# EDGAR Filing Document

**Accession Number:** 0001593547
**File Stem:** 0001398344-25-011751
**Filing Date:** 2025-6
**Character Count:** 543796
**Document Hash:** ecdf78ed3db524eef0b028f38851fb83
**Contains OCR:** False
**Source Format:** 

## Filing Content

## Filing Summary
**0001398344-25-011751.hdr.sgml**: 20250612

**ACCESSION NUMBER**: 0001398344-25-011751

**CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE**: 497

**PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT**: 19

**FILED AS OF DATE**: 20250612

**DATE AS OF CHANGE**: 20250611

**EFFECTIVENESS DATE**: 20250612

**FILER**: 

**COMPANY DATA:**
- **COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:** Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III
- **CENTRAL INDEX KEY:** 0001593547

**ORGANIZATION NAME:**
- **EIN:** 000000000
- **STATE OF INCORPORATION:** DE

**FILING VALUES:**
- **FORM TYPE:** 497
- **SEC ACT:** 1933 Act
- **SEC FILE NUMBER:** 333-192858
- **FILM NUMBER:** 251041095

**BUSINESS ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** ONE FREEDOM VALLEY DRIVE
- **CITY:** OAKS
- **STATE:** PA
- **ZIP:** 19456
- **BUSINESS PHONE:** (800) 342-5734

**MAIL ADDRESS:**
- **STREET 1:** ONE FREEDOM VALLEY DRIVE
- **CITY:** OAKS
- **STATE:** PA
- **ZIP:** 19456

## Series and Classes Contracts Data

### BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE GROWTH ETF (Series ID: S000092068)

---

|  |  |  |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Class Name                            | Ticker Symbol | Class ID   |
| BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE GROWTH ETF | BASG          | C000259983 |

---

### BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE VALUE ETF (Series ID: S000092069)

---

|  |  |  |
|:---|:---|:---|
| Class Name                           | Ticker Symbol | Class ID   |
| BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE VALUE ETF | BASV          | C000259984 |

---

## Series and Classes Contracts Data

### BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE GROWTH ETF (Series ID: S000092068)

| Class ID   | Class Name                            | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000259983 | BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE GROWTH ETF | BASG            |

### BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE VALUE ETF (Series ID: S000092069)

| Class ID   | Class Name                           | Ticker Symbol   |
|:---|:---|:---|
| C000259984 | BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE VALUE ETF | BASV            |

?xml version='1.0' encoding='ASCII'?

**PROSPECTUS** 

**May 30, 2025** 

**The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III**![](fp0093730-1_i.jpg)

BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE VALUE ETF

Principal Listing Exchange: The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC

Ticker Symbol: BASV

BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE GROWTH ETF

Principal Listing Exchange: The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC

Ticker Symbol: BASG

(each, a "Fund" and together, the "Funds")

**Investment Adviser:** 

**Brown Advisory LLC** 

**Investment Sub-adviser: Vident Asset Management**

**The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.**

**About This Prospectus** 

*This prospectus has been arranged into different sections so that you can easily review this important information. For detailed information about the Funds, please see:* 

---

| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
|  |  | <u><u>Page</u></u> |
| [BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE VALUE ETF](#x035426099611902) | [BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE VALUE ETF](#x035426099611902) | [1](#x035426099611902) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Investment Objective](#x324702750665484) | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Investment Objective](#x324702750665484) | [1](#x324702750665484) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Fund Fees and Expenses](#x067061693970024) | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Fund Fees and Expenses](#x067061693970024) | [1](#x067061693970024) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Principal Investment Strategies](#x083778885364749) | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Principal Investment Strategies](#x083778885364749) | [2](#x083778885364749) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Principal Risks](#x16866563227308) | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Principal Risks](#x16866563227308) | [5](#x16866563227308) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Performance Information](#x085011560955706) | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Performance Information](#x085011560955706) | [9](#x085011560955706) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Investment Adviser](#x117476492886329) | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Investment Adviser](#x117476492886329) | [9](#x117476492886329) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Investment Sub-Adviser](#x194736133548735) | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Investment Sub-Adviser](#x194736133548735) | [9](#x194736133548735) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Portfolio Managers](#x069412268000527) | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Portfolio Managers](#x069412268000527) | [9](#x069412268000527) |
| [BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE GROWTH ETF](#x085040231231935) | [BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE GROWTH ETF](#x085040231231935) | [11](#x085040231231935) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Investment Objective](#x250785340314136) | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Investment Objective](#x250785340314136) | [11](#x250785340314136) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Fund Fees and Expenses](#x082650142993327) | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Fund Fees and Expenses](#x082650142993327) | [11](#x082650142993327) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Principal Investment Strategies](#x153047525722685) | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Principal Investment Strategies](#x153047525722685) | [12](#x153047525722685) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Principal Risks](#x029036258607748) | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Principal Risks](#x029036258607748) | [14](#x029036258607748) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Performance Information](#x22764616734466) | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Performance Information](#x22764616734466) | [17](#x22764616734466) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Investment Adviser](#x076876267748479) | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Investment Adviser](#x076876267748479) | [18](#x076876267748479) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Investment Sub-Adviser](#x069104453265184) | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Investment Sub-Adviser](#x069104453265184) | [18](#x069104453265184) |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Portfolio Managers](#x122359192348565) | &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;[Portfolio Managers](#x122359192348565) | [18](#x122359192348565) |
| [Summary Information about the Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares, Taxes and Financial Intermediary Compensation](#x006475190446778) | [Summary Information about the Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares, Taxes and Financial Intermediary Compensation](#x006475190446778) | [19](#x006475190446778) |
| [More Information about the Funds' Investment Objectives and Strategies](#x348226442135435) | [More Information about the Funds' Investment Objectives and Strategies](#x348226442135435) | [20](#x348226442135435) |
| [More Information about Risk](#x060912169464659) | [More Information about Risk](#x060912169464659) | [30](#x060912169464659) |
| [Information About Portfolio Holdings](#x108440298507463) | [Information About Portfolio Holdings](#x108440298507463) | [38](#x108440298507463) |
| [Investment Adviser](#x043446347430968) | [Investment Adviser](#x043446347430968) | [38](#x043446347430968) |
| [Investment Sub-Adviser](#x312363387978142) | [Investment Sub-Adviser](#x312363387978142) | [39](#x312363387978142) |
| [Portfolio Managers](#x004489795918367) | [Portfolio Managers](#x004489795918367) | [40](#x004489795918367) |
| [Purchasing and Selling Fund Shares](#x176845585973547) | [Purchasing and Selling Fund Shares](#x176845585973547) | [41](#x176845585973547) |
| [Payments to Financial Intermediaries](#x145173344405231) | [Payments to Financial Intermediaries](#x145173344405231) | [43](#x145173344405231) |
| [Other Policies](#x068193460901009) | [Other Policies](#x068193460901009) | [44](#x068193460901009) |
| [Dividends, Distributions and Taxes](#x081189965166602) | [Dividends, Distributions and Taxes](#x081189965166602) | [45](#x081189965166602) |
| [Additional Information](#x010466123722059) | [Additional Information](#x010466123722059) | [51](#x010466123722059) |
| [Financial Highlights](#x065884760130074) | [Financial Highlights](#x065884760130074) | [53](#x065884760130074) |
| [How to Obtain More Information About the Fund](#x348188661491414) | [Back Cover](#x348188661491414) | [Back Cover](#x348188661491414) |

---

**BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE VALUE ETF** 

**Investment Objective** 

The Brown Advisory Sustainable Value ETF (the "Fund") seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation.

**Fund Fees and Expenses** 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. **You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.** 

***Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)***

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| &nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fee | 0.67% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses<sup>1</sup> | 0.22% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.89% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;Less Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements<sup>2</sup> | (0.18)%  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements | 0.71% |

---

<sup>1</sup> Other Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

<sup>2</sup> Brown Advisory LLC (the "Adviser" or "Brown Advisory") has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse certain expenses to the extent necessary to keep Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding any interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other costs and expenses relating to the securities that are purchased and sold by the Fund, any class-specific expenses (including distribution and service (12b-1) fees and shareholder servicing fees), dividend and interest expenses on securities sold short, acquired fund fees and expenses, fees and expenses incurred in connection with tax reclaim recovery services, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and non-routine expenses) (collectively, "excluded expenses")) from exceeding 0.71% of the average daily net assets of the Fund until January 31, 2027 (the "contractual expense limit"). In addition, the Adviser may receive from the Fund the difference between the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including excluded expenses) and the contractual expense limit to recoup all or a portion of its prior fee waivers or expense reimbursements made during the rolling three-year period preceding the date of the recoupment if at any point Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including excluded expenses) are below the contractual expense limit (i) at the time of the fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement and (ii) at the time of the recoupment. The agreement may be terminated: (i) by the Board of Trustees (the "Board") of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III (the "Trust"), for any reason at any time; or (ii) by the Adviser, upon sixty (60) days' prior written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close of business on January 31, 2027. 

**Example** 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses (including capped expenses for the period described in the footnote to the fee table) remain the same. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay to buy and sell shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** |
| $73 | $247 |

---

**Portfolio Turnover** 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. Because the Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus, it does not have portfolio turnover information to report.

**Principal Investment Strategies** 

The Fund is an actively-managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF"). Under normal conditions, Brown Advisory LLC (the "Adviser") seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities that satisfy the Fund's sustainable investment criteria. The Fund invests primarily in securities of large market capitalization companies that the Adviser deems to meet its "value" and "sustainable investment" criteria, collectively the "Investment Criteria" for the Fund. Large market capitalization companies are, according to the Adviser, those companies with market capitalizations generally greater than $3 billion at the time of purchase. The market capitalizations of the companies in the Fund's portfolio changes over time; the Fund will not automatically sell or cease to purchase stock of a company it already

owns just because the company's market capitalization falls outside this range.

Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock, equity-equivalent securities such as convertible securities, stock futures contracts, equity options, American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), other exchange traded funds ("ETFs") and business development companies ("BDCs"). The Fund may also invest in private placements in these types of securities. The Fund may invest in ETFs and BDCs that have an investment objective similar to the Fund's or that otherwise are permitted investments with the Fund's investment policies described herein. ADRs are equity securities traded on U.S. securities exchanges, which are generally issued by banks or trust companies to evidence ownership of foreign equity securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in foreign securities, including in emerging markets. Emerging market countries for these purposes consists of countries in Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and include, among other countries, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia and Taiwan. The Fund will generally hold securities of between 30 to 50 issuers.

The Adviser defines "value" as businesses that exhibit stable and consistent free cash flow generation, that display capital discipline by demonstrating both prudent balance sheet management and capital expenditures, and that trade at attractive valuations because they provide a favorable reward versus risk outlook. The Fund invests primarily in equity securities that trade in the U.S. securities markets and that the Adviser believes are undervalued, broadly defined as trading at a discount to the estimated economic value of a company's underlying business. The Adviser uses a research-driven analysis that results in the Fund's portfolio having an emphasis on out-of-favor, cash-generating companies with durable business models, strong finances, competent management and a demonstrable record of prudent capital allocation. The Adviser's valuation discipline attempts to estimate the range of a company's business value by considering past, current or future earnings, cash flows, book value, sales or growth rates relative to the company's history, industry, or the broader market. The Fund may also invest in cyclical companies or companies that have experienced a temporary setback if the valuation of the company is at an appropriate discount to the long-term earnings potential of the company.

The Adviser defines its sustainable investment criteria as companies that have sustainability characteristics that may improve their financial position and have strong management of sustainability-related risks. The Adviser looks for companies with Sustainable Cash Flow Advantage

("SCFA") over time. SCFA is part of the broader research process. A majority of the Fund will consist of securities with established or emerging SCFA. SCFA's have one or more of the following drivers:

● People: For example:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;o Attraction, retention and internal promotion of employees drives cost savings while also creating a cultural advantage.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;o Leadership on health and safety has the potential to serve as both a mechanism for improved employee retention and generation of revenue tied to greater productivity.

● Process: For example:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;o Sound operations that promote a safe and healthy community can bolster franchise value, while also avoiding regulatory and reputational risk.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;o Margin improvement through operations that save costs and resources, enabling meaningful reduction in carbon emissions and natural capital.

● Product: For example:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;o Products or services that provide superior customer outcomes resulting in recurring revenue while also providing environmental and/or social solutions.

Additionally, the Adviser pursues strategic engagement with companies and other stakeholders in an effort to enhance due diligence and monitor the investment thesis, including emerging SCFA.

The Adviser considers each proxy voting proposal related to holdings in the Fund on its own merits and an independent determination is made based on the relevant facts and circumstances, in consideration of the Adviser's current Proxy Voting Policy.

The Adviser has engaged Vident Asset Management to serve as sub-adviser ("Sub-Adviser") for the Fund. The Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities for the Fund, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the portfolio, pre- and post-trade compliance, and monitoring of Fund trading activity, subject to the oversight of the Adviser and the Board of Trustees.

**Principal Risks** 

As with all ETFs, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. **A Fund share is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency.** The principal risk factors affecting shareholders' investments in the Fund are set forth below.

**ETF Risks** — The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of this structure, it is exposed to the following risks:

**Trading Risk** — Shares of the Fund may trade on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (the "Exchange") above or below their NAV. The NAV of shares of the Fund will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund's holdings. In addition, although the Fund's shares are currently listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Fund shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in shares of the Fund inadvisable.

**Limited Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Risk –** Because the Fund is an ETF, only a limited number of institutional investors (known as "Authorized Participants") are authorized to purchase and redeem shares directly from the Fund. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Fund shares may trade at a material discount to net asset value ("NAV") and possibly face delisting: (i) Authorized Participants exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other Authorized Participants step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

**Equity Risk –** The risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. The value of equity securities will fluctuate in response to factors affecting a particular company, as well as broader market and economic conditions. Broad movements in financial markets may adversely affect the price of the Fund's investments, regardless of how well the companies in which the Fund invests perform. In addition, the impact of any epidemic, pandemic or natural disaster, or widespread fear that such events may occur, could negatively affect the global economy, as well as the economies of

individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the markets in general in significant and unforeseen ways. Any such impact could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the securities and other instruments in which the Fund invests, which in turn could negatively impact the Fund's performance and cause losses on your investment in the Fund. Moreover, in the event of a company's bankruptcy, claims of certain creditors, including bondholders, will have priority over claims of common stockholders such as the Fund.

**Large Capitalization Risk –** The risk that larger, more established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. Larger companies also may not be able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies.

**Value Style Risk -** The Adviser's value investment style may increase the risks of investing in the Fund. If the Adviser's assessment of market conditions, or a company's value or prospects for exceeding earnings expectations is inaccurate, the Fund could suffer losses or produce poor performance relative to other funds. In addition, "value stocks" can continue to be undervalued by the market for long periods of time.

**Sustainable Investing Policy Risk –** The Fund's consideration of sustainability criteria could cause it to make or avoid investments that could result in the Fund underperforming similar funds that do not consider such sustainability criteria.

**New Fund Risk –** Because the Fund is new, investors in the Fund bear the risk that the Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategy, may not employ a successful investment strategy, or may fail to attract sufficient assets under management to realize economies of scale, any of which could result in the Fund being liquidated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Such liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders and will cause shareholders to incur expenses of liquidation.

**Management Risk –** The Fund is subject to the risk that the Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, value, or potential appreciation of the Fund's investments may prove to be incorrect. If the investments selected and strategies employed by the Fund fail to produce the intended results, the Fund could underperform in comparison to other funds with similar objectives and investment strategies.

**Investments in Investment Company Risk –** When the Fund invests in an investment company, including ETFs, in addition to directly bearing

the expenses associated with its own operations, it will bear a pro rata portion of the investment company's expenses. Further, while the risks of owning shares of an investment company generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying investments of the investment company, the Fund may be subject to additional or different risks than if the Fund had invested directly in the underlying investments. For example, the lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in its share price being more volatile than that of the underlying portfolio securities.

**Preferred Stock Risk —** Preferred stocks in which the Fund may invest are sensitive to interest rate changes, and are also subject to equity risk, which is the risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time. The rights of preferred stocks on the distribution of a company's assets in the event of a liquidation are generally subordinate to the rights associated with a company's debt securities.

**REITs Risk -** REITs are pooled investment vehicles that own, and usually operate, income-producing real estate. REITs are susceptible to the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, such as the following: declines in property values; increases in property taxes, operating expenses, interest rates or competition; overbuilding; zoning changes; and losses from casualty or condemnation. REITs typically incur fees that are separate from those of the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund's investments in REITs will result in the layering of expenses such that shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the REITs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses. REIT operating expenses are not reflected in the fee table and example in this prospectus.

**Private Placements Risk -** Investment in privately placed securities may be less liquid than in publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid by the Fund or less than what may be considered the fair value of such securities. Furthermore, companies whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements that might be applicable if their securities were publicly traded.

**Foreign Company Risk –** Investing in foreign companies, including direct investments and investments through ADRs, poses additional risks since political and economic events unique to a country or region will affect those markets and their issuers. These risks will not necessarily affect the U.S. economy or similar issuers located in the United States. Securities of foreign companies may not be registered

with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and foreign companies are generally not subject to the same level of regulatory controls imposed on U.S. issuers and, as a consequence, there is generally less publicly available information about foreign securities than is available about domestic securities. Income from foreign securities owned by the Fund may be reduced by a withholding tax at the source, which tax would reduce income received from the securities comprising the Fund's portfolio. Foreign securities may also be more difficult to value than securities of U.S. issuers and foreign markets and securities may be less liquid. In addition, periodic U.S. Government restrictions on investments in issuers from certain foreign countries may require the Fund to sell such investments at inopportune times, which could result in losses to the Fund. While ADRs provide an alternative to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their respective national markets and currencies, investments in ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.

**Emerging Markets Securities Risk –** Investments in emerging markets securities are considered speculative and subject to heightened risks in addition to the general risks of investing in foreign securities. Unlike more established markets, emerging markets may have governments that are less stable, markets that are less liquid and economies that are less developed. In addition, the securities markets of emerging market countries may consist of companies with smaller market capitalizations and may suffer periods of relative illiquidity; significant price volatility; restrictions on foreign investment; and possible restrictions on repatriation of investment income and capital. Furthermore, foreign investors may be required to register the proceeds of sales, and future economic or political crises could lead to price controls, forced mergers, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, seizure, nationalization or creation of government monopolies.

**Depositary Receipts Risk –** Investments in depositary receipts, such as ADRs and GDRs, may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying securities in their primary trading market. If a depositary receipt is denominated in a different currency than its underlying securities, the Fund will be subject to the currency risk of both the investment in the depositary receipt and the underlying security. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited or no rights to take action with respect to the underlying securities or to compel the issuer of the receipts to take action. The prices of depositary receipts may differ from the prices of securities upon which they are based. In addition, there is risk involved in investing in unsponsored depositary receipts, as there may be less

information available about the underlying issuer than there is about an issuer of sponsored depositary receipts and the prices of unsponsored depositary receipts may be more volatile than those of sponsored depositary receipts.

**Convertible Securities Risk -** The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates (with investment value declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline) and the credit standing of the issuer. The price of a convertible security will also normally vary in some proportion to changes in the price of the underlying common stock because of the conversion or exercise feature.

**Shareholder Concentration Risk** - A large percentage of the Fund's shares are held by a small number of shareholders, including persons and entities related to the Adviser. A large redemption by one or more of these shareholders could materially increase the Fund's transaction costs, which would negatively impact the Fund's performance and could cause adverse tax consequences for the remaining shareholders of the Fund.

**Performance Information** 

The Fund is new, and therefore has no performance history. Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's returns and comparing the Fund's performance to a broad measure of market performance. Of course, the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

Current performance information is available on the Fund's website at https://www.brownadvisory.com/etf or by calling toll-free to 1-877-876-6383.

**Investment Adviser** 

Brown Advisory LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Investment Sub-Adviser** 

Vident Asset Management serves as the trading sub-adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers** 

The Fund is jointly and primarily managed by a team of the following professionals:

**Brown Advisory LLC**

Michael Poggi, CFA, has served as the portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 2025.

**Vident Asset Management** 

The following portfolio managers are responsible for executing portfolio transactions and implementing the Adviser's investment decisions with respect to the Fund:

Rafael Zayas, CFA, Senior Vice President, Head of Portfolio Management and Trading of Vident Asset Management, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 2025.

Austin Wen, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager of Vident Asset Management, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 2025.

Devin Ryder, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager of Vident Asset Management, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 2025.

*For important information about the purchase and sale of Fund shares, taxes and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to "Summary Information about the Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares, Taxes and Financial Intermediary Compensation" on page 19 of the prospectus.*

**BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE GROWTH ETF** 

**Investment Objective** 

The Brown Advisory Sustainable Growth ETF (the "Fund") seeks to achieve capital appreciation.

**Fund Fees and Expenses** 

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold and sell shares of the Fund. **You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the table and Example below.** 

***Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)***

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| &nbsp;&nbsp;Management Fee | 0.58% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;Other Expenses<sup>1</sup> | 0.12% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses | 0.70% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;Less Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements<sup>2</sup> | (0.09)%  |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Fee Reductions and/or Expense Reimbursements | 0.61% |

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<sup>1</sup> Other Expenses are based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.

<sup>2</sup> Brown Advisory LLC (the "Adviser" or "Brown Advisory") has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse certain expenses to the extent necessary to keep Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding any interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other costs and expenses relating to the securities that are purchased and sold by the Fund, any class-specific expenses (including distribution and service (12b-1) fees and shareholder servicing fees), dividend and interest expenses on securities sold short, acquired fund fees and expenses, fees and expenses incurred in connection with tax reclaim recovery services, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and non-routine expenses) (collectively, "excluded expenses")) from exceeding 0.61% of the average daily net assets of the Fund until January 31, 2027 (the "contractual expense limit"). In addition, the Adviser may receive from the Fund the difference between the Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including excluded expenses) and the contractual expense limit to recoup all or a portion of its prior fee waivers or expense reimbursements made during the rolling three-year period preceding the date of the recoupment if at any point Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (not including excluded expenses) are below the contractual expense limit (i) at the time of the fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement and (ii) at the time of the recoupment. The agreement may be terminated: (i) by the Board of Trustees (the "Board") of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III (the "Trust"), for any reason at any time; or (ii) by the Adviser, upon sixty (60) days' prior written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close of business on January 31, 2027. 

**Example** 

This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other funds.

The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses (including capped expenses for the period described in the footnote to the fee table) remain the same. This example does not include the brokerage commissions that investors may pay to buy and sell shares. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **1 Year** | **3 Years** |
| $62 | $205 |

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**Portfolio Turnover** 

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in total annual Fund operating expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. Because the Fund has not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus, it does not have portfolio turnover information to report.

