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.

August 21, 2025 House Financial Services Committee Conducts Hearing on Dodd-Frank

In her statement, Ranking Member Maxine Waters (D-CA) stated that Republican Committee member’s support of current cryptocurrency legislation promotes the “rise of complex, poorly regulated financial instruments was precisely what sparked the 2008 crisis.”

August 20, 2025 Board Bookshelf: Implementing Enterprise Risk Management. From Methods to Application. By James Lam. Wiley. 2017

James Lam, currently an independent director and Risk Committee Chair at Blackrock iShares, brings a commonsense approach to defining the elements of risk, evaluating the traditional risk management frameworks (such as COSO and ISO 31000), and offering a more adaptive and intuitive model for enterprise risk management.

August 19, 2025 President Trump Issues Executive Order on Private Assets in 401(k) Plans

Specifically, the executive order directs the Department of Labor (DOL) to reexamine the DOL’s guidance on a fiduciary’s duties regarding alternative asset investments and clarify the DOL’s position on alternative assets while prioritizing actions to curtail ERISA litigation in offering opportunities to plan participants.

August 14, 2025 Commissioner Crenshaw Statement on Climate-Related Disclosure Litigation

Commissioner Crenshaw emphasized that the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) “remains intact” and governs the process by which agencies make and repeal rules, including a “prescriptive framework for promulgation and rescission.”

August 13, 2025 SEC Announces Creation of AI Task Force

The SEC’s AI Task Force will be a new centralized unit dedicated to enhancing innovation, operational efficiency and regulatory accuracy through AI-driven tools and systems. Through the establishment of the AI Task Force, the SEC seems poised to incorporate AI into its back-office processes, disclosure reviews, surveillance systems and fraud detection workflows.

Upcoming Events

Full calendar

September 3, 2025
The Audit Committee Chair's Guide to Balancing Duties and Emerging Issues
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 best practices in balancing duties, skillsets, and emerging issues governed by audit committees. The webinar will broadcast live from 2 pm - 3 pm (ET).
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September 10, 2025
Series Trust Funds - Compliance and Board Reporting
Join Martin Dean, President of Northern Lights Compliance LLC, as he discusses key priorities and best practices of compliance and board reporting cruicial to series trust fund boards' oversight role. This webinar is the second in MFDF's Series Trust Fund webinar series. The webinar will broadcast live from 2 pm - 3 pm (ET).
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September 11, 2025
In Focus: Fund Governance of DEI and ESG in Current Landscape
K&L partners will facilitate a discussion how registered fund boards should proceed with their 1940 Act oversight responsibilities of DEI and ESG issues within the current political environment. This virutal discussion will be from 1 pm to 2 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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