The Student Investment Fund holds weekly board meetings via Zoom. Meetings generally include a discussion of market activity, portfolio performance, tutorials, and investment strategies. Snacks or light refreshments are provided. All members of the Caltech community are welcome to attend and participate, regardless of knowledge or experience.
From the original gift of 2,500 shares of $0.75/share H&R Block in 1978, the SIF portfolio has grown to encompass a large number of stocks in a variety of sectors, with a total valuation (after yearly disbursements) of approximately $900,000 as of Q3 2020. Investment decisions are decided by a vote of all members of the board of the Student Investment Fund; anyone can put forward a motion. The exact composition of our portfolio isn't currently publicly available; however, due to the expertise of members of the Caltech community, we are more heavily invested in the tech and energy sectors than similar student investment funds may be.
In an effort to help fellow members of the Caltech community, the Student Investment Fund provides annual disbursements to Caltech-affiliated clubs and organizations requesting additional funding. Clubs and other organizations may request disbursements for one-time capital expenditures and, depending on the volume of applications received, each year up to 4% of our portfolio is liquidated and given to those clubs satisfying our requirements. Despite decreasing the returns of our fund, we believe that this is in keeping with the intentions of the original club founders.