**Principal Investment Strategies** 

The Fund is an actively-managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF"). Under normal conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of domestic companies that meet the sustainable investment criteria of the Fund, collectively the "Investment Criteria." The Fund invests primarily in the securities of medium and large capitalization companies that Brown Advisory LLC (the "Adviser") believes (1) have the fundamental strengths (strong financials and business models) to outperform their peers and deliver strong earnings growth over a market cycle, (2) effectively implement Sustainable Business Advantages (described below), and (3) have attractive valuations.

The Adviser seeks companies with strong business models and prospects for growth, cost improvements, enhanced franchise value,

strong cash flow generation, and a solid track record of execution, among other qualities. Through investment analysis the Adviser also seeks companies with Sustainable Business Advantages, defined as companies that use internal sustainability strategies to improve their financial position, including but not limited to, those strategies that lead to revenue growth, cost improvements, or enhanced franchise value. The Adviser also seeks companies that have strong risk management practices in place where sustainability-related risks may be present.

The Adviser pursues strategic engagement with companies and other stakeholders in an effort to enhance due diligence and monitor the investment thesis.

The Adviser considers each proxy voting proposal related to holdings in the Fund on its own merits and an independent determination is made based on the relevant facts and circumstances, in accordance with the Adviser's current Proxy Voting Policy.

Medium and large capitalization companies are, according to the Adviser, those companies with market capitalizations generally greater than $2 billion at time of purchase. The Fund may also invest a portion of the portfolio in equity securities of small market capitalization companies. The equity securities in which the Fund principally invests are common stocks. Furthermore, the Fund may invest up to 15% of assets in foreign securities (including American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs")), which may include emerging markets securities. Emerging market countries for these purposes consists of countries in Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and include, among other countries, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia and Taiwan. ADRs may be either sponsored or unsponsored. The Fund also may invest in real estate investment trusts ("REITs"). The Fund will generally hold securities of between 25 to 45 issuers.

The Adviser uses scenario analyses to assess the company's valuation and potential for appreciation or downside risk. The Adviser may sell a security or reduce its position for a number of reasons, including:

● The investment thesis is violated;

● A more attractively priced security is found; or

● The security becomes overvalued relative to the Adviser's long-term expectations.

The Adviser has engaged Vident Asset Management to serve as sub-adviser ("Sub-Adviser") for the Fund. The Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities for the Fund, including selecting broker-

dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the portfolio, pre- and post-trade compliance, and monitoring of Fund trading activity, subject to the oversight of the Adviser and the Board of Trustees.

**Principal Risks** 

As with all ETFs, there is no guarantee that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. You could lose money by investing in the Fund. **A Fund share is not a bank deposit and it is not insured or guaranteed by the FDIC or any other government agency.** The principal risk factors affecting shareholders' investments in the Fund are set forth below.

**ETF Risks** — The Fund is an ETF and, as a result of this structure, it is exposed to the following risks:

**Trading Risk** — Shares of the Fund may trade on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (the "Exchange") above or below their NAV. The NAV of shares of the Fund will fluctuate with changes in the market value of the Fund's holdings. In addition, although the Fund's shares are currently listed on the Exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for shares will develop or be maintained. Trading in Fund shares may be halted due to market conditions or for reasons that, in the view of the Exchange, make trading in shares of the Fund inadvisable.

**Limited Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Risk** — Because the Fund is an ETF, only a limited number of institutional investors (known as "Authorized Participants") are authorized to purchase and redeem shares directly from the Fund. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Fund shares may trade at a material discount to net asset value ("NAV") and possibly face delisting: (i) Authorized Participants exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other Authorized Participants step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions.

**Equity Risk** — The risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time, sometimes rapidly and unpredictably. The value of equity securities will fluctuate in response to factors affecting a particular company, as well as broader market and economic conditions. Broad

movements in financial markets may adversely affect the price of the Fund's investments, regardless of how well the companies in which the Fund invests perform. In addition, the impact of any epidemic, pandemic or natural disaster, or widespread fear that such events may occur, could negatively affect the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the markets in general in significant and unforeseen ways. Any such impact could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the securities and other instruments in which the Fund invests, which in turn could negatively impact the Fund's performance and cause losses on your investment in the Fund. Moreover, in the event of a company's bankruptcy, claims of certain creditors, including bondholders, will have priority over claims of common stockholders such as the Fund.

**Small and Medium Capitalization Companies Risk –** The risk that small and medium capitalization companies in which the Fund may invest may be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic events than larger, more established companies. In particular, small and medium capitalization companies may have limited product lines, markets and financial resources and may depend upon a relatively small management group. Therefore, small capitalization and medium capitalization stocks may be more volatile than those of larger companies. Small capitalization and medium capitalization stocks may be traded over-the-counter or listed on an exchange.

**Large Capitalization Risk –** The risk that larger, more established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. Larger companies also may not be able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies.

**Growth Investment Style Risk –** An investment in growth stocks may be susceptible to rapid price swings, especially during periods of economic uncertainty. Growth stocks typically have little or no dividend income to cushion the effect of adverse market conditions. In addition, growth stocks may be particularly volatile in the event of earnings disappointments or other financial difficulties experienced by the issuer.

**Sustainable Investing Policy Risk –** The Fund's consideration of sustainability criteria could cause it to make or avoid investments that could result in the Fund underperforming similar funds that do not consider such sustainability criteria.

**New Fund Risk –** Because the Fund is new, investors in the Fund bear the risk that the Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategy, may not employ a successful investment strategy, or may fail

to attract sufficient assets under management to realize economies of scale, any of which could result in the Fund being liquidated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Such liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders and will cause shareholders to incur expenses of liquidation.

**Management Risk –** The Fund is subject to the risk that the Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, value, or potential appreciation of the Fund's investments may prove to be incorrect. If the investments selected and strategies employed by the Fund fail to produce the intended results, the Fund could underperform in comparison to other funds with similar objectives and investment strategies.

**Foreign Company Risk –** Investing in foreign companies, including direct investments and investments through ADRs, poses additional risks since political and economic events unique to a country or region will affect those markets and their issuers. These risks will not necessarily affect the U.S. economy or similar issuers located in the United States. Securities of foreign companies may not be registered with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and foreign companies are generally not subject to the same level of regulatory controls imposed on U.S. issuers and, as a consequence, there is generally less publicly available information about foreign securities than is available about domestic securities. Income from foreign securities owned by the Fund may be reduced by a withholding tax at the source, which tax would reduce income received from the securities comprising the Fund's portfolio. Foreign securities may also be more difficult to value than securities of U.S. issuers and foreign markets and securities may be less liquid. In addition, periodic U.S. Government restrictions on investments in issuers from certain foreign countries may require the Fund to sell such investments at inopportune times, which could result in losses to the Fund. While ADRs provide an alternative to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their respective national markets and currencies, investments in ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.

**Emerging Markets Securities Risk** – Investments in emerging markets securities are considered speculative and subject to heightened risks in addition to the general risks of investing in foreign securities. Unlike more established markets, emerging markets may have governments that are less stable, markets that are less liquid and economies that are less developed. In addition, the securities markets of emerging market countries may consist of companies with smaller market capitalizations

and may suffer periods of relative illiquidity; significant price volatility; restrictions on foreign investment; and possible restrictions on repatriation of investment income and capital. Furthermore, foreign investors may be required to register the proceeds of sales, and future economic or political crises could lead to price controls, forced mergers, expropriation or confiscatory taxation, seizure, nationalization or creation of government monopolies.

**REITs Risk –** REITs are pooled investment vehicles that own, and usually operate, income-producing real estate. REITs are susceptible to the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, such as the following: declines in property values; increases in property taxes, operating expenses, interest rates or competition; overbuilding; zoning changes; and losses from casualty or condemnation. REITs typically incur fees that are separate from those of the Fund. Accordingly, the Fund's investments in REITs will result in the layering of expenses such that shareholders will indirectly bear a proportionate share of the REITs' operating expenses, in addition to paying Fund expenses. REIT operating expenses are not reflected in the fee table and example in this prospectus.

**Depositary Receipts Risk –** Investments in depositary receipts, such as ADRs and GDRs, may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying securities in their primary trading market. If a depositary receipt is denominated in a different currency than its underlying securities, the Fund will be subject to the currency risk of both the investment in the depositary receipt and the underlying security. Holders of depositary receipts may have limited or no rights to take action with respect to the underlying securities or to compel the issuer of the receipts to take action. The prices of depositary receipts may differ from the prices of securities upon which they are based. In addition, there is risk involved in investing in unsponsored depositary receipts, as there may be less information available about the underlying issuer than there is about an issuer of sponsored depositary receipts and the prices of unsponsored depositary receipts may be more volatile than those of sponsored depositary receipts.

**Performance Information** 

The Fund is new, and therefore has no performance history. Once the Fund has completed a full calendar year of operations, a bar chart and table will be included that will provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing the variability of the Fund's returns and comparing the Fund's performance to a broad measure of market performance.

Of course, the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) does not necessarily indicate how the Fund will perform in the future.

Current performance information is available on the Fund's website at https://www.brownadvisory.com/etf or by calling toll-free to 1-877-976-6383.

**Investment Adviser** 

Brown Advisory LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Fund.

**Investment Sub-Adviser** 

Vident Asset Management serves as the trading sub-adviser to the Fund.

**Portfolio Managers** 

The Fund is jointly and primarily managed by a team of the following professionals:

**Brown Advisory LLC**

Karina Funk, CFA, has served as the portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 2025.

David Powell, CFA, has served as the portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 2025.

**Vident Asset Management** 

The following portfolio managers are responsible for executing portfolio transactions and implementing the Adviser's investment decisions with respect to the Fund:

Rafael Zayas, CFA, Senior Vice President, Head of Portfolio Management and Trading of Vident Asset Management, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 2025.

Austin Wen, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager of Vident Asset Management, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 2025.

Devin Ryder, CFA, Senior Portfolio Manager of Vident Asset Management, has served as a portfolio manager of the Fund since its inception in 2025.

*For important information about the purchase and sale of Fund shares, taxes and financial intermediary compensation, please turn to "Summary Information about the Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares, Taxes and Financial Intermediary Compensation" on page 19 of the prospectus.*

**Summary Information about the Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares, Taxes and Financial Intermediary Compensation** 

Each Fund issues shares to (or redeems shares from) certain institutional investors known as "Authorized Participants" (typically market makers or other broker-dealers) only in large blocks of 10,000 shares known as "Creation Units." Creation Unit transactions are conducted in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a portfolio of in-kind securities designated by a Fund and/or cash.

Individual shares of a Fund may only be purchased and sold on the Exchange, other national securities exchanges, electronic crossing networks and other alternative trading systems through your broker-dealer at market prices. Because Fund shares trade at market prices rather than at NAV, Fund shares may trade at a price greater than NAV (premium) or less than NAV (discount). When buying or selling shares in the secondary market, you may incur costs attributable to the difference between the highest price a buyer is willing to pay to purchase shares of a Fund (bid) and the lowest price a seller is willing to accept for shares of a Fund (ask) (the "bid-ask spread"). When available, recent information regarding each Fund's NAV, market price, premiums and discounts, and bid-ask spreads will be available at https://www.brownadvisory.com/etf.

**Tax Information** 

Each Fund intends to make distributions that may be taxed as ordinary income, qualified dividend income or capital gains, unless you are investing through a tax-deferred arrangement, such as a 401(k) plan or individual retirement account ("IRA"), in which case your distribution will be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.

**Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries** 

If you purchase shares of the Funds through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Funds and their related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Funds over another investment. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's web site for more information.

**More Information about the Funds' Investment Objectives and Strategies** 

**Investment Objectives** 

The Brown Advisory Sustainable Value ETF seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation.

The Brown Advisory Sustainable Growth ETF seeks to achieve capital appreciation.

The investment objective of each Fund is not a fundamental policy and may be changed by the Board of Trustees (the "Board") of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III (the "Trust") without shareholder approval.

**Investment Strategies** 

***Brown Advisory Sustainable Value ETF***

The Fund is an actively-managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF"). Under normal conditions, the Adviser seeks to achieve the Fund's investment objective by investing at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities that satisfy the Fund's sustainable investment criteria. The Fund invests primarily in securities of large market capitalization companies that the Adviser deems to meet its "value" and "sustainable investment" criteria, collectively the "Investment Criteria" for the Fund. Large market capitalization companies are, according to the Adviser, those companies with market capitalizations generally greater than $3 billion at the time of purchase. The market capitalizations of the companies in the Fund's portfolio changes over time; the Fund will not automatically sell or cease to purchase stock of a company it already owns just because the company's market capitalization falls outside this range.

Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock, equity-equivalent securities such as convertible securities, stock futures contracts, equity options, American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), real estate investment trusts ("REITs"), other exchange traded funds ("ETFs") and business development companies ("BDCs"). The Fund may also invest in private placements in these types of securities. The Fund may invest in ETFs that have an investment objective similar to the Fund's or that otherwise are permitted investments with the Fund's investment policies described herein. ADRs are equity securities traded on U.S. securities exchanges, which are generally issued by banks or trust companies to evidence ownership of foreign equity securities. The Fund may invest up to 20% of its assets in foreign securities, including

in emerging markets. Emerging market countries for these purposes consists of countries in Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and include, among other countries, Brazil, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia and Taiwan. The Fund will generally hold securities of between 30 to 50 issuers.

The Adviser defines "value" as businesses that exhibit stable and consistent free cash flow generation, that display capital discipline and by demonstrating both prudent balance sheet management and capital expenditures, and that trade at attractive valuations because they provide a favorable reward versus risk outlook. The Fund invests primarily in equity securities that trade in the U.S. securities markets and that the Adviser believes are undervalued, broadly defined as trading at a discount to the estimated economic value of a company's underlying business. The Adviser uses a research-driven analysis that results in the Fund's portfolio having an emphasis on out-of-favor, cash-generating companies with durable business models, strong finances, competent management and a demonstrable record of prudent capital allocation. The Fund may also invest in cyclical companies or companies that have experienced a temporary setback if the valuation of the company is at an appropriate discount to the long-term earnings potential of the company.

The Adviser defines its sustainable investment criteria as companies that have sustainability characteristics that may improve their financial position and have strong management of sustainability-related risks. The Adviser looks for companies with Sustainable Cash Flow Advantage ("SCFA") over time. SCFA is part of the broader research process. A majority of the Fund will consist of securities with established or emerging SCFA. SCFA's have one or more of the following drivers:

● People: For example:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;o Attraction, retention and internal promotion of employees drives cost savings while also creating a cultural advantage.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;o Leadership on health and safety has the potential to serve as both a mechanism for improved employee retention and generation of revenue tied to greater productivity.

● Process: For example:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;o Sound operations that promote a safe and healthy community can bolster franchise value, while also avoiding regulatory and reputational risk.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;o Margin improvement through operations that save costs and resources, enabling meaningful reduction in carbon emissions and natural capital.

● Product: For example:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;o Products or services that provide superior customer outcomes resulting in recurring revenue while also providing environmental and/or social solutions.

The Adviser pursues strategic engagement with certain companies and other stakeholders in an effort to enhance due diligence and monitor the investment thesis, including emerging SCFA.

The Adviser does not systematically exclude investments based on any singular characteristic. The Adviser is permitted to invest in a security if it determines the security has acceptable management of risks including sustainability-related issues notwithstanding contrary third-party data or third-party recommendations.

The Adviser has access to third-party data, but does not solely rely on third-party data or recommendations when making investment decisions for the Fund. The data informing this process is derived from a variety of sources, including the companies themselves and third-party sources. The Fund's vendors provide sell-side data as well as environmental, social or governance related data, research and ratings. The Adviser believes its process is reasonably designed, although such data and qualitative information are inherently subject to interpretation, restatement, delay and omission outside the Adviser's control.

The Adviser considers each proxy voting proposal related to holdings in the Fund on its own merits and an independent determination is made based on the relevant facts and circumstances, in consideration of the Adviser's current Proxy Voting Policy.

**The Adviser's Process.** The Adviser seeks investment opportunities in companies with valuations whose market prices are selling at a discount to their estimated intrinsic business values. The Adviser's valuation discipline attempts to estimate the range of a company's business value by considering past, current or future earnings, cash flows, book value, sales or growth rates relative to the company's history, industry, or the broader market. The Adviser seeks to find companies that:

● Have durable free cash flow streams;

● Exhibit capital discipline; and

● Often trade at price levels which do not reflect the Adviser's assessment of their fundamental economic value.

If a valuation analysis indicates that a company is priced at an appropriate discount to its long-term earnings potential, the Fund

may also invest in cyclical companies or companies that experienced a temporary setback. These may include companies that the Adviser believes are:

● Extremely oversold or neglected due to adverse events or complex capital structures;

● Mired in company-specific or industry-related turnarounds;

● Undergoing financial or operational restructuring, including spin-offs, reorganizations, liquidations, mergers and acquisitions.

The Adviser seeks catalysts or inflection points that may unlock shareholder value by narrowing the gap between current market price and underlying business value. Examples of catalysts or inflection points include:

● Changes in regulation, management, or business mix;

● Industry consolidation;

● Cost reduction initiatives;

● Acquisition or merger activity;

● New products or investments;

● Share repurchases;

● Asset sales; or

● Cyclical recoveries.

The Adviser seeks a measure of downside protection for the Fund by purchasing investments for the Fund's portfolio whose risk-reward relationship meets certain criteria established by the Adviser. More specifically, the Adviser estimates a reasonable worst case low price for each security and rejects those that have unacceptable spreads between that price and the company's current stock price.

**The Adviser's Process – Purchasing Portfolio Securities.** The Adviser performs an in-depth qualitative and quantitative analysis to distinguish companies that the Adviser believes may exhibit some of the following characteristics:

● Free cash flow providing flexibility for growth and/or return of shareholder value;

● High and/or increasing returns on capital;

● Hidden asset value or operations unrecognized by the market;

● Durable and/or expanding profitability;

● Market leadership and/or market share growth potential;

● Financial stability, including strong balance sheet and modest use of debt;

● Effective management team sensitive to shareholder interests;

● Sound business strategy and competitive advantages;

● Franchise value defensible by proprietary products, differentiated services or systems, customer captivity, lowest-cost production, or identifiable brands;

● Product cycles, pricing flexibility, rational investment or new product development, and segment or geographic mix that supports stability and growth; or

● Attractive valuation.

Additionally, the Adviser undertakes due diligence, with the goal of uncovering Sustainable Cash Flow Advantages and sustainability-related risks associated with the company. The Adviser considers a variety of characteristics in due diligence, including but not limited to:

● Climate and natural capital characteristics such as natural resource stewardship, pollution, and waste management

● Community and human capital management characteristics such as labor practices, customer well-being, supply chain management, community relations, governance structures, shareholder rights, management incentives, and business ethics.

**The Adviser's Process – Selling Portfolio Securities.** The Adviser monitors the companies in the Fund's portfolio to determine if there have been any material changes in the companies. The Adviser may sell a security or reduce its position if:

● The security no longer meets the Fund's Investment Criteria;

● The security has reached its target price level and reward to risk ratio is unattractive;

● The security is no longer valued at a discount to its intrinsic economic value, or is overvalued relative to market expectations;

● The company's fundamentals change in a material, long-term manner or are no longer reliable in estimating the underlying business value;

● Unrealized catalysts or management inability to enhance shareholder value result in "value trap;"

● A more attractively valued alternative, either existing holding or new investment, offers greater reward to risk potential;

● The security becomes too large of a position size; or

● Any other factors may contribute to under-performance.

***Brown Advisory Sustainable Growth ETF***

The Fund is an actively-managed exchange-traded fund ("ETF"). Under normal conditions, the Fund invests at least 80% of the value of its net assets (plus any borrowings for investment purposes) in equity securities of domestic companies that meet the sustainable investment criteria of the Fund, collectively the "Investment Criteria." The Fund invests primarily in the securities of medium and large capitalization companies that, in the Adviser's view, (1) have the fundamental strengths (strong financials and business models) to outperform their peers and deliver strong earnings growth over a market cycle, (2) effectively implement Sustainable Business Advantages (such as revenue growth, cost improvements, or enhanced franchise value), and (3) have attractive valuations.

Medium and large capitalization companies are, according to the Adviser, those companies with market capitalizations generally greater than $2 billion at time of purchase. The Fund may also invest a portion of the portfolio in equity securities of small market capitalization companies.

Equity securities in which the Fund principally invests are common stocks. Common stocks are equity securities that represent a proportionate share of the ownership of a company; their value is generally based on the success of the company's business, any income paid to stockholders, the value of its assets and general market conditions. Furthermore, the Fund may invest up to 15% of assets in foreign securities (including American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs")), which may include emerging markets securities. ADRs may be either sponsored or unsponsored. The Fund also may invest in real estate investment trusts ("REITs"). The Fund will generally hold securities of between 25 to 45 issuers.

The Adviser seeks companies with strong business models and prospects for growth, cost improvements, enhanced franchise value, strong cash flow generation, and a solid track record of execution, among other qualities. Through investment analysis the Adviser also seeks companies with Sustainable Business

Advantages, defined as companies that use internal sustainability strategies to improve their financial position, including but not limited to, those strategies that lead to revenue growth, cost improvements, or enhanced franchise value. The Adviser also seeks companies that have strong risk management practices in place where sustainability-related risks may be present.

The Adviser leverages research that seeks to understand fundamental and sustainability characteristics for every security added to the portfolio. However, at the Adviser's discretion, the Fund is permitted to make an investment without a written sustainable investment research assessment on file at the time of purchase, as long as the Adviser believes the security meets the Fund's sustainable investment criteria.

The Adviser pursues strategic engagement with companies and other stakeholders in an effort to enhance due diligence and monitor the investment thesis.

