Trusted Insight for Independent Oversight

MFDF is an independent association for independent directors of mutual funds, ETFs, closed-end funds, and other registered investment companies.

MFDF helps independent directors navigate an evolving regulatory environment and steward shareholders’ investments. MFDF provides tailored educational resources and facilitates peer-to-peer networking, with offerings that include webinars, white papers, and interactive conferences. As an independent association, MFDF’s membership includes a wide range of fund boards and represents a diverse community of directors.

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Educational Offerings

MFDF provides comprehensive and high-quality educational resources tailored to independent directors. Explore upcoming programs, including webinars, single-day in-person seminars, multi-day conferences, and informal networking discussions.

Insights for the Field

The nature of the work of independent directors is ever-evolving. Read the latest news, practical guidance, comment letters to regulators, and other viewpoints.

Become a Member

Your goal is to steward your investors’ resources. We promise to steward yours. We take our role as your trusted partner seriously. And we pride ourselves on accessible membership dues and meaningful opportunities to learn and connect.

June 3, 2025 MFDF Event: Board Oversight of DEI Under Second Trump Administration

K&L Gates partners Varu Chilakamarri and Craig Leen will discuss recent developments related to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in President Trump’s second term. The program will explore what boards should be considering when overseeing DEI policies, including workforce policies, DEI and/or affirmative action program compliance, training, recruiting, compensation, and more.

June 2, 2025 Event of Interest: SEC Hosts Conference on Emerging Trends in Asset Management

The conference brings together a variety of asset management industry participants, regulators, commentators, and academics to discuss emerging trends in the industry. Panels will focus on the evolution of the Investment Adviser Act and Investment Company Act, digital assets, tokenization, product innovation in registered funds, and retail access to private markets.

May 29, 2025 KPMG Releases Global Report on Artificial Intelligence

The study observes that the greatest barrier to widespread AI adoption may be the very legitimate concern that individuals have about the risks, safety, and potential societal impact of the uses of AI. The study results incorporate responses from 48,000 respondents across 47 countries and also includes specific findings from its U.S. respondents.

May 28, 2025 MFDF Event: The State of Fund Board Recruiting

During the program, MFDF's Leslie Beckbridge will review fund board recruitment activity in 2024-2025. The session will focus on highlights from MFDF’s Fund Board Recruitment Practices Report and observations from search activity in MFDF’s Director Candidate Database in 2024 and the first half of 2025.

May 27, 2025 Atkins Testifies in Front of House Appropriations Subcommittee

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Chairman Paul Atkins testified before the members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. The hearing, part of the FY2026 appropriations process, was Chair Atkins first time testifying in front of Congress as the new SEC Chair.

Upcoming Events

Full calendar

June 4, 2025
Board Oversight of DEI Under Second Trump Administration
K&L partners Varu Chilakamarri and Craig Leen will discuss most recent developments related to oversight of DEI programs in Trump’s second term and what boards should be considering. The webinar will broadcast live from 2 pm - 3 pm (ET).
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June 5, 2025
The Audit Committee Chair's Guide to Foundations for Success
As part of MFDF's The Audit Committee Chair's Guide program series, John Braun, partner at Cohen & Co. and David Roeber, partner at Stradley Ronon, will discuss the core knowlege to foster effective leadership of the fund's audit committee. The webinar will broadcast live from 2 pm - 3 pm (ET).
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June 17, 2025
Current Landscape of Securities Lending
Join Lori Paris with Northern Trust Securities Finance as she provides the basics of security lending that fund boards should know in their oversight roles. The webinar will broadcast live from 2 pm - 3 pm (ET).
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Newest Resources

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MFDF Member Series - Leveraging MFDF Membership to Locate Future Directors

Leslie Beckbridge, MFDF's Operations and Member Services Manager, highlighted MFDF's Director Candidate Database, a service that provides curated candidate lists in response to member boards' requirements. The webinar provided an overview of the Database, discussed how members can use it as part of succession planning efforts, and shared insights to get the best results from your inquiry.

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Board Diversity Resources

Explore news and resources relating to fund board diversity.

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