liberation in its grantmaking through two workstreams: environment and youth. It serves 41 counties of Middle Tennessee, U.S., building on the legacy of its Tennessee-born founders.
Its investment practices reflect these deeply-held commitments, as highlighted through the Gold rating achieved with the EIB. Its instances of direct engagement with investment managers at
Investment Committee meetings, for example, and its commitment to continuous learning is an example of the Fund’s efforts to pursue innovation and lead responsible investment management.
“This recognition affirms our belief that how we invest is inseparable from why we exist,” said Jen Bailey, Executive Director of the Dan & Margaret Maddox Fund. “Earning a Gold rating through the Endowment Impact Benchmark reflects our commitment to stewarding all of our assets in service of justice, liberation, and long-term community wellbeing, and marks an important step in our ongoing journey of learning and alignment.”
The Endowment Impact Benchmark is a project of the Intentional Endowments Network, with the evaluation process managed by BlueMark, an independent impact verification firm. This ensures that ratings reflect best practices and are credible within the sustainable investing community.
“The Maddox Fund’s Gold rating is a testament to their commitment to align all of their assets in service of mission fulfillment,” said Georges Dyer, Executive Director of IEN. “Their work is a great example of how all endowments and foundations can be intentional about the impact of their investments to ensure that they are supporting and not working counter to their mission.”
Endowments and foundations continue to hear calls for increased transparency, especially around their impact-oriented strategies. The EIB provides a practical approach for assessing transparency, strategy, governance, and management internally; establishing next steps for enhanced impact; and communicating successes to key stakeholders. The benchmarking value of the EIB continues to rise as participants complete the assessment, enabling endowments and foundations to align their policies and practices with peers and industry standards.
Institutions interested in assessing their progress are invited to participate in the 2026 cohort of the EIB. For more information on the Endowment Impact Benchmark and how your institution can participate, please visit www.EndowmentImpactBenchmark.org.
About The Intentional Endowments Network
The Intentional Endowments Network (IEN) supports higher education institutions to adopt investment strategies that create an equitable, low-carbon, and regenerative economy. IEN connects endowments, asset managers, investment consultants, nonprofit partners, and individuals to advance the field of mission-aligned, sustainable investing. IEN is housed at the Crane Institute of Sustainability (“Crane”), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Learn more at www.intentionalendowments.org
MEDIA CONTACT:
Georges Dyer, Co-founder & Executive Director, Intentional Endowments Network & The Crane Institute of Sustainability