In the Adviser's view, a company must satisfy one of the following definitions in order to meet the Fund's sustainable investment criteria:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**(1) The company's internal sustainability strategies lead to one or more Sustainable Business Advantages (such as revenue growth, cost improvements, or enhanced franchise value) or that lead to reduced risk to a company's prospects for growth.**

The Adviser believes that a company's sustainability performance and its level of commitment to sustainability can have a significant influence on its financial performance. Sustainable business practices can lead to cost advantages, quality improvements and improved profitability. Growing consumer preferences for sustainability practices may lead not only to increased customer loyalty but to increased employee loyalty as well. Finally, a company that makes effort to minimize the risk of negative impacts on employees, customers, and communities where it operates can also reduce the risks of direct consequences such as lawsuits, regulatory violations, and other disruptive events that can adversely impact shareholder value. Companies considered for the Fund are also actively managing how they deal with the indirect consequences of sustainability-related risks, such as reduced demand for goods that are not energy-efficient, the potential long-terms risks and physical costs of climate change, or challenges attracting talent when human capital management is not prioritized.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**(2) The company's products have a competitive advantage as a result of sustainability drivers such as resource efficient design or manufacturing.** 

Manufacturing processes that incorporate sustainability practices may drive top- and bottom-line benefits by virtue of being resource efficient. Increased productivity, lower materials use, smaller waste streams, and lower emissions are some of the sustainability characteristics of efficient operations and manufacturing. The tangible financial benefits of such performance may include higher gross margins due to input resource efficiency, or increased productivity and greater operating leverage. The "use" phase of a product is also likely to have environmental impacts, and leading sustainability companies take this into account in their product design. Sustainability considerations in product design may confer a competitive advantage that exceeds customers' cost and quality requirements such as smaller size, less wasted materials, or a longer product lifetime.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;**(3) The company provides products or services that offer effective solutions to the world's long-term sustainability challenges.**

The Adviser believes that companies providing solutions to pressing sustainability challenges will benefit from a variety of factors, including:

● The need to address a developing scenario of global scarcity in energy, water and other commodity markets;

● Unsustainable trends in agriculture, with ever-increasing global demand creating a significant need to improve crop yields;

● Population growth and the rising middle class around the world with voracious appetites for transportation fuel, clean and hot water, electricity, and other comforts that must be achieved in a sustainable way;

● Increasing corporate demand for specialized services to meet a widening array of environmental regulations being implemented across the globe; and

● Rapid advances in new technologies that are enabling cost-competitive solutions to environmental and social challenges.

Finally, the Adviser uses scenario analyses to assess the company's valuation and potential for appreciation or downside risk.

**The Adviser's Process – Purchasing Portfolio Securities.** The Adviser uses in-house resources to identify companies that meet the Fund's sustainable investment criteria, appear to have strong, experienced

management teams, unique competitive advantages and substantial growth opportunities within their relevant market(s).

When a company appears to meet these criteria, the Adviser initiates an in-depth fundamental research process to evaluate the company's long-term earnings growth potential and the long-term durability of its business model. This fundamental research includes a business-focused assessment of opportunities, such as particular product lines which satisfy demand for a sustainable solution, or a business model whose sustainability attributes convey an overall cost advantage or other advantage to the company. Desirable fundamental characteristics include:

● Strong competitive position driven by proprietary product advantages, technology leadership, scale or other factors;

● Reliable external growth drivers;

● Diversified revenue streams, from multiple customer segments, geographies and business lines;

● Management teams with a track record of effective capital allocation and strategic execution, as well as the ability to anticipate and adapt to change; and

● Financial resources necessary to support long-term growth.

Additionally, the Adviser undertakes due diligence, with the goal of understanding Sustainable Business Advantages or sustainability-related risks associated with the company. The Adviser considers a variety of characteristics in due diligence, including but not limited to:

● Climate and natural capital characteristics such as natural resource stewardship, pollution, and waste management

● Community and human capital management characteristics such as labor practices, customer well-being, supply chain management, community relations, governance structures, shareholder rights, management incentives, and business ethics.

The Adviser does not systematically exclude investments based on any singular characteristic. The Adviser is permitted to invest in a security if it determines the security has acceptable management of risks including sustainability-related issues notwithstanding contrary third-party data or third-party recommendations.

The Adviser has access to third-party data, but does not solely rely on third-party data or recommendations when making investment decisions for the Fund. The data informing this process is derived from

a variety of sources, including the companies themselves and third-party sources. The Fund's vendors provide sell-side data as well as environmental, social or governance related data, research and ratings. The Adviser believes its process is reasonably designed, although such data and qualitative information are inherently subject to interpretation, restatement, delay and omission outside the Adviser's control.

The Adviser considers each proxy voting proposal related to holdings in the Fund on its own merits and an independent determination is made based on the relevant facts and circumstances, in consideration of the Adviser's current Proxy Voting Policy.

When a company is judged to be a worthy candidate for the Fund's portfolio, the Adviser uses a variety of valuation techniques to determine if a company's stock is attractively valued relative to the market, its peer group, and its own history. These techniques include the use of financial models designed to determine the Adviser's assessment of the upside potential for a security implied by a reasonable "best case" scenario, contrasted with the downside risk implied by a reasonable "worst case" scenario. Purchase decisions, initial position sizes, and ongoing adjustments to position size are largely based on the stock's current valuation as measured against the range of values between these "best case" and "worst case" scenarios. In addition to regularly monitoring each stock's price relative to its respective scenarios, the Adviser frequently refreshes the scenarios themselves to ensure fully informed decision-making.

**The Adviser's Process – Selling Portfolio Securities.** The Adviser regularly monitors the companies in the Fund's portfolio to determine if there have been any fundamental changes in those companies. The Adviser may sell a security or reduce its position if:

● The investment thesis is violated;

● A more attractively priced security is found; or

● The security becomes overvalued relative to the Adviser's long-term expectations.

***Both Funds*** 

The Adviser has engaged Vident Asset Management to serve as sub-adviser ("Sub-Adviser") for each Fund. The Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities for the Funds, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the portfolio, pre- and post-

trade compliance, and monitoring of Fund trading activity, subject to the oversight of the Adviser and the Board of Trustees.

The investments and strategies described in this prospectus are those that each Fund uses under normal conditions. During unusual economic or market conditions, or for temporary defensive or liquidity purposes, a Fund may, but is not obligated to, invest up to 100% of its assets in money market instruments and other cash equivalents that would not ordinarily be consistent with its investment objective. If a Fund invests in this manner, it may cause the Fund to forgo greater investment returns for the safety of principal and the Fund may therefore not achieve its investment objective. A Fund will only do so if the Adviser believes that the risk of loss outweighs the opportunity to pursue the Fund's investment objective.

This prospectus describes the Funds' principal investment strategies, and the Funds will normally invest in the types of securities and other investments described in this prospectus. In addition to the securities and other investments and strategies described in this prospectus, the Funds also may invest to a lesser extent in other securities, use other strategies and engage in other investment practices that are not part of its principal investment strategies. These investments and strategies, as well as those described in this prospectus, are described in detail in the Funds' SAI (for information on how to obtain a copy of the SAI see the back cover of this prospectus). Of course, there is no guarantee that a Fund will achieve its investment goals.

**More Information about Risk** 

Investing in the Funds involves risk and there is no guarantee that a Fund will achieve its goals. The Adviser's judgments about the markets, the economy, or companies may not anticipate actual market movements, economic conditions or company performance, and these judgments may affect the return on your investment. In fact, no matter how good of a job the Adviser does, you could lose money on your investment a Fund, just as you could with similar investments.

The value of your investment in a Fund is based on the value of the securities the Fund holds. These prices change daily due to economic and other events that affect particular companies and other issuers. These price movements, sometimes called volatility, may be greater or lesser depending on the types of securities a Fund owns and the markets in which they trade. The effect on a Fund of a change in the value of a single security will depend on how widely the Fund diversifies its holdings.

The principal risk factors affecting shareholders' investments in the Funds (in alphabetical order) are set forth below.

**Convertible Securities Risk** *(Sustainable Value ETF)* **-** Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stock or other securities that may be converted into or exercised for a prescribed amount of common stock at a specified time and price. Convertible securities provide an opportunity for equity participation, with the potential for a higher dividend or interest yield and lower price volatility compared to common stock. Convertible securities typically pay a lower interest rate than nonconvertible bonds of the same quality and maturity because of the conversion feature. The value of a convertible security is influenced by changes in interest rates, with investment value typically declining as interest rates increase and increasing as interest rates decline, and the credit standing of the issuer. The price of a convertible security will also normally vary in some proportion to changes in the price of the underlying common stock because of the conversion or exercise feature.

**Depositary Receipts Risk** *(Both Funds)* – American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs") are typically trust receipts issued by a U.S. bank or trust company that evidence an indirect interest in underlying securities issued by a foreign entity. Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs"), and other types of depositary receipts (collectively, "Depositary Receipts") are typically issued by non-U.S. banks or financial institutions to evidence an interest in underlying securities issued by either a U.S. or a non-U.S. entity. Investments in non-U.S. issuers through ADRs, GDRs, EDRs, and other types of Depositary Receipts generally involve risks applicable to other types of investments in non-U.S. issuers. Investments in Depositary Receipts may be less liquid and more volatile than the underlying securities in their primary trading market. If a Depositary Receipt is denominated in a different currency than its underlying securities, a Fund will be subject to the currency risk of both the investment in the Depositary Receipt and the underlying security. The values of Depositary Receipts may decline for a number of reasons relating to the issuers or sponsors of the Depositary Receipts, including, but not limited to, insolvency of the issuer or sponsor. Holders of Depositary Receipts may have limited or no rights to take action with respect to the underlying securities or to compel the issuer of the receipts to take action. The prices of Depositary Receipts may differ from the prices of securities upon which they are based. In addition, there is risk involved in investing in unsponsored depositary receipts, as there may be less information available about the underlying issuer than there is about an issuer of sponsored depositary receipts

and the prices of unsponsored depositary receipts may be more volatile than those of sponsored depositary receipts.

**Emerging Markets Risk** *(Both Funds)* - Emerging market countries may be more likely to experience political turmoil or rapid changes in market or economic conditions than more developed countries. Emerging market countries often have less uniformity in accounting and reporting requirements and unreliable securities valuation. It is sometimes difficult to obtain and enforce court judgments in such countries and there is often a greater potential for nationalization and/or expropriation of assets by the government of an emerging market country. In addition, the financial stability of issuers (including governments) in emerging market countries may be more precarious than in other countries. As a result, there will tend to be an increased risk of price volatility associated with a Fund's investments in emerging market countries, which may be magnified by currency fluctuations relative to the U.S. dollar.

**Equity Risk** *(Both Funds)* – Because the Funds invest in equity securities, a Fund is subject to the risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time. Historically, the equity markets have moved in cycles, and the value of a Fund's securities may fluctuate drastically from day to day. Individual companies may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The prices of securities issued by such companies may suffer a decline in response. The market as a whole may not favor the types of investments a Fund makes. Many factors can adversely affect a security's performance, including both general financial market conditions and factors related to a specific company, industry or geographic region. In addition, the impact of any epidemic, pandemic or natural disaster, or widespread fear that such events may occur, could negatively affect the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the markets in general in significant and unforeseen ways. Any such impact could adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the securities and other instruments in which a Fund invests, which in turn could negatively impact the Fund's performance and cause losses on your investment in the Fund. Recent examples include pandemic risks related to COVID-19 and aggressive measures taken worldwide in response by governments, including closing borders, restricting international and domestic travel, and the imposition of prolonged quarantines of large populations, and by businesses, including changes to operations and reducing staff. During a general economic downturn in the securities markets, multiple asset classes may be negatively affected. In the case of foreign stocks, these fluctuations will reflect

international economic and political events, as well as changes in currency valuations relative to the U.S. dollar. These factors contribute to price volatility, which is a principal risk of investing in a Fund.

**ETF Risks** *(Both Funds)* – Each Fund is an ETF and, as a result of this structure, they are exposed to the following risks:

**Trading Risk** – Although Fund shares are listed for trading on a listing exchange, there can be no assurance that an active trading market for such shares will develop or be maintained. Secondary market trading in Fund shares may be halted by a listing exchange because of market conditions or for other reasons. In addition, trading in a Fund's shares is subject to trading halts caused by extraordinary market volatility pursuant to "circuit breaker" rules. There can be no assurance that the requirements necessary to maintain the listing of a Fund's shares will continue to be met or will remain unchanged.

Shares of a Fund may trade at, above or below their most recent NAV. The per share NAV of a Fund is calculated at the end of each business day and fluctuates with changes in the market value of the Fund's holdings since the prior most recent calculation. The trading prices of a Fund's shares will fluctuate continuously throughout trading hours based on market supply and demand. The trading prices of a Fund's shares may deviate significantly from NAV during periods of market volatility. These factors, among others, may lead to a Fund's shares trading at a premium or discount to NAV. However, given that shares can be created and redeemed only in Creation Units at NAV, the Adviser does not believe that large discounts or premiums to NAV will exist for extended periods of time. While the creation/redemption feature is designed to make it likely that a Fund's shares normally will trade close to a Fund's NAV, exchange prices are not expected to correlate exactly with a Fund's NAV due to timing reasons as well as market supply and demand factors. In addition, disruptions to creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from NAV. If a shareholder purchases at a time when the market price of a Fund is at a premium to its NAV or sells at time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses.

Investors buying or selling shares of a Fund in the secondary market will pay brokerage commissions or other charges imposed by brokers as determined by that broker. Brokerage commissions are often a fixed amount and may be a significant proportional cost for investors seeking to buy or sell relatively small amounts of shares.

In addition, secondary market investors will also incur the cost of the difference between the price that an investor is willing to pay for shares (the "bid" price) and the price at which an investor is willing to sell shares (the "ask" price). This difference in bid and ask prices is often referred to as the "spread" or "bid/ask spread." The bid/ask spread varies over time for shares based on trading volume and market liquidity and is generally lower if a Fund's shares have more trading volume and market liquidity and higher if a Fund's shares have little trading volume and market liquidity. Further, increased market volatility may cause increased bid/ask spreads. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares of a Fund, including bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of such shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in a Fund's shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments.

**Limited Authorized Participants, Market Makers and Liquidity Providers Risk** – Only an Authorized Participant may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with a Fund. Each Fund has a limited number of financial institutions that may act as Authorized Participants. In addition, there may be a limited number of market makers and/or liquidity providers in the marketplace. To the extent either of the following events occur, Fund shares may trade at a material discount to NAV and possibly face delisting: (i) Authorized Participants exit the business or otherwise become unable to process creation and/or redemption orders and no other Authorized Participants step forward to perform these services, or (ii) market makers and/or liquidity providers exit the business or significantly reduce their business activities and no other entities step forward to perform their functions. An active trading market for shares of a Fund may not develop or be maintained, and, particularly during times of market stress, Authorized Participants or market makers may step away from their respective roles in making a market in shares of a Fund and in executing purchase or redemption orders. This could, in turn, lead to variances between the market price of a Fund's shares and the value of its underlying securities.

**Foreign Investment Risk** *(Both Funds)* - The Funds may invest in foreign issuers. Investing in issuers located in foreign countries poses distinct risks because political and economic events unique to a country or region will affect those markets and their issuers. These events will not necessarily affect the U.S. economy or similar issuers located in the United States. In addition, investments in foreign countries are generally denominated in a foreign currency. As a result, changes in the value

of those currencies compared to the U.S. dollar may affect (positively or negatively) the value of a Fund's investments. These currency movements may happen separately from and in response to events that do not otherwise affect the value of the security in the issuer's home country. Additionally, periodic U.S. Government restrictions on investments in issuers from certain foreign countries may result in a Fund having to sell such prohibited securities at inopportune times. Such prohibited securities may have less liquidity as a result of such U.S. Government designation and the market price of such prohibited securities may decline, which may cause a Fund to incur losses.

**Growth Style Risk** *(Sustainable Growth ETF)* – An investment in growth stocks may be susceptible to rapid price swings, especially during periods of economic uncertainty. Growth stocks typically have little or no dividend income to cushion the effect of adverse market conditions. In addition, growth stocks may be particularly volatile in the event of earnings disappointments or other financial difficulties experienced by the issuer.

**Investments in Investment Company Risk** *(Sustainable Value ETF)* – The Fund may purchase shares of investment companies. When a Fund invests in an investment company, it will bear a pro rata portion of the investment company's expenses in addition to directly bearing the expenses associated with its own operations. Such expenses may make owning shares of an investment company more costly than owning the underlying securities directly. In part because of these additional expenses, the performance of an investment company may differ from the performance the Fund would achieve if it invested directly in the underlying investments of the investment company. In addition, while the risks of owning shares of an investment company generally reflect the risks of owning the underlying investments of the investment company, the Fund may be subject to additional or different risks than if the Fund had invested directly in the underlying investments.

**Large Capitalization Risk** *(Both Funds)* – If valuations of large capitalization companies appear to be greatly out of proportion to the valuations of small or medium capitalization companies, investors may migrate to the stocks of small and medium-sized companies. Additionally, larger, more established companies may be unable to respond quickly to new competitive challenges such as changes in technology and consumer tastes. Larger companies also may not be able to attain the high growth rates of successful smaller companies.

**Management Risk** *(Both Funds)* – The Funds are subject to the risk that the Adviser's judgments about the attractiveness, value, or potential

appreciation of a Fund's investments may prove to be incorrect. In addition, the prices of common stocks move up and down in response to corporate earnings and developments, economic and market conditions and anticipated events. Individual issuers may report poor results or be negatively affected by industry and/or economic trends and developments. The Funds' investment success depends on the skill of the Adviser in evaluating, selecting and monitoring the portfolio assets. If the Adviser's conclusions about growth rates or securities values are incorrect, a Fund may not perform as anticipated.

**New Fund Risk** *(Both Funds)* – Because the Funds are new, investors in the Funds bear the risk that a Fund may not be successful in implementing its investment strategy, may not employ a successful investment strategy, or may fail to attract sufficient assets under management to realize economies of scale, any of which could result in the Fund being liquidated at any time without shareholder approval and at a time that may not be favorable for all shareholders. Such liquidation could have negative tax consequences for shareholders and will cause shareholders to incur expenses of liquidation.

**Preferred Stock Risk** *(Sustainable Value ETF)* - Preferred stocks in which the Fund may invest are sensitive to interest rate changes, and are also subject to equity risk, which is the risk that stock prices will fall over short or extended periods of time. The rights of preferred stocks on the distribution of a company's assets in the event of a liquidation are generally subordinate to the rights associated with a company's debt securities.

**Private Placements Risk** *(Sustainable Value ETF)* - Investment in privately placed securities may be less liquid than in publicly traded securities. Although these securities may be resold in privately negotiated transactions, the prices realized from these sales could be less than those originally paid by the Fund or less than what may be considered the fair value of such securities. Furthermore, companies whose securities are not publicly traded may not be subject to the disclosure and other investor protection requirements that might be applicable if their securities were publicly traded.

**Shareholder Concentration Risk** *(Sustainable Value ETF)* - A large percentage of a Fund's shares are held by a small number of shareholders, including persons and entities related to the Adviser. A large redemption by one or more of these shareholders could materially increase a Fund's transaction costs, which would negatively impact the Fund's performance and could cause adverse tax consequences for the remaining shareholders of the Fund.

**Small and Medium Capitalization Companies Risk** *(Sustainable Growth ETF)* – Investing in equity securities of small and medium capitalization companies often involves greater risk than is customarily associated with investments in larger capitalization companies. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of smaller size companies, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and the frequent lack of depth of management. Stock prices

of smaller companies may be based in substantial part on future expectations rather than current achievements. The securities of smaller companies are often traded over-the-counter and, even if listed on a national securities exchange, may not be traded in volumes typical for that exchange. Consequently, the securities of smaller companies may be less liquid, may have limited market stability and may be subject to more severe, abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established companies or the market averages in general. Further, smaller companies may have less publicly available information and, when available, it may be inaccurate or incomplete.

**Sustainable Investing Policy Risk** *(Both Funds)* – Each Fund's consideration of sustainability criteria could cause it to make or avoid investments that could result in a Fund underperforming similar funds that do not consider such sustainability criteria.

**REITs Risk** *(Both Funds)* - REITs are trusts that invest primarily in commercial real estate or real estate-related loans. By investing in REITs indirectly through a Fund, shareholders will not only bear the proportionate share of the expenses of the Fund, but will also, indirectly, bear the expenses of the REITs. A Fund may be subject to certain risks associated with the direct investments of the REITs. REITs may be affected by changes in the value of their underlying properties and by defaults by borrowers or tenants.

Some REITs may have limited diversification and may be subject to risks inherent in financing a limited number of properties. REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders or unitholders, and may be subject to defaults by borrowers and to self-liquidations. In addition, a U.S. REIT may be affected by its failure to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code"), or its failure to maintain exemption from registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act").

**Value Style Risk** *(Sustainable Value ETF)* – The Adviser's value investment style may increase the risks of investing in the Fund. If the Adviser's assessment of market conditions, or a company's value or prospects for exceeding earnings expectations is inaccurate, the Fund could suffer losses or produce poor performance relative to other funds. In addition, "value stocks" can continue to be undervalued by the market for long periods of time.

**Information About Portfolio Holdings** 

A description of the Funds' policies and procedures with respect to the circumstances under which each Fund discloses its portfolio holdings is available in the SAI.

**Investment Adviser** 

Brown Advisory LLC serves as the investment adviser to the Funds. The Adviser's principal place of business is 901 South Bond Street, Suite 400, Baltimore, Maryland 21231. The Adviser is a wholly owned subsidiary of Brown Advisory Management, LLC, a Maryland limited liability company. Brown Advisory Management, LLC is controlled by Brown Advisory Incorporated, a holding company incorporated under the laws of Maryland in 1998. The Adviser and its affiliates have provided investment advisory and management services to clients for over 25 years.

As of December 31, 2024, the Adviser had approximately $121.9 billion in assets under management.

The Adviser oversees the day-to-day operations of the Funds, subject to the oversight of the Board. The Adviser also arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration, distribution and all other services necessary for the Funds to operate. Further, the Adviser continuously reviews, supervises, and administers each Fund's investment program. In particular, the Adviser provides investment and operational oversight of the Sub-Adviser. The Board oversees the Adviser and establishes policies that the Adviser must follow in its day-to-day management activities.

For its services to the Funds, the Adviser is entitled to a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at the following annual rates based on the average daily net assets of each Fund:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| &nbsp;&nbsp;**Fund** | &nbsp;&nbsp;**Advisory Fee** |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;Brown Advisory Sustainable Value ETF | &nbsp;&nbsp;0.67% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;Brown Advisory Sustainable Growth ETF | &nbsp;&nbsp;0.58% |

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The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to keep total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding any interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other costs and expenses relating to the securities that are purchased and sold by the Fund, any class-specific expenses (including distribution

and service (12b-1) fees and shareholder servicing fees), dividend and interest expenses on securities sold short, acquired fund fees and expenses, fees and expenses incurred in connection with tax reclaim recovery services, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and non-routine expenses)] (collectively, "excluded expenses")) from exceeding the levels set forth below as a percentage of the average daily net assets of each Fund until January 31, 2027 (the "contractual expense limit").

