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.

October 15, 2024 Banking Ranking Member Scott Releases Priorities for 118th Congress

Included under the stated “Regulatory Oversight” bullet point are priorities that reduce the burden of agency action and ensure that each agency the Committee has oversight of is acting within the bounds of their statutory authority.

October 10, 2024 SEC Charges Independent Director for Proxy Disclosure Rule Violations

The complaint highlighted that Mr. Craigie had a personal relationship with a member of the Church & Dwight executive team including frequent vacations which the executive paid for, as well as attempts to conceal the personal nature of the relationship from other board members. Mark Cave, Associate Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement stated, “By concealing his relationship with a company executive, Mr. Craigie undermined the board’s director independence process and compromised the company’s disclosures.”

October 9, 2024 SEC Chair Gensler, Commissioners Venture to Capitol Hill to Testify

The hearing covered a variety of topics including closed-end funds, crypto assets and custody, the pace of rulemaking, Treasury clearing rules, short selling, access to capital, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity, among other issues. In his opening remarks, House Financial Services Committee Chair Patrick McHenry (R-NC) noted, “It’s not just the courts that have taken issue with Chair Gensler’s reckless agenda. More than 250 Members of Congress from both parties have signed dozens of letters opposing actions taken by the SEC.”

October 8, 2024 Sidley Releases Second Half of Interview with MFDF President Carolyn McPhillips

Sidley Austin’s Jay Baris and MFDF President Carolyn McPhillips recently discussed the 100th anniversary of the mutual fund and detailed the important oversight function independent directors have within the registered investment company space. On swing pricing, Ms. McPhillips noted an overwhelming number of industry participants opposed the SEC’s proposal and noted that the reasoning for the proposal lacked a clear connection to the problem the SEC attempted to solve for.

October 7, 2024 MFDF Webinar: Distribution 101 for Fund Boards

MFDF will be joined by Fran Cashman, independent trustee the Morgan Stanley Funds' board, and John Krieg, CFA, CAIA, formerly the Managing Director of North American Distribution for UBS Asset Management as they plan to discuss the fundamentals of distribution that fund directors need to know to fulfil their oversight duties.

Upcoming Events

Full calendar

Kansas City October 16, 2024
Director Discussion Series - Open Forum (Kansas City)
MFDF will host an in-person Director Discussion Series lunch in Kansas City to facilitate discussions for independent directors and CCOs to discuss timely issues brought up by participants. The event will be in-person from 11 am to 1 pm at the offices of PwC located at 1100 Walnut St # 1300, Kansas City, MO 64106.
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October 30, 2024
In Focus - Election Preview and Implications for 2025 and Beyond
Speakers from Fierce Government Relations will discuss 2024 election preview and what that entails for the financial sector for 2025 and beyond. This virtual event will take place on Zoom at 2 pm (ET).
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Denver November 6, 2024
Director Discussion Series - Open Forum (Denver)
MFDF will host an in-person Director Discussion Series breakfast in Denver to facilitate discussions for independent directors and CCOs to discuss timely issues brought up by participants. The event will be in-person from 7:30 am to 9:30 am at the offices of Morrison Foerster LLP in Denver.
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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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DEI Resources for Fund Boards

Explore news and resources relating to diversity, equity and inclusion on fund boards.

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