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| &nbsp;&nbsp;**Fund** | &nbsp;&nbsp;**Contractual Expense Limit** |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;Brown Advisory Sustainable Value ETF | &nbsp;&nbsp;0.71% |
| &nbsp;&nbsp;Brown Advisory Sustainable Growth ETF | &nbsp;&nbsp;0.61% |

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In addition, the Adviser may receive from a Fund the difference between the total annual Fund operating expenses (not including excluded expenses) and the contractual expense limit to recoup all or a portion of its prior fee waivers or expense reimbursements made during the rolling three-year period preceding the date of the recoupment if at any point total annual Fund operating expenses (not including excluded expenses) are below the contractual expense limit (i) at the time of the fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement and (ii) at the time of the recoupment. The agreement may be terminated: (i) by the Board, for any reason at any time; or (ii) by the Adviser, upon sixty (60) days' prior written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close of business on January 31, 2027.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Funds' investment advisory agreement will be available in the Funds' reports filed on Form N-CSR for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2025.

**Investment Sub-Adviser** 

Vident Asset Management, a Delaware limited liability company located at 1125 Sanctuary Pkwy., Suite 515, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009, serves as the sub-adviser to the Funds. As of March 31, 2025, the Sub-Adviser had approximately $13.92 billion under management.

The Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities for the Funds, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of the portfolio, pre- and post-trade compliance, and monitoring of Fund trading activity, subject to the oversight of the Adviser and the Board.

For its services to each Fund, the Sub-Adviser is entitled to a fee from the Adviser, which fee is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.05% based on the average daily net assets of the Fund for assets up to $250 million, 0.04% based on the average daily net assets of the Fund when assets exceed $250 million, and 0.01% based on the average daily net assets of the Fund when assets exceed $1 billion, subject to a minimum annual fee of $30,000.

A discussion regarding the basis for the Board's approval of the Funds' investment sub-advisory agreement will be available in the Funds' first Annual or Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders.

**Portfolio Managers** 

**Brown Advisory LLC** 

Michael Poggi, CFA, has served as a portfolio manager of the Brown Advisory Sustainable Value ETF since its inception in 2025. Mr. Poggi joined the Adviser's equity research team in 2003, covering multiple sectors with a primary focus on small and mid-capitalization value companies. Mr. Poggi earned his B.S.B.A. in Finance from the University of Richmond in 2003.

Karina Funk, CFA, has served as a portfolio manager of the Brown Advisory Sustainable Growth ETF since its inception in 2025. Ms. Funk joined the Adviser's equity research team in 2009, with a focus on companies in the clean technology sector. Prior to joining the Adviser, Ms. Funk was a senior research analyst at Winslow Management Company from 2007 prior to Winslow joining Brown Advisory in 2009. Ms. Funk earned a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Purdue University, an M.S. in Civil & Environmental Engineering and an M.S. in Technology & Policy from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and a Post-Graduate Diploma from École Polytechnique in France.

David Powell, CFA, has served as a portfolio manager of the Brown Advisory Sustainable Growth ETF since its inception in 2025. Mr. Powell joined the Adviser's equity research team in 1999, with a focus on companies in the energy and industrials sectors. Mr. Powell earned a B.A. from Bowdoin College.

**Vident Asset Management** 

Rafael Zayas, CFA and Austin Wen, CFA are portfolio managers of the Funds and are responsible for executing portfolio transactions and implementing the Adviser's investment decisions with respect to the

Funds. Each portfolio manager has been a portfolio manager since the Funds' inception in 2025.

Rafael Zayas: Senior Vice President, Head of Portfolio Management and Trading at Vident Asset Management since June 2020. Mr. Zayas has over 15 years of trading and portfolio management experience in global equity products and ETFs. Prior to joining the Sub-Adviser, Mr. Zayas was a Portfolio Manager for Russell Investments for over $5 billion in quantitative strategies across global markets, including emerging, developed, and frontier markets and listed alternatives. Before that, he was an equity Portfolio Manager at BNY Mellon Asset Management, where he was responsible for $150 million in internationally listed global equity ETFs and assisted in managing $3 billion of global ETF assets. Mr. Zayas holds a BS in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University. He also holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Austin Wen: Senior Portfolio Manager at Vident Asset Management, specializing in portfolio management and trading of equity, derivative, and commodities-based portfolios, as well as risk monitoring and investment analysis. Mr. Wen has over a decade of investment experience. Previously, he was an analyst for Vident Financial, LLC, focusing on the development and review of various investment solutions. He began his career as a State Examiner for the Georgia Department of Banking and Finance. Mr. Wen obtained a BA in Finance from the University of Georgia and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Devin Ryder: Senior Portfolio Manager at Vident Asset Management. Devin Ryder is a member of the Portfolio Management team at Vident Asset Management with over five years of industry experience. Prior to joining Vident Asset Management, Ms. Ryder was a Senior Software Engineer at Bloomberg, where she designed and built systems to connect ETF market participants and facilitate ETF primary market transactions. Before that, she was a Portfolio Manager at ETF Managers Group, where she specialized in domestic and international equity thematic strategies. Ms. Ryder holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics of Finance and Risk Management from the University of Michigan and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

The SAI provides additional information about the portfolio managers' compensation, other accounts managed, and ownership of Fund shares.

**Purchasing and Selling Fund Shares** 

Shares of each Fund are listed for trading on the Exchange. When you buy or sell Fund shares on the secondary market, you will pay or receive the market price. You may incur customary brokerage commissions and charges and may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. The shares of a Fund will trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to varying degrees from the daily NAV of such shares. A business day with respect to the Funds is any day on which the Exchange is open for business. The Exchange is generally open Monday through Friday and is closed on weekends and the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth National

Independence Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Each Fund's NAV is determined by dividing the total value of the Fund's portfolio investments and other assets, less any liabilities, by the total number of shares outstanding. NAV is determined each business day, normally as of the close of regular trading of the Exchange (ordinarily 4:00 p.m., Eastern time).

In calculating NAV, a Fund generally values its investment portfolio at market price. If market prices are not readily available or they are unreliable, such as in the case of a security value that has been materially affected by events occurring after the relevant market closes, securities are valued at fair value. The Board has designated the Adviser as the Funds' valuation designee to make all fair value determinations with respect to the Funds' portfolio investments, subject to the Board's oversight. The Adviser has adopted and implemented policies and procedures approved by the Board to be followed when making fair value determinations, and it has established a Valuation Committee through which the Adviser makes fair value determinations. The Adviser's determination of a security's fair value price often involves the consideration of a number of subjective factors, and is therefore subject to the unavoidable risk that the value that is assigned to a security may be higher or lower than the security's value would be if a reliable market quotation for the security was readily available.

With respect to non-U.S. securities held by the Funds, the Adviser may take factors influencing specific markets or issuers into consideration in determining the fair value of a non-U.S. security. Foreign securities markets may be open on days when the U.S. markets are closed. In such cases, the value of any foreign securities owned by a Fund may be significantly affected on days when investors cannot buy or sell shares. In addition, due to the difference in times between the close of the foreign markets and the time as of which a Fund prices its shares, the value the Adviser assigns to securities may not be the same as the quoted or published prices of those securities on their primary markets or exchanges. In determining fair value prices, the Adviser may consider the performance of securities on their primary exchanges, foreign currency appreciation/depreciation, securities market movements in the United States, or other relevant information related to the securities.

There may be limited circumstances in which the Adviser would price securities at fair value for stocks of U.S. companies that are traded on U.S. exchanges – for example, if the exchange on which a portfolio security is principally traded closed early or if trading in a particular

security was halted during the day and did not resume prior to the time a Fund calculated its NAV. Fair value pricing involves subjective judgments and it is possible that a fair value determination for a security will materially differ from the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security.

**Payments to Financial Intermediaries** 

The Funds and/or the Adviser may compensate financial intermediaries for providing a variety of services to the Funds and/or their shareholders. Financial intermediaries include affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the Funds, their service providers or their respective affiliates. This section briefly describes how financial intermediaries may be paid for providing these services. For more information, please see "Payments to Financial Intermediaries" in the SAI.

**Distribution Plan** 

The Funds have adopted a distribution plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act that allows the Funds to pay distribution and/or service fees for the sale and distribution of Fund shares, and for services provided to shareholders. No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Funds, and there are no plans to impose these fees. However, in the event Rule 12b-1 fees are charged in the future, because these fees are paid out of the Funds' assets on an on-going basis, over time these fees will increase the cost of your investment and may cost you more than paying other types of sales charges. The maximum annual Rule 12b-1 fee is 0.25% of the average daily net assets of a Fund.

The implementation of any payments under the distribution plan must be approved by the Board prior to implementation.

**Payments by the Adviser** 

From time to time, the Adviser and/or its affiliates, in their discretion, may make payments to certain affiliated or unaffiliated financial intermediaries to compensate them for the costs associated with distribution, marketing, administration and shareholder servicing support for the Funds. These payments are sometimes characterized as "revenue sharing" payments and are made out of the Adviser's and/or its affiliates' own legitimate profits or other resources and may be in

addition to any payments that a Fund makes to financial intermediaries. A financial intermediary may provide these services with respect to Fund shares sold or held through programs such as retirement plans, qualified tuition programs, fund supermarkets, fee-based advisory or wrap fee programs, bank trust programs, and insurance (e.g., individual or group annuity) programs. In addition, financial intermediaries may receive payments for making shares of the Funds available to their customers or registered representatives, including providing the Funds with "shelf space," placing it on a preferred or recommended fund list, or promoting the Funds in certain sales programs that are sponsored by financial intermediaries. To the extent permitted by SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA") rules and other applicable laws and regulations, the Adviser and/or its affiliates may pay or allow other promotional incentives or payments to financial intermediaries.

The level of payments made by the Adviser and/or its affiliates to individual financial intermediaries varies in any given year and may be negotiated on the basis of sales of Fund shares, the amount of Fund assets serviced by the financial intermediary or the quality of the financial intermediary's relationship with the Adviser and/or its affiliates. These payments may be more or less than the payments received by the financial intermediaries from other mutual funds and may influence a financial intermediary to favor the sales of certain funds or share classes over others. In certain instances, the payments could be significant and may cause a conflict of interest for your financial intermediary. Any such payments will not change the NAV or price of a Fund's shares. Please contact your financial intermediary for information about any payments it may receive in connection with the sale of Fund shares or the provision of services to Fund shareholders.

In addition to these payments, your financial intermediary may charge you account fees, commissions or transaction fees for buying or redeeming shares of a Fund, or other fees for servicing your account. Your financial intermediary should provide a schedule of its fees and services to you upon request.

**Other Policies** 

**Excessive Trading Policies and Procedures** 

The Funds do not impose any restrictions on the frequency of purchases and redemptions of Creation Units; however, the Funds reserve the right to reject or limit purchases at any time as described in the SAI. When considering that no restriction or policy was necessary, the Board evaluated the risks posed by arbitrage and market timing activities,

such as whether frequent purchases and redemptions would interfere with the efficient implementation of a Fund's investment strategy, or whether they would cause a Fund to experience increased transaction costs. The Board considered that, unlike traditional mutual funds, shares of the Funds are issued and redeemed only in large quantities of shares known as Creation Units available only from the Funds directly to Authorized Participants, and that most trading in the Funds occurs on the Exchange at prevailing market prices and does not involve the Funds directly. Given this structure, the Board determined that it is unlikely that trading due to arbitrage opportunities or market timing by shareholders would result in negative impact to the Funds or their shareholders. In addition, frequent trading of the Funds' shares by Authorized Participants and arbitrageurs is critical to ensuring that the market price remains at or close to NAV.

**Dividends, Distributions and Taxes** 

**Fund Distributions** 

Each Fund distributes its net investment income, if any, and makes distributions of its net realized capital gains, if any, at least annually. If you own shares of a Fund on the Fund's record date, you will be entitled to receive the distribution.

**Dividend Reinvestment Service** 

Brokers may make available to their customers who own shares of a Fund the Depository Trust Company book-entry dividend reinvestment service. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and capital gains will automatically be reinvested in additional whole shares of the Fund purchased on the secondary market. Without this service, investors would receive their distributions in cash. To determine whether the dividend reinvestment service is available and whether there is a commission or other charge for using this service, consult your broker. Brokers may require a Fund's shareholders to adhere to specific procedures and timetables.

**Tax Information** 

The following is a summary of certain important U.S. federal income tax issues that affect the Fund and its shareholders. The summary is based on current tax laws, which may be changed by legislative, judicial or administrative action. You should not consider this summary to be a comprehensive explanation of the tax treatment of the Fund, or the tax consequences of an investment in the Fund. Your investment in the

Fund may have other tax implications. More information about taxes is located in the SAI.

**You are urged to consult your tax adviser regarding specific questions as to federal, state and local income taxes.** 

**Tax Status of the Funds** 

The Funds intend to elect and to qualify each year for the special tax treatment afforded to a regulated investment company ("RIC") under Subchapter M of the Code. If the Funds maintain their qualification as a RIC and meets certain minimum distribution requirements, then a Fund is generally not subject to tax at the fund level on income and gains from investments that are timely distributed to shareholders. However, if a Fund fails to qualify as a RIC or to meet minimum distribution requirements it would result (if certain relief provisions are not available) in fund-level taxation and consequently a reduction in income available for distribution to shareholders.

Unless you are a tax-exempt entity or your investment in Fund shares is made through a tax-deferred retirement account, such as an IRA, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when a Fund makes distributions, you sell Fund shares, and you purchase or redeem Creation Units (Authorized Participants only).

**Tax Status of Distributions**

● The Funds intend to distribute, at least annually, substantially all of its net investment income and net capital gains income.

● Dividends and distributions are generally taxable to you whether you receive them in cash or reinvest them in additional shares.

● The income dividends you receive from a Fund may be taxed as either ordinary income or "qualified dividend income." Dividends that are reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income are generally taxable to non-corporate shareholders at a maximum tax rate currently set at 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Qualified dividend income generally is income derived from dividends paid to a Fund by U.S. corporations or certain foreign corporations that are either incorporated in a U.S. possession or eligible for tax benefits under certain U.S. income tax treaties. In addition, dividends that a Fund receives in respect of stock of certain foreign corporations may be qualified dividend income if that stock is readily tradable on an established U.S. securities market. For such dividends to be taxed as qualified dividend income to a non-corporate shareholder, a Fund must satisfy certain holding period requirements with respect to the

underlying stock and the non-corporate shareholder must satisfy holding period requirements with respect to his or her ownership of the Fund's shares. Holding periods may be suspended for these purposes for stock that is hedged. Distributions that a Fund receives from an underlying fund taxable as a RIC or REIT will be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent so reported by such underlying fund or REIT. Certain of the Funds' investment strategies may limit their ability to make distributions eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income.

● Taxes on distributions of capital gains (if any) are determined by how long a Fund owned the investments that generated them, rather than how long a shareholder has owned its shares. Sales of assets held by a Fund for more than one year generally result in long-term capital gains and losses, and sales of assets held by a Fund for one year or less generally result in short-term capital gains and losses. Distributions from a Fund's net capital gain (the excess of a Fund's net long-term capital gains over its net short-term capital losses) are taxable as long-term capital gains regardless of how long you have owned your shares. For non-corporate shareholders, long-term capital gains are generally taxable at a maximum tax rate currently set at 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). Distributions from a Fund's short-term capital gains are generally taxable as ordinary income.

● Corporate shareholders may be entitled to a dividends-received deduction for the portion of dividends they receive from a Fund that are attributable to dividends received by the Fund from U.S. corporations, subject to certain limitations. Certain of a Fund's investment strategies may limit its ability to make distributions eligible to be eligible for a dividends received deduction.

● "Qualified REIT dividends" (i.e., ordinary REIT dividends other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT dividends designated as qualified dividend income eligible for capital gain tax rates) are eligible for a 20% deduction by non-corporate taxpayers. This deduction, if allowed in full, equates to a maximum effective tax rate of 29.6% (37% top rate applied to income after 20% deduction). Distributions by a Fund to its shareholders that are attributable to qualified REIT dividends received by the Fund and which the Fund properly reports as "Section 199A Dividends," are treated as "qualified REIT dividends" in the hands of non-corporate shareholders. A Section 199A Dividend is treated as a qualified REIT dividend only if the shareholder receiving such dividend holds the dividend-paying RIC shares for at least 46 days of the 91-day period

beginning 45 days before the shares become ex-dividend, and is not under an obligation to make related payments with respect to a position in substantially similar or related property. A Fund is permitted to report such part of its dividends as Section 199A Dividends as are eligible but is not required to do so. Unless later extended or made permanent, this 20% deduction will no longer be available for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

● In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax for the year in which they are paid. However, distributions paid in January but declared by a Fund to shareholders of record in October, November or December of the previous year will be treated as having been received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which declared, and thus may be taxable to you in the previous year.

● You should note that if you purchase shares just before a distribution, the purchase price would reflect the amount of the upcoming distribution. In this case, you would be taxed on the entire amount of the distribution received, even though, as an economic matter, the distribution simply constitutes a return of your investment. This is known as "buying a dividend" and generally should be avoided by taxable investors.

● The Funds (or your broker) will inform you of the amount and character of any distributions shortly after the close of each calendar year.

**Tax Status of Share Transactions** 

Each sale of Fund shares or redemption of Creation Units will generally be a taxable event. Assuming a shareholder holds Fund shares as a capital asset, any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund shares is generally treated as a long-term gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than twelve months. Any capital gain or loss realized upon a sale of Fund shares held for twelve months or less is generally treated as short-term capital gain or loss. Any capital loss on the sale of shares held for six months or less is treated as long-term capital loss to the extent distributions of long-term capital gain were paid (or treated as paid) with respect to such shares. Any loss realized on a sale will be disallowed to the extent shares of a Fund are acquired, including through reinvestment of dividends, within a 61-day period beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of shares. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.

The cost basis of shares of a Fund acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the shares and then may be subsequently

adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize gain or loss from the exchange. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between: (i) the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange plus any cash received in the exchange, and (ii) the Authorized Participant's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus any cash paid for the Creation Units. An Authorized Participant who exchanges Creation Units for securities will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between: (i) the Authorized Participant's basis in the Creation Units, and (ii) the aggregate market value of the securities and the amount of cash received. The Internal Revenue Service ("IRS"), however, may assert that a loss that is realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units may not be currently deducted under the rules governing "wash sales" (for a person who does not mark-to-market their holdings), or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Authorized Participants should consult their own tax advisor with respect to whether wash sales rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

The Funds may pay the redemption price for Creation Units at least partially with cash, rather than the delivery of a basket of securities. The Funds may be required to sell portfolio securities in order to obtain the cash needed to distribute redemption proceeds. This may cause the Funds to recognize investment income and/or capital gains or losses that it might not have recognized if it had completely satisfied the redemption in-kind. As a result, a Fund may be less tax efficient if it includes such a cash payment than if the in-kind redemption process was used.

**Foreign Taxes** 

To the extent that a Fund invests in foreign securities, it may be subject to foreign withholding taxes with respect to dividends or interest the Fund receives from sources in foreign countries. Tax conventions between certain countries and the United States may reduce or eliminate these taxes. If more than 50% of the total assets of a Fund at the end of the Fund's taxable year consists of foreign securities, the Fund will be eligible to elect to treat some of those taxes as a distribution to

shareholders, which would allow shareholders to offset some of their U.S. federal income tax. Each Fund (or your broker) will notify you if it makes such an election and provide you with the information necessary to reflect foreign taxes paid on your income tax return.

**Net Investment Income Tax** 

U.S. individuals with income exceeding $200,000 ($250,000 if married and filing jointly) are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their "net investment income," which includes interest, dividends, and certain capital gains (including certain capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of shares of a Fund). This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts.

**Non-U.S. Investors** 

If you are a nonresident alien individual or a foreign corporation, partnership, trust or estate, (i) a Fund's ordinary income dividends distributed to you will generally be subject to a 30% U.S. withholding tax, unless a lower treaty rate applies but (ii) gains from the sale or other disposition of your shares of a Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless you are a nonresident alien individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. A Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an "interest-related dividend" or a "short-term capital gain dividend," which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from a Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if you are a foreign shareholder engaged in a trade or business within the United States or if you are a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty.

**Backup Withholding** 

The Funds (or financial intermediaries, such as brokers, through which shareholders own shares) generally are required to withhold and to remit to the U.S. Treasury a percentage of the taxable distributions and the sale or redemption proceeds paid to any shareholder who fails to properly furnish a correct taxpayer identification number, who has under-reported dividend or interest income, or who fails to certify that the shareholder is not subject to such withholding.

The foregoing discussion summarizes some of the consequences under current U.S. federal income tax law of an investment in a Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state and local tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in the Funds under all applicable tax laws.

**More information about taxes is included in the SAI.** 

**Additional Information** 

**Continuous Offering** 

The method by which Creation Units are purchased and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Units are issued and sold by the Funds on an ongoing basis, at any point a "distribution," as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act"), may occur. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the Prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the Securities Act.

For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Units after placing an order with the Funds' distributor, breaks them down into individual shares, and sells such shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for shares of a Fund. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to categorization as an underwriter.

Broker-dealer firms should also note that dealers who are not "underwriters" but are effecting transactions in shares of a Fund, whether or not participating in the distribution of such shares, are generally required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act is not available with respect to such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker dealer-firms should note that dealers who are not underwriters but are participating in a distribution

(as contrasted with ordinary secondary market transactions) and thus dealing with shares of a Fund that are part of an "unsold allotment" within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act would be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. Firms that incur a prospectus delivery obligation with respect to shares of a Fund are reminded that under Rule 153 under the Securities Act, a prospectus delivery obligation under Section 5(b)(2) of the Securities Act owed to an exchange member in connection with a sale on the Exchange is satisfied by the fact that the Funds' Prospectus is available on the SEC's electronic filing system. The prospectus delivery mechanism provided in Rule 153 is only available with respect to transactions on an exchange.

**Premium/Discount Information** 

Information regarding how often the shares of a Fund traded on the Exchange at a price above (i.e., at a premium) or below (i.e., at a discount) the NAV of the Fund for various time periods can be found at https://www.brownadvisory.com/etf.

**Contractual Arrangements** 

The Trust enters into contractual arrangements with various parties, including, among others, the Funds' investment adviser, sub-adviser, custodian, transfer agent, accountants, administrator and distributor, who provide services to the Funds. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended (or "third-party") beneficiaries of, any of those contractual arrangements, and those contractual arrangements are not intended to create in any individual shareholder or group of shareholders any right to enforce the terms of the contractual arrangements against the service providers or to seek any remedy under the contractual arrangements against the service providers, either directly or on behalf of the Trust.

This prospectus and the SAI provide information concerning the Trust and the Funds that you should consider in determining whether to purchase shares of the Funds. The Funds may make changes to this information from time to time. Neither this prospectus, the SAI or any document filed as an exhibit to the Trust's registration statement, is intended to, nor does it, give rise to an agreement or contract between the Trust or the Funds and any shareholder, or give rise to any contract or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders or other person other than any rights conferred explicitly by federal or state securities laws that may not be waived.

**Financial Highlights** 

Because the Funds have not commenced operations as of the date of this prospectus, financial highlights for the Funds are not available.

**The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III** 

Brown Advisory Sustainable Value ETF

Brown Advisory Sustainable Growth ETF

**Investment Adviser** 

Brown Advisory LLC

901 South Bond Street, Suite 400

Baltimore, Maryland 21231

**Sub-Adviser** 

Vident Asset Management

1125 Sanctuary Pkwy.

Suite 515

Alpharetta, Georgia 30009

**Distributor** 

SEI Investments Distribution Co.

One Freedom Valley Drive

Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456

**Legal Counsel** 

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP

2222 Market Street

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

More information about the Fund is available, without charge, through the following:

**Statement of Additional Information ("SAI"):** The SAI, dated May 30, 2025, as it may be amended from time to time, includes detailed information about the Fund and The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III. The SAI is on file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") and is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. This means that the SAI, for legal purposes, is a part of this prospectus.

**Annual and Semi-Annual Reports:** Additional information about the Funds' investments will be available in the Funds' annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders and in Form N-CSR filed with the SEC. In the Funds' annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund's performance during its last fiscal year. In Form N-CSR, you will find the Funds' annual and semi-annual financial statements.

**To Obtain an SAI, Annual or Semi-Annual Report, Fund Financial Statements (When Available), or More Information:** 

---

| | |
|:---|:---|
| ***By Telephone:*** | 1-877-876-6383 |
| ***By Mail:*** | Brown Advisory ETFs<br> c/o SEI Investments Distribution Co.<br> One Freedom Valley Drive<br> Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456 |
| ***By Internet:*** | https://www.brownadvisory.com/etf. |

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***From the SEC:*** You can also obtain the SAI or the Annual and Semi-Annual Reports, when available, as well as other information about The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III, from the EDGAR Database on the SEC's website at: http://www.sec.gov. You may also obtain this information, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by e-mailing the SEC at the following address: publicinfo@sec.gov.

The Trust's Investment Company Act registration number is 811-22920.

BRW-PS-001-0200

**STATEMENT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION**

**BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE VALUE ETF**

**Principal Listing Exchange: The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC**

**Ticker Symbol: BASV**

**BROWN ADVISORY SUSTAINABLE GROWTH ETF**

**Principal Listing Exchange: The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC**

**Ticker Symbol: BASG**

**each, a series of**

**THE ADVISORS' INNER CIRCLE FUND III**

**May 30, 2025**

**Investment Adviser:**

**BROWN ADVISORY LLC**

**Investment Sub-Adviser:**

**VIDENT ASSET MANAGEMENT**

This Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") is not a prospectus. This SAI is intended to provide additional information regarding the activities and operations of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III (the "Trust") and the Brown Advisory Sustainable Value ETF and Brown Advisory Sustainable Growth ETF (each, a "Fund" and together, the "Funds"). This SAI is incorporated by reference into and should be read in conjunction with the Funds' prospectus dated May 30, 2025, as it may be amended from time to time (the "Prospectus"). Capitalized terms not defined herein are defined in the Prospectus. Shareholders may obtain copies of the Prospectus or the Funds' annual or semi-annual report, and other information such as the Funds' financial statements, when available, free of charge by writing to the Funds at Brown Advisory ETFs, c/o SEI Investments Distribution Co., One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456 or calling the Funds at 1-877-876-6383.

**<u>**TABLE OF CONTENTS**</u>**

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| [THE TRUST](#sai_001) | [S-3](#sai_001) |
| [DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS](#sai_002) | [S-4](#sai_002) |
| [INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS](#sai_003) | [S-36](#sai_003) |
| [EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING](#sai_004) | [S-38](#sai_004) |
| [THE ADVISER AND SUB-ADVISER](#sai_005) | [S-38](#sai_005) |
| [THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS](#sai_006) | [S-40](#sai_006) |
| [THE ADMINISTRATOR](#sai_007) | [S-42](#sai_007) |
| [THE DISTRIBUTOR](#sai_008) | [S-42](#sai_008) |
| [PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES](#sai_009) | [S-43](#sai_009) |
| [THE TRANSFER AGENT](#sai_010) | [S-44](#sai_010) |
| [THE CUSTODIAN](#sai_011) | [S-44](#sai_011) |
| [INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM](#sai_012) | [S-45](#sai_012) |
| [LEGAL COUNSEL](#sai_013) | [S-45](#sai_013) |
| [SECURITIES LENDING](#sai_014) | [S-45](#sai_014) |
| [TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST](#sai_015) | [S-45](#sai_015) |
| [BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM](#sai_016) | [S-54](#sai_016) |
| [PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS](#sai_017) | [S-55](#sai_017) |
| [DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE](#sai_018) | [S-63](#sai_018) |
| [DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS](#sai_019) | [S-65](#sai_019) |
| [FEDERAL INCOME TAXES](#sai_020) | [S-65](#sai_020) |
| [FUND TRANSACTIONS](#sai_021) | [S-76](#sai_021) |
| [PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES](#sai_022) | [S-78](#sai_022) |
| [DESCRIPTION OF SHARES](#sai_023) | [S-78](#sai_023) |
| [LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES' LIABILITY](#sai_024) | [S-78](#sai_024) |
| [PROXY VOTING](#sai_025) | [S-79](#sai_025) |
| [CODES OF ETHICS](#sai_026) | [S-79](#sai_026) |
| [PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS AND CONTROL PERSONS](#sai_027) | [S-79](#sai_027) |
| [APPENDIX A – DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS](#sai_028) | [A-1](#sai_028) |
| [APPENDIX B – PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES](#sai_029) | [B-1](#sai_029) |

---

May 30, 2025 BRW-SX-001-0200

**THE TRUST**

**General.** Each Fund is a separate series of the Trust. The Trust is an open-end investment management company established under Delaware law as a Delaware statutory trust under a Declaration of Trust dated December 4, 2013, as amended September 10, 2020 (the "Declaration of Trust"). The Declaration of Trust permits the Trust to offer separate series ("funds") of shares of beneficial interest ("shares"). The Trust reserves the right to create and issue shares of additional funds. Each fund is a separate mutual fund or exchange traded fund ("ETF"), and each share of each fund represents an equal proportionate interest in that fund. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any fund, and all assets of such fund, belong solely to that fund and would be subject to any liabilities related thereto. Each fund of the Trust pays its (i) operating expenses, including fees of its service providers, expenses of preparing prospectuses, proxy solicitation material and reports to shareholders, costs of custodial services and registering its shares under federal and state securities laws, pricing and insurance expenses, brokerage costs, interest charges, taxes and organization expenses and (ii) pro rata share of the fund's other expenses, including audit and legal expenses. Expenses attributable to a specific fund shall be payable solely out of the assets of that fund. Expenses not attributable to a specific fund are allocated across all of the funds on the basis of relative net assets. The other funds of the Trust are described in one or more separate statements of additional information.

**Exchange Traded Fund Structure.** Each Fund operates as an ETF. Brown Advisory LLC (the "Adviser" or "Brown Advisory"), serves as the investment adviser to the Funds. Vident Asset Management (the "Sub-Adviser" or "Vident") serves as the sub-adviser to the Funds. The investment objective of the Brown Advisory Sustainable Value ETF is to achieve long-term capital appreciation. The investment objective of the Brown Advisory Sustainable Growth ETF is to achieve capital appreciation.

As an ETF, each Fund offers and issues shares at its net asset value ("NAV") only in aggregations of a specified number of shares (each, a "Creation Unit"). Each Fund generally offers and issues shares in exchange for a basket of securities ("Deposit Securities" together with the deposit of a specified cash payment ("Cash Component"). The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of a "cash in lieu" amount ("Deposit Cash") to be added to the Cash Component to replace any Deposit Security. Each Fund's shares are listed on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC (the "Exchange") and trade on the Exchange at market prices. These prices may differ from a Fund's NAV per share. Each Fund's shares are redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, and generally in exchange for portfolio securities and a specified cash payment.

**Voting Rights.** Each shareholder of record is entitled to one vote for each share held on the record date for the meeting. Each Fund will vote separately on matters relating solely to it. As a Delaware statutory trust, the Trust is not required, and does not intend, to hold annual meetings of shareholders. Approval of shareholders will be sought, however, for certain changes in the operation of the Trust and for the election of members of the Board of Trustees of the Trust (each, a "Trustee" and collectively, the "Trustees" or the "Board") under certain circumstances. Under the Declaration of Trust, the Trustees have the power to liquidate a Fund without shareholder approval. While the Trustees have no present intention of exercising this power, they may do so if a Fund fails to reach a viable size within a reasonable amount of time or for such other reasons as may be determined by the Board.

In addition, a Trustee may be removed by the remaining Trustees or by shareholders at a special meeting called upon written request of shareholders owning at least 10% of the outstanding shares of the Trust. In the event that such a meeting is requested, the Trust will provide appropriate assistance and information to the shareholders requesting the meeting.

Any series of the Trust may reorganize or merge with one or more other series of the Trust or of another investment company. Any such reorganization or merger shall be pursuant to the terms and conditions specified in an agreement and plan of reorganization authorized and approved by the Trustees and entered into by the relevant series in connection therewith. In addition, such reorganization or merger may be authorized by vote of a majority of the Trustees then in office and, to the extent permitted by applicable law and the Declaration of Trust, without the approval of shareholders of any series.

**DESCRIPTION OF PERMITTED INVESTMENTS**

Each Fund's investment objective and principal investment strategies are described in the Prospectus. The following information supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus.

Each Fund is classified as a "diversified" investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act"). This means that with respect to 75% of its total assets, a Fund may not purchase securities of any issuer (other than obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities, or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of a Fund's total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuer's voting securities would be held by the Fund. Under applicable federal securities laws, the diversification of a mutual fund's holdings is measured at the time a fund purchases a security. If a Fund holds securities that perform well on a relative basis, the value of those securities could appreciate such that the value of a Fund's securities that constitute more than 5% of a Fund's total assets, in the aggregate, might exceed 25% of a Fund's total assets. In these circumstances, the Adviser might determine that it is in the best interests of a Fund's shareholders not to reduce one or more of a Fund's holdings in securities that constitute more than 5% of a Fund's total assets. If the Adviser makes such a determination, a Fund's holdings in such securities would continue to exceed 25% of a Fund's total assets, and the Fund would not purchase any additional shares of securities that constituted more than 5% of a Fund's total assets. The Funds would continue to qualify as diversified funds under applicable federal securities laws. If more than 25% of a Fund's assets were invested, in the aggregate, in securities of issuers that individually represented more than 5% of a Fund's total assets, the Fund would be subject to the risk that its performance could be disproportionately affected by the performance of such securities. Each Fund also intends to satisfy the diversification requirements necessary to qualify as a regulated investment company ("RIC") under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code").

The following are descriptions of the permitted investments and investment practices of the Funds and the associated risk factors. The Funds may invest in any of the following instruments or engage in any of the following investment practices unless such investment or activity is inconsistent with or is not permitted by a Fund's stated investment policies, including those stated below.

**<u>American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs")</u>**

ADRs, as well as other "hybrid" forms of ADRs, including European Depositary Receipts ("EDRs") and Global Depositary Receipts ("GDRs"), are certificates evidencing ownership of shares of a foreign issuer. Depositary receipts are securities that evidence ownership interests in a security or a pool of securities that have been deposited with a "depository" and may be sponsored or unsponsored. These certificates are issued by depository banks and generally trade on an established market in the United States or elsewhere. The underlying shares are held in trust by a custodian bank or similar financial institution in the issuer's home country. The depository bank may not have physical custody of the underlying securities at all times and may charge fees for various services, including forwarding dividends and interest and corporate actions. ADRs are alternatives to directly purchasing the underlying foreign securities in their national markets and currencies. However, ADRs continue to be subject to many of the risks associated with investing directly in foreign securities.

For ADRs, the depository is typically a U.S. financial institution and the underlying securities are issued by a foreign issuer. For other depositary receipts, the depository may be a foreign or a U.S. entity, and the underlying securities may have a foreign or a U.S. issuer. Depositary receipts will not necessarily be denominated in the same currency as their underlying securities. Generally, ADRs are issued in registered form, denominated in U.S. dollars, and designed for use in the U.S. securities markets. Other depositary receipts, such as GDRs and EDRs, may be issued in bearer form and denominated in other currencies, and are generally designed for use in securities markets outside the U.S. While the two types of depositary receipt facilities (unsponsored or sponsored) are similar, there are differences regarding a holder's rights and obligations and the practices of market participants. A depository may establish an unsponsored facility without participation by (or acquiescence of) the underlying issuer; typically, however, the depository requests a letter of non-objection from the underlying issuer prior to establishing the facility. Holders of unsponsored depositary receipts generally bear all the costs of the facility. The depository usually charges fees upon deposit and withdrawal of the underlying securities, the conversion of dividends into U.S. dollars or other currency, the disposition of non-cash distributions, and the performance of other services.

Sponsored depositary receipt facilities are created in generally the same manner as unsponsored facilities, except that sponsored depositary receipts are established jointly by a depository and the underlying issuer through a deposit agreement. The deposit agreement sets out the rights and responsibilities of the underlying issuer, the depository, and the depositary receipt holders. With sponsored facilities, the underlying issuer typically bears some of the costs of the depositary receipts (such as dividend payment fees of the depository), although most sponsored depositary receipts agree to distribute notices of shareholders meetings, voting instructions, and other shareholder communications and information to the depositary receipt holders at the underlying issuer's request. The depositary of an unsponsored facility frequently is under no obligation to distribute shareholder communications received from the issuer of the deposited security or to pass through, to the holders of the receipts, voting rights with respect to the deposited securities.

For purposes of a Fund's investment policies, investments in depositary receipts will be deemed to be investments in the underlying securities. Thus, a depositary receipt representing ownership of common stock will be treated as common stock. Depositary receipts do not eliminate all of the risks associated with directly investing in the securities of foreign issuers.

Investments in the securities of foreign issuers may subject a Fund to investment risks that differ in some respects from those related to investments in securities of U.S. issuers. Such risks include future adverse political and economic developments, possible imposition of withholding taxes on income, possible seizure, nationalization or expropriation of foreign deposits, possible establishment of exchange controls or taxation at the source or greater fluctuation in value due to changes in exchange rates. Foreign issuers of securities often engage in business practices different from those of domestic issuers of similar securities, and there may be less information publicly available about foreign issuers. In addition, foreign issuers may be subject to less government supervision and regulation and different accounting treatment than are those in the United States.

**<u>Convertible Securities</u>**

Convertible securities are bonds, debentures, notes, preferred stocks or other securities that may be converted or exchanged (by the holder or by the issuer) into shares of the underlying common stock (or cash or securities of equivalent value) at a stated exchange ratio. A convertible security may also be called for redemption or conversion by the issuer after a particular date and under certain circumstances (including a specified price) established upon issue. If a convertible security held by a Fund is called for redemption or conversion, the Fund could be required to tender it for redemption, convert it into the underlying common stock, or sell it to a third party.

Convertible securities generally have less potential for gain or loss than common stocks. Convertible securities generally provide yields higher than the underlying common stocks, but generally lower than comparable non-convertible securities. Because of this higher yield, convertible securities generally sell at a price above their "conversion value," which is the current market value of the stock to be received upon conversion. The difference between this conversion value and the price of convertible securities will vary over time depending on changes in the value of the underlying common stocks and interest rates. When the underlying common stocks decline in value, convertible securities will tend not to decline to the same extent because of the interest or dividend payments and the repayment of principal at maturity for certain types of convertible securities. However, securities that are convertible other than at the option of the holder generally do not limit the potential for loss to the same extent as securities convertible at the option of the holder. When the underlying common stocks rise in value, the value of convertible securities may also be expected to increase. At the same time, however, the difference between the market value of convertible securities and their conversion value will narrow, which means that the value of convertible securities will generally not increase to the same extent as the value of the underlying common stocks. Because convertible securities may also be interest-rate sensitive, their value may increase as interest rates fall and decrease as interest rates rise. Convertible securities are also subject to credit risk, and are often lower-quality securities.

**<u>Equity Securities</u>**

Equity securities represent ownership interests in a company or partnership and consist of common stocks, preferred stocks, warrants and rights to acquire common stock, securities convertible into common stock, and investments in master limited partnerships ("MLPs"). Investments in equity securities in general are subject to market risks that may cause their prices to fluctuate over time. Fluctuations in the value of equity securities in which a Fund invests will cause the net asset value of the Fund to fluctuate. A Fund may purchase equity securities traded on global securities exchanges or the over-the-counter market. Equity securities are described in more detail below:

**Types of Equity Securities:**

**Common Stock.** Common stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds and preferred stock take precedence over the claims of those who own common stock.

**Preferred Stock.** Preferred stock represents an equity or ownership interest in an issuer that pays dividends at a specified rate and that has precedence over common stock in the payment of dividends. In the event an issuer is liquidated or declares bankruptcy, the claims of owners of bonds take precedence over the claims of those who own preferred and common stock.

**Alternative Entity Securities.** Alternative entity securities are the securities of entities that are formed as limited partnerships, limited liability companies, business trusts or other non-corporate entities that are similar to common or preferred stock of corporations.

**Exchange-Traded Funds.** An ETF is a fund whose shares are bought and sold on a securities exchange as if it were a single security. An ETF holds a portfolio of securities, often designed to track a particular market segment or index. Some examples of ETFs are SPDRs<sup>®</sup>, NASDAQ 100 Index Tracking Stock<sup>SM</sup> ("QQQs<sup>SM</sup>"), and iShares<sup>®</sup>. A Fund could purchase an ETF to temporarily gain exposure to a portion of the U.S. or foreign market while awaiting an opportunity to purchase securities directly. Similarly, a Fund may establish a short position in an ETF to gain inverse exposure to a portion of the U.S. or foreign markets. The risks of owning an ETF generally reflect the risks of owning the securities comprising the index which an index ETF is designed to track or the other holdings of an active or index ETF, although lack of liquidity in an ETF could result in it being more volatile than the tracked index or underlying holdings, and ETFs have management fees that increase their costs versus the costs of owning the underlying holdings directly. See also "Securities of Other Investment Companies" below.

**Rights and Warrants.** A right is a privilege granted to existing shareholders of a corporation to subscribe to shares of a new issue of common stock before it is issued. Rights normally have a short life, usually two to four weeks, are freely transferable and entitle the holder to buy the new common stock at a lower price than the public offering price. Warrants are securities that are usually issued together with a debt security or preferred stock and that give the holder the right to buy proportionate amount of common stock at a specified price. Warrants are freely transferable and are traded on major exchanges. Unlike rights, warrants normally have a life that is measured in years and entitles the holder to buy common stock of a company at a price that is usually higher than the market price at the time the warrant is issued. Corporations often issue warrants to make the accompanying debt security more attractive.

An investment in warrants and rights may entail greater risks than certain other types of investments. Generally, rights and warrants do not carry the right to receive dividends or exercise voting rights with respect to the underlying securities, and they do not represent any rights in the assets of the issuer. In addition, their value does not necessarily change with the value of the underlying securities, and they cease to have value if they are not exercised on or before their expiration date. Investing in rights and warrants increases the potential profit or loss to be realized from the investment as compared with investing the same amount in the underlying securities.

**Micro, Small and Medium Capitalization Issuers.** Investing in equity securities of micro, small and medium capitalization companies often involves greater risk than is customarily associated with investments in larger capitalization companies. This increased risk may be due to the greater business risks of smaller size, limited markets and financial resources, narrow product lines and frequent lack of depth of management. The securities of micro and smaller companies are often traded in the over-the-counter market and even if listed on a national securities exchange may not be traded in volumes typical for that exchange. Consequently, the securities of micro and smaller companies are less likely to be liquid, may have limited market stability, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic market movements than securities of larger, more established growth companies or the market averages in general.

**Initial Public Offerings ("IPOs").** A Fund may invest a portion of its assets in securities of domestic and foreign companies offering shares in IPOs. IPOs may have a magnified performance impact on a fund with a small asset base. A Fund may hold IPO shares for a very short period of time, which may increase the turnover of a Fund's portfolio and may lead to increased expenses for the Fund, such as commissions and transaction costs. By selling IPO shares, a Fund may realize taxable gains it will subsequently distribute to shareholders. In addition, the market for IPO shares can be speculative and/or inactive for extended periods of time. The limited number of shares available for trading in some IPOs may make it more difficult for a Fund to buy or sell significant amounts of shares without an unfavorable impact on prevailing prices. Holders of IPO shares can be affected by substantial dilution in the value of their shares, by sales of additional shares and by concentration of control in existing management and principal shareholders.

A Fund's investment in IPO shares may include the securities of unseasoned companies (companies with less than three years of continuous operations), which presents risks considerably greater than common stocks of more established companies. These companies may have limited operating histories and their prospects for profitability may be uncertain. These companies may be involved in new and evolving businesses and may be vulnerable to competition and changes in technology, markets and economic conditions. They may be more dependent on key managers and third parties and may have limited product lines.

A Fund's investments in IPOs of foreign companies are subject to the risks set forth in "Risks of Foreign Securities" below.

**General Risks of Investing in Stocks:**

While investing in stocks allows investors to participate in the benefits of owning a company, such investors must accept the risks of ownership. Unlike bondholders, who have preference to a company's earnings and cash flow, preferred stockholders, followed by common stockholders in order of priority, are entitled only to the residual amount after a company meets its other obligations. For this reason, the value of a company's stock will usually react more strongly to actual or perceived changes in the company's financial condition or prospects than its debt obligations. Stockholders of a company that fares poorly can lose money.

Stock markets tend to move in cycles with short or extended periods of rising and falling stock prices. The value of a company's stock may fall because of:

• Factors that
 directly relate to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand
 for the company's products or services;

• Factors affecting
 an entire industry, such as increases in production costs; and

• Changes in
 general financial market conditions that are relatively unrelated to the company or its industry,
 such as changes in interest rates, currency exchange rates or inflation rates.

Because preferred stock is generally junior to debt securities and other obligations of the issuer, deterioration in the credit quality of the issuer will cause greater changes in the value of a preferred stock than in a more senior debt security with similar stated yield characteristics.

**<u>Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs")</u>**

A U.S. REIT is a corporation or business trust (that would otherwise be taxed as a corporation) which meets the definitional requirements of the Code. The Code permits a qualifying U.S. REIT to deduct from taxable income the dividends paid, thereby effectively eliminating corporate level federal income tax. To meet the definitional requirements of the Code, a REIT must, among other things: invest substantially all of its assets in interests in real estate (including mortgages and other REITs), cash and government securities; derive most of its income from rents from real property or interest on loans secured by mortgages on real property; and distribute annually 90% or more of its otherwise taxable income to shareholders.

REITs are sometimes informally characterized as Equity REITs and Mortgage REITs. An Equity REIT invests primarily in the fee ownership or leasehold ownership of land and buildings; a Mortgage REIT invests primarily in mortgages on real property, which may secure construction, development or long-term loans.

REITs may be affected by changes in underlying real estate values, which may have an exaggerated effect to the extent that REITs in which a Fund invests may concentrate investments in particular geographic regions or property types. Certain REITs have relatively small market capitalization, which may tend to increase the volatility of the market price of securities issued by such REITs. Additionally, rising interest rates may cause investors in REITs to demand a higher annual yield from future distributions, which may in turn decrease market prices for equity securities issued by REITs. Rising interest rates also generally increase the costs of obtaining financing, which could cause the value of a Fund's investments to decline. During periods of declining interest rates, certain Mortgage REITs may hold mortgages that the mortgagors elect to prepay, which prepayment may diminish the yield on securities issued by such Mortgage REITs. Equity and Mortgage REITs are also subject to heavy cash flow dependency, defaults by borrowers and self-liquidation. In addition, Mortgage REITs may be affected by the ability of borrowers to repay when due the debt extended by the REIT and Equity REITs may be affected by the ability of tenants to pay rent. The above factors may adversely affect a borrower's or a lessee's ability to meet its obligations to the REIT. In the event of default by a borrower or lessee, the REIT may experience delays in enforcing its rights as a mortgagee or lessor and may incur substantial costs associated with protecting its investments.

Furthermore, REITs are dependent upon specialized management skills, have limited diversification and are, therefore, subject to risks inherent in operating and financing a limited number of projects. By investing in REITs indirectly through a Fund, a shareholder will bear not only his proportionate share of the expenses of a Fund, but also, indirectly, similar expenses of the REITs. REITs depend generally on their ability to generate cash flow to make distributions to shareholders. In addition, U.S. REITs could possibly fail to qualify for tax free pass-through of income under the Code or to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.

**<u>Master Limited Partnerships</u>**

MLPs are limited partnerships or limited liability companies, whose partnership units or limited liability interests are listed and traded on a U.S. securities exchange, and are treated as publicly traded partnerships for federal income tax purposes. To qualify to be treated as a partnership for tax purposes, an MLP must receive at least 90% of its income from qualifying sources as set forth in Section 7704(d) of the Code. These qualifying sources include activities such as the exploration, development, mining, production, processing, refining, transportation, storage and marketing of mineral or natural resources. To the extent that an MLP's interests are concentrated in a particular industry or sector, such as the energy sector, the MLP will be negatively impacted by economic events adversely impacting that industry or sector.

MLPs that are formed as limited partnerships generally have two classes of owners, the general partner and limited partners, while MLPs that are formed as limited liability companies generally have two analogous classes of owners, the managing member and the members. For purposes of this section, references to general partners also apply to managing members and references to limited partners also apply to members.

The general partner is typically owned by a major energy company, an investment fund, the direct management of the MLP or is an entity owned by one or more of such parties. The general partner may be structured as a private or publicly traded corporation or other entity. The general partner typically controls the operations and management of the MLP through an equity interest of as much as 2% in the MLP plus, in many cases, ownership of common units and subordinated units. A holder of general partner interests can be liable under certain circumstances for amounts greater than the amount of the holder's investment in the general partner interest. General partner interests are not publicly traded and generally cannot be converted into common units. The general partner interest can be redeemed by the MLP if the MLP unitholders choose to remove the general partner, typically with a supermajority vote by limited partner unitholders.

Limited partners own the remainder of the MLP through ownership of common units and have a limited role in the MLP's operations and management. Common units are listed and traded on U.S. securities exchanges, with their value fluctuating predominantly based on prevailing market conditions and the success of the MLP. Unlike owners of common stock of a corporation, owners of common units have limited voting rights and have no ability annually to elect directors. In the event of liquidation, common units have preference over subordinated units, but not over debt or preferred units, to the remaining assets of the MLP.

MLPs are typically structured such that common units and general partner interests have first priority to receive quarterly cash distributions up to an established minimum amount ("minimum quarterly distributions" or "MQD"). Common and general partner interests also accrue arrearages in distributions to the extent the MQD is not paid. Once common and general partner interests have been paid, subordinated units receive distributions of up to the MQD; however, subordinated units do not accrue arrearages. Distributable cash in excess of the MQD paid to both common and subordinated units is distributed to both common and subordinated units generally on a pro rata basis. The general partner is also eligible to receive incentive distributions if the general partner operates the business in a manner which results in distributions paid per common unit surpassing specified target levels. As the general partner increases cash distributions to the limited partners, the general partner receives an increasingly higher percentage of the incremental cash distributions. A common arrangement provides that the general partner can reach a tier where it receives 50% of every incremental dollar paid to common and subordinated unit holders. These incentive distributions encourage the general partner to streamline costs, increase capital expenditures and acquire assets in order to increase the partnership's cash flow and raise the quarterly cash distribution in order to reach higher tiers. Such results benefit all security holders of the MLP.

**<u>Exchange-Traded Notes ("ETNs")</u>**

ETNs are generally notes representing debt of the issuer, usually a financial institution. ETNs combine both aspects of bonds and ETFs. An ETN's returns are based on the performance of one or more underlying assets, reference rates or indexes, minus fees and expenses. Similar to ETFs, ETNs are listed on an exchange and traded in the secondary market. However, unlike an ETF, an ETN can be held until the ETN's maturity, at which time the issuer will pay a return linked to the performance of the specific asset, index or rate ("reference instrument") to which the ETN is linked minus certain fees. Unlike regular bonds, ETNs do not make periodic interest payments, and principal is not protected. ETNs are not registered or regulated as investment companies under the 1940 Act.

The value of an ETN may be influenced by, among other things, time to maturity, level of supply and demand for the ETN, volatility and lack of liquidity in underlying markets, changes in the applicable interest rates, the performance of the reference instrument, changes in the issuer's credit rating and economic, legal, political or geographic events that affect the reference instrument. An ETN that is tied to a reference instrument may not replicate the performance of the reference instrument. ETNs also incur certain expenses not incurred by their applicable reference instrument. Some ETNs that use leverage can, at times, be relatively illiquid and, thus, they may be difficult to purchase or sell at a fair price. Levered ETNs are subject to the same risk as other instruments that use leverage in any form. While leverage allows for greater potential return, the potential for loss is also greater. Finally, additional losses may be incurred if the investment loses value because, in addition to the money lost on the investment, the loan still needs to be repaid.

Because the return on the ETN is dependent on the issuer's ability or willingness to meet its obligations, the value of the ETN may change due to a change in the issuer's credit rating, despite no change in the underlying reference instrument. The market value of ETN shares may differ from the value of the reference instrument. This difference in price may be due to the fact that the supply and demand in the market for ETN shares at any point in time is not always identical to the supply and demand in the market for the assets underlying the reference instrument that the ETN seeks to track.

There may be restrictions on a Fund's right to redeem its investment in an ETN, which are generally meant to be held until maturity. A Fund's decision to sell its ETN holdings may be limited by the availability of a secondary market. A Fund could lose some or all of the amount invested in an ETN.

**<u>Foreign Securities</u>**

Foreign securities include equity securities of foreign entities, obligations of foreign branches of U.S. banks and of foreign banks, including, without limitation, European Certificates of Deposit, European Time Deposits, European Bankers' Acceptances, Canadian Time Deposits, Europaper and Yankee Certificates of Deposit, and investments in Canadian Commercial Paper and foreign securities. These instruments have investment risks that differ in some respects from those related to investments in obligations of U.S. domestic issuers. Such risks include future adverse political and economic developments, the possible imposition of withholding taxes on interest or other income, possible seizure, nationalization, or expropriation of foreign deposits, the possible establishment of exchange controls or taxation at the source, greater fluctuations in value due to changes in exchange rates, or the adoption of other foreign governmental restrictions which might adversely affect the payment of principal and interest on such obligations. Such investments may also entail higher custodial fees and sales commissions than domestic investments. Foreign issuers of securities or obligations are often subject to accounting treatment and engage in business practices different from those respecting domestic issuers of similar securities or obligations. Foreign branches of U.S. banks and foreign banks may be subject to less stringent reserve requirements than those applicable to domestic branches of U.S. banks.

**Investments in Emerging Markets.** Investing in emerging markets involves additional risks and special considerations not typically associated with investing in other more established economies or markets. Such risks may include (i) increased risk of nationalization or expropriation of assets or confiscatory taxation; (ii) greater social, economic and political uncertainty, including war; (iii) higher dependence on exports and the corresponding importance of international trade; (iv) greater volatility, less liquidity and smaller capitalization of markets; (v) greater volatility in currency exchange rates; (vi) greater risk of inflation; (vii) greater controls on foreign investment and limitations on realization of investments, repatriation of invested capital and on the ability to exchange local currencies for U.S. dollars; (viii) increased likelihood of governmental involvement in and control over the economy; (ix) governmental decisions to cease support of economic reform programs or to impose centrally planned economies; (x) differences in auditing and financial reporting standards which may result in the unavailability of material information about issuers; (xi) less extensive regulation of the markets; (xii) longer settlement periods for transactions and less reliable clearance and custody arrangements; (xiii) less developed corporate laws regarding fiduciary duties of officers and directors and the protection of investors; (xiv) certain considerations regarding the maintenance of a Fund's securities with local brokers and securities depositories and (xv) the imposition of withholding or other taxes on dividends, interest, capital gains, other income or gross sale or disposition proceeds.

Repatriation of investment income, assets and the proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval in some emerging market countries. A Fund could be adversely affected by delays in or a refusal to grant any required governmental registration or approval for such repatriation or by withholding taxes imposed by emerging market countries on interest or dividends paid on securities held by a Fund or gains from the disposition of such securities.

In emerging markets, there is often less government supervision and regulation of business and industry practices, stock exchanges, over-the-counter markets, brokers, dealers, counterparties and issuers than in other more established markets. Any regulatory supervision that is in place may be subject to manipulation or control. Some emerging market countries do not have mature legal systems comparable to those of more developed countries. Moreover, the process of legal and regulatory reform may not be proceeding at the same pace as market developments, which could result in investment risk. Legislation to safeguard the rights of private ownership may not yet be in place in certain areas, and there may be the risk of conflict among local, regional and national requirements. In certain cases, the laws and regulations governing investments in securities may not exist or may be subject to inconsistent or arbitrary appreciation or interpretation. Both the independence of judicial systems and their immunity from economic, political or nationalistic influences remain largely untested in many countries. A Fund may also encounter difficulties in pursuing legal remedies or in obtaining and enforcing judgments in local courts.

**Sovereign Debt Obligations.** Sovereign debt obligations are issued or guaranteed by foreign governments or their agencies. Sovereign debt may be in the form of conventional securities or other types of debt instruments such as loans or loan participations. Governmental entities responsible for repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal and pay interest when due, and may require renegotiation or reschedule of debt payments. In addition, prospects for repayment of principal and payment of interest may depend on political as well as economic factors. Although some sovereign debt, such as Brady Bonds, is collateralized by U.S. government securities, repayment of principal and payment of interest is not guaranteed by the U.S. government.

**Foreign Agency Debt Obligations.** A Fund may invest in uncollateralized bonds issued by agencies, subdivisions or instrumentalities of foreign governments. Bonds issued by these foreign government agencies, subdivisions or instrumentalities are generally backed only by the creditworthiness and reputation of the entities issuing the bonds and may not be backed by the full faith and credit of the foreign government. Moreover, a foreign government that explicitly provides its full faith and credit to a particular entity may be, due to changed circumstances, unable or unwilling to provide that support. A foreign agency's operations and financial condition are influenced by the foreign government's economic and other policies. Changes to the financial condition or credit rating of a foreign government may cause the value of debt issued by that particular foreign government's agencies, subdivisions or instrumentalities to decline. During periods of economic uncertainty, the trading of foreign agency bonds may be less liquid while market prices may be more volatile than prices of other bonds. Additional risks associated with foreign agency investing include differences in accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards; adverse changes in investment or exchange control regulations; political instability; and potential restrictions on the flow of international capital.

**Obligations of Supranational Entities.** Supranational entities are entities established through the joint participation of several governments, and include the Asian Development Bank, World Bank, African Development Bank, European Economic Community, European Investment Bank and the Nordic Investment Bank. The governmental members, or "stockholders," usually make initial capital contributions to the supranational entity and, in many cases, are committed to make additional capital contributions if the supranational entity is unable to repay its borrowings. There is no guarantee that one or more stockholders of a supranational entity will continue to make any necessary additional capital contributions. If such contributions are not made, the entity may be unable to pay interest or repay principal on its debt securities, and a Fund may lose money on such investments.

**Investment Funds.** Some emerging countries currently prohibit direct foreign investment in the securities of their companies. Certain emerging countries, however, permit indirect foreign investment in the securities of companies listed and traded on their stock exchanges through investment funds that they have specifically authorized. Investments in these investment funds are subject to the provisions of the 1940 Act. If a Fund invests in such investment funds, shareholders will bear not only their proportionate share of the expenses (including operating expenses and the fees of the Adviser), but also will indirectly bear similar expenses of the underlying investment funds. In addition, these investment funds may trade at a premium over their net asset value.

**Risks of Foreign Securities:**

Foreign securities, foreign currencies, and securities issued by U.S. entities with substantial foreign operations may involve significant risks in addition to the risks inherent in U.S. investments.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• **Political and Economic Factors.** Local political, economic, regulatory, or social instability, military
 action or unrest, or adverse diplomatic developments may affect the value of foreign investments.
 Listed below are some of the more important political and economic factors that could negatively
 affect an investment in foreign securities:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ The
 economies of foreign countries may differ from the economy of the United States in such areas
 as growth of gross national product, rate of inflation, capital reinvestment, resource self-sufficiency,
 budget deficits and national debt;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Foreign
 governments sometimes participate to a significant degree, through ownership interests or
 regulation, in their respective economies. Actions by these governments could significantly
 influence the market prices of securities and payment of dividends;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ The
 economies of many foreign countries are dependent on international trade and their trading
 partners and they could be severely affected if their trading partners were to enact protective
 trade barriers and economic conditions;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ The
 internal policies of a particular foreign country may be less stable than in the United States.
 Other countries face significant external political risks, such as possible claims of sovereignty
 by other countries or tense and sometimes hostile border clashes;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ A
 foreign government may act adversely to the interests of U.S. investors, including expropriation
 or nationalization of assets, confiscatory taxation and other restrictions on U.S. investment.
 A country may restrict or control foreign investments in its securities markets. These restrictions
 could limit a Fund's ability to invest in a particular country or make it very expensive
 for a Fund to invest in that country. Some countries require prior governmental approval
 or limit the types or amount of securities or companies in which a foreigner can invest.
 Other countries may restrict the ability of foreign investors to repatriate their investment
 income and capital gains; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Periodic
 U.S. Government restrictions on investments in issuers from certain foreign countries may
 result in a Fund having to sell such prohibited securities at inopportune times. Such prohibited
 securities may have less liquidity as a result of such U.S. Government designation and the
 market price of such prohibited securities may decline, which may cause a Fund to incur losses.

Given the increasing interdependence among global economies and markets, conditions in one country, region or market might adversely affect financial conditions or issuers in other countries, regions or markets. For example, on January 31, 2020, the United Kingdom (the "UK") formally withdrew from the EU (commonly referred to as "Brexit"). Following a transition period, the UK and the EU signed a post-Brexit trade agreement governing their future economic relationship on December 30, 2020. This agreement became effective on a provisional basis on January 1, 2021 and formally entered into force on May 1, 2021. While the full impact of Brexit is unknown, Brexit has already resulted in volatility in European and global markets. The effects of Brexit on the UK and EU economies and the broader global economy could be significant, resulting in negative impacts, such as business and trade disruptions, increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth of markets in the UK, EU and globally, which could negatively impact the value of a Fund's investments. Brexit could also lead to legal uncertainty and politically divergent national laws and regulations while the new relationship between the UK and EU is further defined and the UK determines which EU laws to replace or replicate. Additionally, depreciation of the British pound sterling and/or the euro in relation to the U.S. dollar following Brexit could adversely affect Fund investments denominated in the British pound sterling and/or the euro, regardless of the performance of the investment.

In addition, on February 24, 2022, Russian military forces invaded Ukraine, significantly amplifying already existing geopolitical tensions among Russia, Ukraine, Europe, NATO, and the West. Following Russia's actions, various countries, including the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France, as well as the European Union, issued broad-ranging economic sanctions against Russia. The sanctions consist of the prohibition of trading in certain Russian securities and engaging in certain private transactions, the prohibition of doing business with certain Russian corporate entities, large financial institutions, officials and oligarchs, and the freezing of Russian assets. The extent and duration of the war in Ukraine and the longevity and severity of sanctions remain unknown, but they could have a significant adverse impact on the European economy as well as the price and availability of certain commodities, including oil and natural gas, throughout the world. These sanctions, and the resulting disruption of the Russian economy, may cause volatility in other regional and global markets and may negatively impact the performance of various sectors and industries, as well as companies in other countries, which could have a negative effect on the performance of a Fund, even if the Fund does not have direct exposure to securities of Russian issuers.

Whether or not a Fund invests in securities of issuers located in Europe or with significant exposure to European issuers or countries, these events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund's investments due to the interconnected nature of the global economy and capital markets.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• **Information and Supervision.** There may be less publicly available information about foreign companies
 than companies based in the United States. For example, there are often no reports and ratings
 published about foreign companies comparable to the ones written about U.S. companies. Foreign
 companies may not be subject to uniform accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards,
 practices and requirements comparable to those applicable to U.S. companies. The lack of
 comparable information makes investment decisions concerning foreign companies more difficult
 and less reliable than those concerning domestic companies.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• **Stock Exchange and Market Risk.** The Adviser anticipates that in most cases an exchange or over-the-counter
 market located outside of the United States will be the best available market for foreign
 securities. Foreign stock markets, while growing in volume and sophistication, are generally
 not as developed as the markets in the United States. Foreign stock markets tend to differ
 from those in the United States in a number of possible ways.

Foreign stock markets may:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Be
 generally more volatile than, and not as developed or efficient as, those in the United States;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Have
 substantially less volume;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Trade
 securities that tend to be less liquid and experience rapid and erratic price movements;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Have
 generally higher commissions and are subject to set minimum rates, as opposed to negotiated
 rates;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Employ
 trading, settlement and custodial practices less developed than those in U.S. markets; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Have
 different settlement practices, which may cause delays and increase the potential for failed
 settlements.

Foreign markets may offer less protection to shareholders than U.S. markets because:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Foreign
 accounting, auditing, and financial reporting requirements may render a foreign corporate
 balance sheet more difficult to understand and interpret than one subject to U.S. law and
 standards;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Adequate
 public information on foreign issuers may not be available, and it may be difficult to secure
 dividends and information regarding corporate actions on a timely basis;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ There
 may be less overall governmental supervision and regulation of securities exchanges, brokers,
 and listed companies than in the United States;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Over-the-counter
 markets tend to be less regulated than stock exchange markets and, in certain countries,
 may be totally unregulated;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Economic
 or political concerns may influence regulatory enforcement and may make it difficult for
 shareholders to enforce their legal rights; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Restrictions
 on transferring securities within the United States or to U.S. persons may make a particular
 security less liquid than foreign securities of the same class that are not subject to such
 restrictions.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• **Foreign Currency Risk.** While each Fund denominates its net asset value in U.S. dollars, the securities
 of foreign companies are frequently denominated in foreign currencies. Thus, a change in
 the value of a foreign currency against the U.S. dollar will result in a corresponding change
 in value of securities denominated in that currency. Some of the factors that may impair
 the investments denominated in a foreign currency are:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ It
 may be expensive to convert foreign currencies into U.S. dollars and vice versa;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Complex
 political and economic factors may significantly affect the values of various currencies,
 including the U.S. dollar, and their exchange rates;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Government
 intervention may increase risks involved in purchasing or selling foreign currency options,
 forward contracts and futures contracts, since exchange rates may not be free to fluctuate
 in response to other market forces;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ There
 may be no systematic reporting of last sale information for foreign currencies or regulatory
 requirement that quotations available through dealers or other market sources be firm or
 revised on a timely basis;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Available
 quotation information is generally representative of very large round-lot transactions in
 the inter-bank market and thus may not reflect exchange rates for smaller odd-lot transactions
 (less than $1 million) where rates may be less favorable; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ The
 inter-bank market in foreign currencies is a global, around-the-clock market. To the extent
 that a market is closed while the markets for the underlying currencies remain open, certain
 markets may not always reflect significant price and rate movements.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• **Taxes.** Certain foreign governments levy withholding taxes on dividend and interest income. Although
 in some countries it is possible for a Fund to recover a portion of these taxes, the portion
 that cannot be recovered will reduce the income the Fund receives from its investments.

**<u>Investments in China</u>**

The People's Republic of China ("China") is an emerging market, and as a result, investments in securities of companies organized and listed in China may be subject to liquidity constraints and significantly higher volatility, from time to time, than investments in securities of more developed markets. China may be subject to considerable government intervention and varying degrees of economic, political and social instability. These factors may result in, among other things, a greater risk of stock market, interest rate, and currency fluctuations, as well as inflation. Accounting, auditing and financial reporting standards in China are different from U.S. standards and, therefore, disclosure of certain material information may not be made, may be less available, or may be less reliable. It may also be difficult or impossible for a Fund to obtain or enforce a judgment in a Chinese court. In addition, periodically there may be restrictions on investments in Chinese companies. For example, on November 12, 2020, the President of the United States signed an Executive Order (the "November 2020 Executive Order") prohibiting U.S. persons from purchasing or investing in publicly-traded securities of companies identified by the U.S. Government as "Communist Chinese military companies" or in instruments that are derivative of, or are designed to provide investment exposure to, those companies. In addition, on August 9, 2023, the President of the United States signed an Executive Order (the "August 2023 Executive Order" and, together with the November 2020 Executive Order, the "Executive Orders") directing the U.S. Department of the Treasury (the "Treasury") to promulgate regulations requiring notification of, or restricting, investments in China in certain categories of national security technologies, including semiconductors and microelectronics, quantum information, and certain artificial intelligence technologies. Concurrent with the August 2023 Executive Order, the Treasury issued an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which contemplates the possibility that the regulations adopted would not apply to investments made by collectively offered funds such as a Fund. These regulations have not yet been proposed or adopted by the Treasury and their scope and impact therefore are unclear, but if they were adopted in a way that applies to a Fund, the regulations could adversely affect the Fund's ability to make certain outbound investments.

The universe of affected securities affected by the Executive Orders can change from time to time. As a result of an increase in the number of investors looking to sell such securities, or because of an inability to participate in an investment that the Adviser otherwise believes is attractive, a Fund may incur losses. Certain securities that are or become designated as prohibited securities may have less liquidity as a result of such designation and the market price of such prohibited securities may decline, potentially causing losses to a Fund. In addition, the market for securities of other Chinese-based issuers may also be negatively impacted, resulting in reduced liquidity and price declines.

**<u>Money Market Securities</u>**

Money market securities include short-term U.S. government securities; custodial receipts evidencing separately traded interest and principal components of securities issued by the U.S. Treasury; commercial paper rated in the highest short-term rating category by a nationally recognized statistical ratings organization ("NRSRO"), such as S&P Global Ratings ("S&P") or Moody's Investor Services, Inc. ("Moody's"), or determined by the Adviser to be of comparable quality at the time of purchase; short-term bank obligations (certificates of deposit, time deposits and bankers' acceptances) of U.S. commercial banks with assets of at least $1 billion as of the end of their most recent fiscal year; and repurchase agreements involving such securities. Each of these money market securities are described below. For a description of ratings, see "Appendix A – Description of Ratings" to this SAI.

**<u>U.S. Government Securities</u>**

A Fund may invest in U.S. government securities. Securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government or its agencies or instrumentalities include U.S. Treasury securities, which are backed by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury and which differ only in their interest rates, maturities, and times of issuance. U.S. Treasury bills have initial maturities of one-year or less; U.S. Treasury notes have initial maturities of one to ten years; and U.S. Treasury bonds generally have initial maturities of greater than ten years. U.S. Treasury notes and bonds typically pay coupon interest semi-annually and repay the principal at maturity. Certain U.S. government securities are issued or guaranteed by agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S. government including, but not limited to, obligations of U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities such as the Federal National Mortgage Association ("Fannie Mae"), the Government National Mortgage Association ("Ginnie Mae"), the Small Business Administration, the Federal Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Home Loan Banks, Banks for Cooperatives (including the Central Bank for Cooperatives), the Federal Land Banks, the Federal Intermediate Credit Banks, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Export-Import Bank of the United States, the Commodity Credit Corporation, the Federal Financing Bank, the Student Loan Marketing Association, the National Credit Union Administration, and the Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation ("Farmer Mac").

Some obligations issued or guaranteed by U.S. government agencies and instrumentalities, including, for example, Ginnie Mae pass-through certificates, are supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Treasury. Other obligations issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those securities issued by Fannie Mae, are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. government to purchase certain obligations of the federal agency. Additionally, some obligations are issued by or guaranteed by federal agencies, such as those of the Federal Home Loan Banks, which are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury. While the U.S. government provides financial support to such U.S. government-sponsored federal agencies, no assurance can be given that the U.S. government will always do so, since the U.S. government is not so obligated by law. Guarantees of principal by U.S. government agencies or instrumentalities may be a guarantee of payment at the maturity of the obligation so that in the event of a default prior to maturity there might not be a market and thus no means of realizing on the obligation prior to maturity. Guarantees as to the timely payment of principal and interest do not extend to the value or yield of these securities nor to the value of a Fund's shares.

On September 7, 2008, the U.S. Treasury announced a federal takeover of Fannie Mae and the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation ("Freddie Mac"), placing the two federal instrumentalities in conservatorship. Under the takeover, the U.S. Treasury agreed to acquire $1 billion of senior preferred stock of each instrumentality and obtained warrants for the purchase of common stock of each instrumentality (the "Senior Preferred Stock Purchase Agreement" or "Agreement"). Under the Agreement, the U.S. Treasury pledged to provide up to $200 billion per instrumentality as needed, including the contribution of cash capital to the instrumentalities in the event their liabilities exceed their assets. This was intended to ensure that the instrumentalities maintain a positive net worth and meet their financial obligations, preventing mandatory triggering of receivership. On December 24, 2009, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was amending the Agreement to allow the $200 billion cap on the U.S. Treasury's funding commitment to increase as necessary to accommodate any cumulative reduction in net worth through the end of 2012. The unlimited support the U.S. Treasury extended to the two companies expired at the beginning of 2013 – Fannie Mae's support is now capped at $125 billion and Freddie Mac has a limit of $149 billion.

On August 17, 2012, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was again amending the Agreement to terminate the requirement that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac each pay a 10 percent annual dividend. Instead, the companies will transfer to the U.S. Treasury on a quarterly basis all profits earned during a quarter that exceed a capital reserve amount. The capital reserve amount was $3 billion in 2013, and decreased by $600 million in each subsequent year through 2017. It is believed that this amendment put Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in a better position to service their debt because it eliminated the need for the companies to have to borrow from the U.S. Treasury to make fixed dividend payments. As part of the new terms, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also will be required to reduce their investment portfolios over time. On December 21, 2017, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was again amending the Agreement to reinstate the $3 billion capital reserve amount. On September 30, 2019, the U.S. Treasury announced that it was further amending the Agreement, now permitting Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to retain earnings beyond the $3 billion capital reserves previously allowed through the 2017 amendment. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are now permitted to maintain capital reserves of $25 billion and $20 billion, respectively.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the subject of several continuing class action lawsuits and investigations by federal regulators over certain accounting, disclosure or corporate governance matters, which (along with any resulting financial restatements) may adversely affect the guaranteeing entities. Importantly, the future of the entities is in serious question as the U.S. government reportedly is considering multiple options, ranging from nationalization, privatization, consolidation, or abolishment of the entities.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• **U.S. Treasury Obligations.** U.S. Treasury obligations consist of direct obligations of the
 U.S. Treasury, including Treasury bills, notes and bonds, and separately traded interest
 and principal component parts of such obligations, including those transferable through the
 Federal book-entry system known as Separate Trading of Registered Interest and Principal
 of Securities ("STRIPS"). The STRIPS program lets investors hold and trade the
 individual interest and principal components of eligible Treasury notes and bonds as separate
 securities. Under the STRIPS program, the principal and interest components are separately
 issued by the U.S. Treasury at the request of depository financial institutions, which then
 trade the component parts separately.

**<u>Municipal Securities</u>**

Municipal securities, including municipal bonds and municipal notes, consist of: (i) debt obligations issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to be used for various public facilities, for refunding outstanding obligations, for general operating expenses and for lending such funds to other public institutions and facilities, and (ii) certain private activity and industrial development bonds issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to provide for the construction, equipment, repair or improvement of privately operated facilities.

Municipal bonds are debt obligations issued to obtain funds for various public purposes. Municipal bonds include general obligation bonds, revenue or special obligation bonds, private activity and industrial development bonds, moral obligation bonds and participation interests in municipal bonds. General obligation bonds are backed by the taxing power of the issuing municipality. Revenue or special obligation bonds are backed by the revenues of a project or facility, such as tolls from a toll bridge. Private activity or industrial development bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to raise money to finance various privately-owned or -operated facilities for business and manufacturing, housing, sports and pollution control. These bonds are also used to finance public facilities such as airports, mass transit systems, ports, parking or sewage or solid waste disposal facilities and certain other facilities. The payment of the principal and interest on such bonds is dependent solely on the ability of the facility's user to meet its financial obligations and the pledge, if any, of real and personal property financed as security for such payment. Moral obligation bonds are normally issued by special purpose authorities. Moral obligation bonds are not backed by the full faith and credit of the issuing municipality, but are generally backed by the agreement of the issuing authority to request appropriations from the municipality's legislative body. Certificates of participation represent an interest in an underlying obligation or commitment, such as an obligation issued in connection with a leasing arrangement.

Municipal notes consist of general obligation notes, tax anticipation notes (notes sold to finance working capital needs of the issuer in anticipation of receiving taxes on a future date), revenue anticipation notes (notes sold to provide needed cash prior to receipt of expected non-tax revenues from a specific source), bond anticipation notes, tax and revenue anticipation notes, certificates of indebtedness, demand notes and construction loan notes. The maturities of the instruments at the time of issue will generally range from three months to one year.

**<u>Commercial Paper</u>**

Commercial paper is the term used to designate unsecured short-term promissory notes issued by corporations and other entities. Maturities on these issues vary from a few to 270 days.

**<u>Obligations of Domestic Banks, Foreign Banks and Foreign Branches of U.S. Banks</u>**

A Fund may invest in obligations issued by banks and other savings institutions. Investments in bank obligations include obligations of domestic branches of foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks. Such investments in domestic branches of foreign banks and foreign branches of domestic banks may involve risks that are different from investments in securities of domestic branches of U.S. banks. These risks may include future unfavorable political and economic developments, possible withholding taxes on interest income, seizure or nationalization of foreign deposits, currency controls, interest limitations, or other governmental restrictions which might affect the payment of principal or interest on the securities held by a Fund. Additionally, these institutions may be subject to less stringent reserve requirements and to different accounting, auditing, reporting and recordkeeping requirements than those applicable to domestic branches of U.S. banks. Bank obligations include the following:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• **Time Deposits.** Time deposits are non-negotiable receipts issued by a bank in exchange for
 the deposit of funds. Like a certificate of deposit, it earns a specified rate of interest
 over a definite period of time; however, it cannot be traded in the secondary market. Time
 deposits with a withdrawal penalty or that mature in more than seven days are considered
 to be illiquid investments.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• **Unsecured Bank Promissory Notes.** Promissory notes are generally debt obligations of the issuing
 entity and are subject to the risks of investing in the banking industry.

**<u>Investment Grade Fixed Income Securities</u>**

Fixed income securities are considered investment grade if they are rated in one of the four highest rating categories by an NRSRO, or, if not rated, are determined to be of comparable quality by the Adviser. See "Appendix A – Description of Ratings" for a description of the bond rating categories of several NRSROs. Ratings of each NRSRO represent its opinion of the safety of principal and interest payments (and not the market risk) of bonds and other fixed income securities it undertakes to rate at the time of issuance. Ratings are not absolute standards of quality and may not reflect changes in an issuer's creditworthiness. Fixed income securities rated BBB- or Baa3 lack outstanding investment characteristics, and have speculative characteristics as well. Securities rated Baa3 by Moody's or BBB- by S&P or higher are considered by those rating agencies to be "investment grade" securities, although Moody's considers securities rated in the Baa category to have speculative characteristics. While issuers of bonds rated BBB by S&P are considered to have adequate capacity to meet their financial commitments, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to pay interest and principal for debt in this category than debt in higher rated categories. In the event a security owned by a Fund is downgraded below investment grade, the Adviser will review the situation and take appropriate action with regard to the security, including the actions discussed below.

**<u>Debt Securities</u>**

Corporations and governments use debt securities to borrow money from investors. Most debt securities promise a variable or fixed rate of return and repayment of the amount borrowed at maturity. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not pay current interest and are purchased at a discount from their face value.

**Corporate Bonds.** Corporations issue bonds and notes to raise money for working capital or for capital expenditures such as plant construction, equipment purchases and expansion. In return for the money loaned to the corporation by investors, the corporation promises to pay investors interest, and repay the principal amount of the bond or note.

**Mortgage-Backed Securities.** Mortgage-backed securities are interests in pools of mortgage loans that various governmental, government-related and private organizations assemble as securities for sale to investors. Unlike most debt securities, which pay interest periodically and repay principal at maturity or on specified call dates, mortgage-backed securities make monthly payments that consist of both interest and principal payments. In effect, these payments are a "pass-through" of the monthly payments made by the individual borrowers on their mortgage loans, net of any fees paid to the issuer or guarantor of such securities. Since homeowners usually have the option of paying either part or all of the loan balance before maturity, the effective maturity of a mortgage-backed security is often shorter than is stated.

Governmental entities, private insurers and mortgage poolers may insure or guarantee the timely payment of interest and principal of these pools through various forms of insurance or guarantees, including individual loan, title, pool and hazard insurance and letters of credit. The Adviser will consider such insurance and guarantees and the creditworthiness of the issuers thereof in determining whether a mortgage-related security meets its investment quality standards. It is possible that the private insurers or guarantors will not meet their obligations under the insurance policies or guarantee arrangements.

Although the market for such securities is becoming increasingly liquid, securities issued by certain private organizations may not be readily marketable.

**Risks of Mortgage-Backed Securities.** Yield characteristics of mortgage-backed securities differ from those of traditional debt securities in a variety of ways. The most significant differences of mortgage-backed securities are: 1) payments of interest and principal are more frequent (usually monthly) and 2) falling interest rates generally cause individual borrowers to pay off their mortgage earlier than expected, which results in prepayments of principal on the securities, thus forcing a Fund to reinvest the money at a lower interest rate. In addition to risks associated with changes in interest rates, a variety of economic, geographic, social and other factors, such as the sale of the underlying property, refinancing or foreclosure, can cause investors to repay the loans underlying a mortgage-backed security sooner than expected. When prepayment occurs, a Fund may have to reinvest its principal at a rate of interest that is lower than the rate on existing mortgage-backed securities.

**Other Asset-Backed Securities.** These securities are interests in pools of a broad range of assets other than mortgages, such as automobile loans, computer leases and credit card receivables. Like mortgage-backed securities, these securities are pass-through. In general, the collateral supporting these securities is of shorter maturity than mortgage loans and is less likely to experience substantial prepayments with interest rate fluctuations, but may still be subject to prepayment risk.

Asset-backed securities present certain risks that are not presented by mortgage-backed securities. Primarily, these securities may not have the benefit of any security interest in the related assets, which raises the possibility that recoveries on repossessed collateral may not be available to support payments on these securities. For example, credit card receivables are generally unsecured and the debtors are entitled to the protection of a number of state and federal consumer credit laws, many of which allow debtors to reduce their balances by offsetting certain amounts owed on the credit cards. Most issuers of asset-backed securities backed by automobile receivables permit the servicers of such receivables to retain possession of the underlying obligations. If the servicer were to sell these obligations to another party, there is a risk that the purchaser would acquire an interest superior to that of the holders of the related asset-backed securities. Due to the quantity of vehicles involved and requirements under state laws, asset-backed securities backed by automobile receivables may not have a proper security interest in all of the obligations backing such receivables.

To lessen the effect of failures by obligors on underlying assets to make payments, the entity administering the pool of assets may agree to ensure that the receipt of payments on the underlying pool occurs in a timely fashion ("liquidity protection"). In addition, asset-backed securities may obtain insurance, such as guarantees, policies or letters of credit obtained by the issuer or sponsor from third parties, for some or all of the assets in the pool ("credit support"). Delinquency or loss more than that anticipated or failure of the credit support could adversely affect the return on an investment in such a security.

A Fund may also invest in residual interests in asset-backed securities, which consist of the excess cash flow remaining after making required payments on the securities and paying related administrative expenses. The amount of residual cash flow resulting from a particular issue of asset-backed securities depends in part on the characteristics of the underlying assets, the coupon rates on the securities, prevailing interest rates, the amount of administrative expenses and the actual prepayment experience on the underlying assets.

**Bank Loans.** Bank loans typically are arranged through private negotiations between a borrower and several financial institutions or a group of lenders which are represented by one or more lenders acting as agent. The agent is often a commercial bank that originates the loan and invites other parties to join the lending syndicate. The agent will be primarily responsible for negotiating the loan agreement and will have responsibility for the documentation and ongoing administration of the loan on behalf of the lenders after completion of the loan transaction. A Fund can invest in a bank loan either as a direct lender or through an assignment or participation.

When a Fund acts as a direct lender, it will have a direct contractual relationship with the borrower and may participate in structuring the loan, may enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement and may have voting, consent and set-off rights under the loan agreement.

Loan assignments are investments in all or a portion of certain bank loans purchased from the lenders or from other third parties. The purchaser of an assignment typically will acquire direct rights against the borrower under the loan. While the purchaser of an assignment typically succeeds to all the rights and obligations of the assigning lender under the loan agreement, because assignments are arranged through private negotiations between potential assignees and assignors, or other third parties whose interests are being assigned, the rights and obligations acquired by a Fund may differ from and be more limited than those held by the assigning lender.

A holder of a loan participation typically has only a contractual right with the seller of the participation and not with the borrower or any other entities interpositioned between the seller of the participation and the borrower. As such, the purchaser of a loan participation assumes the credit risk of the seller of the participation, and any intermediary entities between the seller and the borrower, in addition to the credit risk of the borrower. When a Fund holds a loan participation, it will have the right to receive payments of principal, interest and fees to which it may be entitled only from the seller of the participation and only upon receipt of the seller of such payments from the borrower or from any intermediary parties between the seller and the borrower. Additionally, a Fund generally will have no right to enforce compliance by the borrower with the terms of the loan agreement, will have no voting, consent or set-off rights under the loan agreement and may not directly benefit from the collateral supporting the loan although lenders that sell participations generally are required to distribute liquidation proceeds received by them pro rata among the holders of such participations. In the event of the bankruptcy or insolvency of the borrower, a loan participation may be subject to certain defenses that can be asserted by the borrower as a result of improper conduct by the seller or intermediary. If the borrower fails to pay principal and interest when due, a Fund may be subject to greater delays, expenses and risks than those that would have been involved if a Fund had purchased a direct obligation of such borrower.

Direct loans, assignments and loan participations may be considered liquid, as determined by the Adviser based on criteria approved by the Board.

A Fund may have difficulty disposing of bank loans because, in certain cases, the market for such instruments is not highly liquid. The lack of a highly liquid secondary market may have an adverse impact on the value of such instruments and on a Fund's ability to dispose of the bank loan in response to a specific economic event, such as deterioration in the creditworthiness of the borrower. Furthermore, transactions in many loans settle on a delayed basis, and a Fund may not receive the proceeds from the sale of a loan for a substantial period of time after the sale. As a result, those proceeds will not be available to make additional investments or to meet a Fund's redemption obligations. To the extent that extended settlement creates short-term liquidity needs, a Fund may satisfy these needs by holding additional cash or selling other investments (potentially at an inopportune time, which could result in losses to a Fund).

Bank loans may not be considered "securities," and purchasers, such as a Fund, therefore may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws.

The Adviser may from time to time have the opportunity to receive material, non-public information ("Confidential Information") about the borrower, including financial information and related documentation regarding the borrower that is not publicly available. Pursuant to applicable policies and procedures, the Adviser may (but is not required to) seek to avoid receipt of Confidential Information from the borrower so as to avoid possible restrictions on its ability to purchase and sell investments on behalf of a Fund and other clients to which such Confidential Information relates (e.g., publicly traded securities issued by the borrower). In such circumstances, a Fund (and other clients of the Adviser) may be disadvantaged in comparison to other investors, including with respect to the price a Fund pays or receives when it buys or sells a bank loan. Further, the Adviser's abilities to assess the desirability of proposed consents, waivers or amendments with respect to certain bank loans may be compromised if it is not privy to available Confidential Information. The Adviser may also determine to receive such Confidential Information in certain circumstances under its applicable policies and procedures. If the Adviser intentionally or unintentionally comes into possession of Confidential Information, it may be unable, potentially for a substantial period of time, to purchase or sell publicly traded securities to which such Confidential Information relates.

**<u>Repurchase Agreements</u>**

A Fund may enter into repurchase agreements with financial institutions. A repurchase agreement is an agreement under which a Fund acquires a fixed income security (generally a security issued by the U.S. government or an agency thereof, a banker's acceptance, or a certificate of deposit) from a commercial bank, broker, or dealer, and simultaneously agrees to resell such security to the seller at an agreed upon price and date (normally, the next business day). Because the security purchased constitutes collateral for the repurchase obligation, a repurchase agreement may be considered a loan that is collateralized by the security purchased. The acquisition of a repurchase agreement may be deemed to be an acquisition of the underlying securities as long as the obligation of the seller to repurchase the securities is collateralized fully. A Fund follows certain procedures designed to minimize the risks inherent in such agreements. These procedures include effecting repurchase transactions only with creditworthy financial institutions whose condition will be continually monitored by the Adviser. The repurchase agreements entered into by a Fund will provide that the underlying collateral at all times shall have a value at least equal to 102% of the resale price stated in the agreement and consist only of securities permissible under Section 101(47)(A)(i) of the Bankruptcy Code (the Adviser monitors compliance with this requirement). Under all repurchase agreements entered into by a Fund, the custodian or its agent must take possession of the underlying collateral. In the event of a default or bankruptcy by a selling financial institution, a Fund will seek to liquidate such collateral. However, the exercising of a Fund's right to liquidate such collateral could involve certain costs or delays and, to the extent that proceeds from any sale upon a default of the obligation to repurchase were less than the repurchase price, a Fund could suffer a loss. A Fund may also enter into "tri-party" repurchase agreements. In "tri-party" repurchase agreements, an unaffiliated third party custodian maintains accounts to hold collateral for a Fund and its counterparties and, therefore, the Fund may be subject to the credit risk of those custodians. The investments of a Fund in repurchase agreements, at times, may be substantial when, in the view of the Adviser, liquidity or other considerations so warrant.

**<u>Reverse Repurchase Agreements</u>**

Reverse repurchase agreements are transactions in which a Fund sells portfolio securities to financial institutions, such as banks and broker-dealers, and agrees to repurchase them at a mutually agreed-upon date and price that is higher than the original sale price. Reverse repurchase agreements are similar to a fully collateralized borrowing by a Fund.

Reverse repurchase agreements involve risks. Reverse repurchase agreements are a form of leverage, and the use of reverse repurchase agreements by a Fund may increase the Fund's volatility. Reverse repurchase agreements are also subject to the risk that the other party to the reverse repurchase agreement will be unable or unwilling to complete the transaction as scheduled, which may result in losses to a Fund. Reverse repurchase agreements also involve the risk that the market value of the securities sold by a Fund may decline below the price at which it is obligated to repurchase the securities. In addition, when a Fund invests the proceeds it receives in a reverse repurchase transaction, there is a risk that those investments may decline in value. In this circumstance, a Fund could be required to sell other investments in order to meet its obligations to repurchase the securities.

The Derivatives Rule (defined below) permits a Fund to enter into reverse repurchase agreements and similar financing transactions, notwithstanding the limitation on the issuance of senior securities in Section 18 of the 1940 Act. The Derivatives Rule permits a Fund to elect whether to treat a reverse repurchase agreement as a borrowing, subject to the asset coverage requirements of Section 18 of the 1940 Act, or as a derivatives transaction under the Derivatives Rule.

**<u>Securities of Other Investment Companies</u>**

A Fund may invest in shares of other investment companies, to the extent permitted by applicable law, subject to certain restrictions. These investment companies typically incur fees that are separate from those fees incurred directly by a Fund. A Fund's purchase of such investment company securities results in the layering of expenses, such that shareholders would indirectly bear a proportionate share of the operating expenses of such investment companies, including advisory fees, in addition to paying a Fund's expenses.

Generally, the federal securities laws limit the extent to which a Fund can invest in securities of other investment companies, subject to certain exceptions. For example, Section 12(d)(1)(A) of the 1940 Act prohibits a fund from (i) acquiring more than 3% of the voting shares of any one investment company, (ii) investing more than 5% of its total assets in any one investment company, and (iii) investing more than 10% of its total assets in all investment companies combined, including its ETF investments.

A Fund may rely on Section 12(d)(1)(F) of the 1940 Act, which provides an exemption from Section 12(d)(1) that allows a Fund to invest all of its assets in other registered funds, including ETFs, if, among other conditions, a Fund, together with its affiliates, acquires no more than 3% of the outstanding voting stock of any acquired fund. A Fund may also rely on Rule 12d1-4 under the 1940 Act. Rule 12d1-4, which became effective on January 19, 2021, permits a Fund to invest in other investment companies beyond the statutory limits, subject to certain conditions specified in the Rule including, among other conditions, that a Fund and its advisory group will not control (individually or in the aggregate) an acquired fund (e.g., hold more than 25% of the outstanding voting securities of an acquired fund that is a registered open-end management investment company). In addition, a Fund may be able to rely on certain other rules under the 1940 Act to invest in shares of money market funds or other investment companies beyond the statutory limits noted above, but subject to certain conditions.

For hedging or other purposes, a Fund may invest in investment companies that seek to track the composition and/or performance of specific indexes or portions of specific indexes. Certain of these investment companies, known as ETFs, are traded on a securities exchange. (See "Exchange-Traded Funds" above). The market prices of index-based investments will fluctuate in accordance with changes in the underlying portfolio securities of the investment company and also due to supply and demand of the investment company's shares on the exchange upon which the shares are traded. Index-based investments may not replicate or otherwise match the composition or performance of their specified index due to transaction costs, among other things.

A Fund may invest in investment companies that are not registered with the SEC or in privately placed securities of investment companies (which may or may not be registered), such as hedge funds and offshore funds. Unregistered funds are largely exempt from the regulatory requirements that apply to registered investment companies. As a result, unregistered funds may have a greater ability to make investments, or use investment techniques, that offer a higher potential investment return (for example, leveraging), but which may carry high risk. Unregistered funds, while not regulated by the SEC like registered funds, may be indirectly supervised by the financial institutions (e.g., commercial and investment banks) that may provide them with loans or other sources of capital. Investments in unregistered funds may be difficult to sell, which could cause a Fund to lose money when selling an interest in an unregistered fund. For example, many hedge funds require their investors to hold their investments for at least one year.

**<u>Derivatives</u>**

Derivatives are financial instruments whose value is based on an underlying asset (such as a stock or a bond), an underlying economic factor (such as an interest rate) or a market benchmark. Unless otherwise stated in the Prospectus, a Fund may use derivatives for a number of purposes including managing risk, gaining exposure to various markets in a cost-efficient manner, reducing transaction costs, remaining fully invested and speculating. A Fund may also invest in derivatives with the goal of protecting itself from broad fluctuations in market prices, interest rates or foreign currency exchange rates (a practice known as "hedging"). When hedging is successful, a Fund will have offset any depreciation in the value of its portfolio securities by the appreciation in the value of the derivative position. Although techniques other than the sale and purchase of derivatives could be used to control the exposure of a Fund to market fluctuations, the use of derivatives may be a more effective means of hedging this exposure. In the future, to the extent such use is consistent with a Fund's investment objective and is legally permissible, a Fund may use instruments and techniques that are not presently contemplated, but that may be subsequently developed.

There can be no assurance that a derivative strategy, if employed, will be successful. Because many derivatives have a leverage or borrowing component, adverse changes in the value or level of the underlying asset, reference rate or index can result in a loss substantially greater than the amount invested in the derivative itself.

**Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act***.* Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act (the "Derivatives Rule") provides a comprehensive framework for the use of derivatives by registered investment companies. The Derivatives Rule permits a registered investment company, subject to various conditions described below, to enter into derivatives transactions and certain other transactions notwithstanding the restrictions on the issuance of "senior securities" under Section 18 of the 1940 Act. Section 18 of the 1940 Act, among other things, prohibits open-end funds, including a Fund, from issuing or selling any "senior security," other than borrowing from a bank (subject to a requirement to maintain 300% "asset coverage").

Registered investment companies that don't qualify as "limited derivatives users" as defined below, are required by the Derivatives Rule to, among other things, (i) adopt and implement a derivatives risk management program ("DRMP") and new testing requirements; (ii) comply with a relative or absolute limit on fund leverage risk calculated based on value-at-risk ("VaR"); and (iii) comply with new requirements related to Board and SEC reporting. The DRMP is administered by a "derivatives risk manager," who is appointed by the Board and periodically reviews the DRMP and reports to the Board.

The Derivatives Rule provides an exception from the DRMP, VaR limit and certain other requirements for a registered investment company that limits its "derivatives exposure" to no more than 10% of its net assets (as calculated in accordance with the Derivatives Rule) (a "limited derivatives user"), provided that the registered investment company establishes appropriate policies and procedures reasonably designed to manage derivatives risks, including the risk of exceeding the 10% derivatives exposure threshold.

The requirements of the Derivatives Rule may limit a Fund's ability to engage in derivatives transactions as part of its investment strategies. These requirements may also increase the cost of a Fund's investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect the value of a Fund's investments and/or the performance of a Fund. The rule also may not be effective to limit a Fund's risk of loss. In particular, measurements of VaR rely on historical data and may not accurately measure the degree of risk reflected in a Fund's derivatives or other investments. There may be additional regulation of the use of derivatives transactions by registered investment companies, which could significantly affect their use. The ultimate impact of the regulations remains unclear. Additional regulation of derivatives transactions may make them more costly, limit their availability or utility, otherwise adversely affect their performance or disrupt markets.

**CFTC Regulations.** Pursuant to rules adopted under the Commodity Exchange Act ("CEA") by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ("CFTC"), a Fund must either operate within certain guidelines and restrictions with respect to the Fund's use of futures, options on such futures, commodity options and certain swaps, or the Adviser will be subject to registration with the CFTC as a "commodity pool operator" ("CPO").

Consistent with the CFTC's regulations, the Adviser, on behalf of the Funds, has filed, or will file prior to the Funds' commencement of operations, a notice of exclusion from the definition of the term CPO under the CEA pursuant to CFTC Rule 4.5 with respect to the Funds' operation. Therefore, the Funds are not subject to regulation as commodity pools under the CEA and the Adviser is not subject to registration or regulation as a CPO under the CEA with respect to a Fund. As a result, the Funds will be limited in their ability to use futures, options on such futures, commodity options and certain swaps. Complying with the limitations may restrict the Adviser's ability to implement a Fund's investment strategies and may adversely affect a Fund's performance.

**Types of Derivatives:**

**Futures.** A futures contract is an agreement between two parties whereby one party agrees to sell and the other party agrees to buy a specified amount of a financial instrument at an agreed upon price and time. The financial instrument underlying the contract may be a stock, stock index, bond, bond index, interest rate, foreign exchange rate or other similar instrument. Agreeing to buy the underlying financial instrument is called buying a futures contract or taking a long position in the contract. Likewise, agreeing to sell the underlying financial instrument is called selling a futures contract or taking a short position in the contract.

Futures contracts are traded in the United States on commodity exchanges or boards of trade (known as "contract markets") approved for such trading and regulated by the CFTC. These contract markets standardize the terms, including the maturity date and underlying financial instrument, of all futures contracts.

Unlike other securities, the parties to a futures contract do not have to pay for or deliver the underlying financial instrument until some future date (the "delivery date"). Contract markets require both the purchaser and seller to deposit "initial margin" with a futures broker, known as a futures commission merchant or custodian bank, when they enter into the contract. Initial margin deposits are typically equal to a percentage of the contract's value. Initial margin is similar to a performance bond or good faith deposit on a contract and is returned to the depositing party upon termination of the futures contract if all contractual obligations have been satisfied. After they open a futures contract, the parties to the transaction must compare the purchase price of the contract to its daily market value. If the value of the futures contract changes in such a way that a party's position declines, that party must make additional "variation margin" payments so that the margin payment is adequate. On the other hand, the value of the contract may change in such a way that there is excess margin on deposit, possibly entitling the party that has a gain to receive all or a portion of this amount. This process is known as "marking to the market." Variation margin does not represent a borrowing or loan by a party but is instead a settlement between the party and the futures broker of the amount one party would owe the other if the futures contract terminated. In computing daily net asset value, each party marks to market its open futures positions.

Although the terms of a futures contract call for the actual delivery of and payment for the underlying security, in many cases the parties may close the contract early by taking an opposite position in an identical contract. If the sale price upon closing out the contract is less than the original purchase price, the party closing out the contract will realize a loss. If the sale price upon closing out the contract is more than the original purchase price, the party closing out the contract will realize a gain. Conversely, if the purchase price upon closing out the contract is more than the original sale price, the party closing out the contract will realize a loss. If the purchase price upon closing out the contract is less than the original sale price, the party closing out the contract will realize a gain.

A Fund may incur commission expenses when they open or close a futures position.

**Options.** An option is a contract between two parties for the purchase and sale of a financial instrument for a specified price (known as the "strike price" or "exercise price") at any time during the option period. Unlike a futures contract, an option grants a right (not an obligation) to buy or sell a financial instrument. Generally, a seller of an option can grant a buyer two kinds of rights: a "call" (the right to buy the security) or a "put" (the right to sell the security). Options have various types of underlying instruments, including specific securities, indices of securities prices, foreign currencies, interest rates and futures contracts. Options may be traded on an exchange (exchange-traded options) or may be customized agreements between the parties (over-the-counter or "OTC" options). Like futures, a financial intermediary, known as a clearing corporation, financially backs exchange-traded options. However, OTC options have no such intermediary and are subject to the risk that the counterparty will not fulfill its obligations under the contract. The principal factors affecting the market value of an option include supply and demand, interest rates, the current market value of the underlying instrument relative to the exercise price of the option, the volatility of the underlying instrument, and the time remaining until the option expires.

▪ **Purchasing Put and Call Options** 

When a Fund purchases a put option, it buys the right to sell the instrument underlying the option at a fixed strike price. In return for this right, a Fund pays the current market price for the option (known as the "option premium"). A Fund may purchase put options to offset or hedge against a decline in the market value of its securities ("protective puts") or to benefit from a decline in the price of securities that it does not own. A Fund would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying securities decreased below the exercise price sufficiently to cover the premium and transaction costs. However, if the price of the underlying instrument does not fall enough to offset the cost of purchasing the option, a put buyer would lose the premium and related transaction costs.

Call options are similar to put options, except that a Fund obtains the right to purchase, rather than sell, the underlying instrument at the option's strike price. A Fund would normally purchase call options in anticipation of an increase in the market value of securities it owns or wants to buy. A Fund would ordinarily realize a gain if, during the option period, the value of the underlying instrument exceeded the exercise price plus the premium paid and related transaction costs. Otherwise, a Fund would realize either no gain or a loss on the purchase of the call option.

The purchaser of an option may terminate its position by:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Allowing
 it to expire and losing its entire premium;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Exercising
 the option and either selling (in the case of a put option) or buying (in the case of a call
 option) the underlying instrument at the strike price; or

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Closing
 it out in the secondary market at its current price.

▪ **Selling (Writing) Put and Call Options** 

When a Fund writes a call option it assumes an obligation to sell specified securities to the holder of the option at a fixed strike price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date. Similarly, when a Fund writes a put option it assumes an obligation to purchase specified securities from the option holder at a fixed strike price if the option is exercised at any time before the expiration date. A Fund may terminate its position in an exchange-traded put option before exercise by buying an option identical to the one it has written. Similarly, a Fund may cancel an OTC option by entering into an offsetting transaction with the counterparty to the option.

A Fund could try to hedge against an increase in the value of securities it would like to acquire by writing a put option on those securities. If security prices rise, a Fund would expect the put option to expire and the premium it received to offset the increase in the security's value. If security prices remain the same over time, a Fund would hope to profit by closing out the put option at a lower price. If security prices fall, a Fund may lose an amount of money equal to the difference between the value of the security and the premium it received. Writing covered put options may deprive a Fund of the opportunity to profit from a decrease in the market price of the securities it would like to acquire.

The characteristics of writing call options are similar to those of writing put options, except that call writers expect to profit if prices remain the same or fall. A Fund could try to hedge against a decline in the value of securities it already owns by writing a call option. If the price of that security falls as expected, a Fund would expect the option to expire and the premium it received to offset the decline of the security's value. However, a Fund must be prepared to deliver the underlying instrument in return for the strike price, which may deprive it of the opportunity to profit from an increase in the market price of the securities it holds.

A Fund is permitted to write only "covered" options. At the time of selling a call option, a Fund may cover the option by owning, among other things:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ The
 underlying security (or securities convertible into the underlying security without additional
 consideration), index, interest rate, foreign currency or futures contract;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ A
 call option on the same security or index with the same or lesser exercise price;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Cash
 or liquid securities equal to at least the market value of the optioned securities, interest
 rate, foreign currency or futures contract; or

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ In
 the case of an index, the portfolio of securities that corresponds to the index.

At the time of selling a put option, a Fund may cover the option by, among other things:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Entering
 into a short position in the underlying security;

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Purchasing
 a put option on the same security, index, interest rate, foreign currency or futures contract
 with the same or greater exercise price; or

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Maintaining
 the entire exercise price in liquid securities.

▪ **Options on Securities Indices** 

Options on securities indices are similar to options on securities, except that the exercise of securities index options requires cash settlement payments and does not involve the actual purchase or sale of securities. In addition, securities index options are designed to reflect price fluctuations in a group of securities or segment of the securities market rather than price fluctuations in a single security.

• **Options on Credit Default Swaps** 

An option on a credit default swap ("CDS") gives the holder the right to enter into a CDS at a specified future date and under specified terms in exchange for a purchase price or premium. The writer of the option bears the risk of any unfavorable move in the value of the CDS relative to the market value on the exercise date, while the purchaser may allow the option to expire unexercised.

▪ **Options on Futures** 

An option on a futures contract provides the holder with the right to buy a futures contract (in the case of a call option) or sell a futures contract (in the case of a put option) at a fixed time and price. Upon exercise of the option by the holder, the contract market clearing house establishes a corresponding short position for the writer of the option (in the case of a call option) or a corresponding long position (in the case of a put option). If the option is exercised, the parties will be subject to the futures contracts. In addition, the writer of an option on a futures contract is subject to initial and variation margin requirements on the option position. Options on futures contracts are traded on the same contract market as the underlying futures contract.

The buyer or seller of an option on a futures contract may terminate the option early by purchasing or selling an option of the same series (i.e., the same exercise price and expiration date) as the option previously purchased or sold. The difference between the premiums paid and received represents the trader's profit or loss on the transaction.

A Fund may purchase put and call options on futures contracts instead of selling or buying futures contracts. A Fund may buy a put option on a futures contract for the same reasons it would sell a futures contract. It also may purchase such a put option in order to hedge a long position in the underlying futures contract. A Fund may buy a call option on a futures contract for the same purpose as the actual purchase of a futures contract, such as in anticipation of favorable market conditions.

A Fund may write a call option on a futures contract to hedge against a decline in the prices of the instrument underlying the futures contracts. If the price of the futures contract at expiration were below the exercise price, a Fund would retain the option premium, which would offset, in part, any decline in the value of its portfolio securities.

The writing of a put option on a futures contract is similar to the purchase of the futures contracts, except that, if the market price declines, a Fund would pay more than the market price for the underlying instrument. The premium received on the sale of the put option, less any transaction costs, would reduce the net cost to a Fund.

▪ **Options on Foreign Currencies** 

A put option on a foreign currency gives the purchaser of the option the right to sell a foreign currency at the exercise price until the option expires. A call option on a foreign currency gives the purchaser of the option the right to purchase the currency at the exercise price until the option expires. A Fund may purchase or write put and call options on foreign currencies for the purpose of hedging against changes in future currency exchange rates.

A Fund may use foreign currency options given the same circumstances under which it could use forward foreign currency exchange contracts. For example, a decline in the U.S. dollar value of a foreign currency in which a Fund's securities are denominated would reduce the U.S. dollar value of the securities, even if their value in the foreign currency remained constant. In order to hedge against such a risk, a Fund may purchase a put option on the foreign currency. If the value of the currency then declined, a Fund could sell the currency for a fixed amount in U.S. dollars and thereby offset, at least partially, the negative effect on its securities that otherwise would have resulted. Conversely, if a Fund anticipates a rise in the U.S. dollar value of a currency in which securities to be acquired are denominated, a Fund may purchase call options on the currency in order to offset, at least partially, the effects of negative movements in exchange rates. If currency exchange rates do not move in the direction or to the extent anticipated, a Fund could sustain losses on transactions in foreign currency options.

▪ **Combined Positions** 

A Fund may purchase and write options in combination with each other, or in combination with futures or forward contracts or swap agreements, to adjust the risk and return characteristics of the overall position. For example, a Fund could construct a combined position whose risk and return characteristics are similar to selling a futures contract by purchasing a put option and writing a call option on the same underlying instrument. Alternatively, a Fund could write a call option at one strike price and buy a call option at a lower price to reduce the risk of the written call option in the event of a substantial price increase. Because combined options positions involve multiple trades, they result in higher transaction costs and may be more difficult to open and close out.

**Forward Foreign Currency Exchange Contracts.** A forward foreign currency contract involves an obligation to purchase or sell a specific amount of currency at a future date or date range at a specific price. In the case of a cancelable forward contract, the holder has the unilateral right to cancel the contract at maturity by paying a specified fee. Forward foreign currency exchange contracts differ from foreign currency futures contracts in certain respects. Unlike futures contracts, forward contracts:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Do
 not have standard maturity dates or amounts (i.e., the parties to the contract may fix the
 maturity date and the amount);

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Are
 typically traded directly between currency traders (usually large commercial banks) and their
 customers in the inter-bank markets, as opposed to on exchanges regulated by the CFTC (note,
 however, that under definitions adopted by the CFTC and SEC, many non-deliverable foreign
 currency forwards will be considered swaps for certain purposes, including determination
 of whether such instruments must be traded on exchanges and centrally cleared);

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ Do
 not require an initial margin deposit; and

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;▪ May
 be closed by entering into a closing transaction with the currency trader who is a party
 to the original forward contract, as opposed to with a commodities exchange.

▪ **Foreign Currency Hedging Strategies** 

A "settlement hedge" or "transaction hedge" is designed to protect a Fund against an adverse change in foreign currency values between the date a security is purchased or sold and the date on which payment is made or received. Entering into a forward contract for the purchase or sale of the amount of foreign currency involved in an underlying security transaction for a fixed amount of U.S. dollars "locks in" the U.S. dollar price of the security. A Fund may also use forward contracts to purchase or sell a foreign currency when it anticipates purchasing or selling securities denominated in foreign currency, even if it has not yet selected the specific investments.

A Fund may use forward contracts to hedge against a decline in the value of existing investments denominated in foreign currency. Such a hedge, sometimes referred to as a "position hedge," would tend to offset both positive and negative currency fluctuations, but would not offset changes in security values caused by other factors. A Fund could also hedge the position by selling another currency expected to perform similarly to the currency in which a Fund's investment is denominated. This type of hedge, sometimes referred to as a "proxy hedge," could offer advantages in terms of cost, yield, or efficiency, but generally would not hedge currency exposure as effectively as a direct hedge into U.S. dollars. Proxy hedges may result in losses if the currency used to hedge does not perform similarly to the currency in which the hedged securities are denominated.

Transaction and position hedging do not eliminate fluctuations in the underlying prices of the securities that a Fund owns or intends to purchase or sell. They simply establish a rate of exchange that one can achieve at some future point in time. Additionally, these techniques tend to minimize the risk of loss due to a decline in the value of the hedged currency and to limit any potential gain that might result from the increase in value of such currency.

A Fund may enter into forward contracts to shift its investment exposure from one currency into another. Such transactions may call for the delivery of one foreign currency in exchange for another foreign currency, including currencies in which its securities are not then denominated. This may include shifting exposure from U.S. dollars to a foreign currency, or from one foreign currency to another foreign currency. This type of strategy, sometimes known as a "cross-hedge," will tend to reduce or eliminate exposure to the currency that is sold, and increase exposure to the currency that is purchased. Cross-hedges may protect against losses resulting from a decline in the hedged currency but will cause a Fund to assume the risk of fluctuations in the value of the currency it purchases. Cross-hedging transactions also involve the risk of imperfect correlation between changes in the values of the currencies involved.

It is difficult to forecast with precision the market value of portfolio securities at the expiration or maturity of a forward or futures contract. Accordingly, a Fund may have to purchase additional foreign currency on the spot (cash) market if the market value of a security it is hedging is less than the amount of foreign currency it is obligated to deliver. Conversely, a Fund may have to sell on the spot market some of the foreign currency it received upon the sale of a security if the market value of such security exceeds the amount of foreign currency it is obligated to deliver.

**Participation Notes ("P-Notes").** P-Notes are participation interest notes that are issued by banks or broker-dealers and are designed to offer a return linked to a particular underlying equity, debt, currency or market. When purchasing a P-Note, the posting of margin is not required because the full cost of the P-Note (plus commission) is paid at the time of purchase. When the P-Note matures, the issuer will pay to, or receive from, the purchaser the difference between the nominal value of the underlying instrument at the time of purchase and that instrument's value at maturity. Investments in P-Notes involve the same risks associated with a direct investment in the underlying foreign companies or foreign securities markets that they seek to replicate.

In addition, there can be no assurance that the trading price of P-Notes will equal the underlying value of the foreign companies or foreign securities markets that they seek to replicate. The holder of a P-Note that is linked to a particular underlying security is entitled to receive any dividends paid in connection with an underlying security or instrument. However, the holder of a P-Note does not receive voting rights as it would if it directly owned the underlying security or instrument. P-Notes are generally traded over-the-counter. P-Notes constitute general unsecured contractual obligations of the banks or broker-dealers that issue them. There is also counterparty risk associated with these investments because a Fund is relying on the creditworthiness of such counterparty and has no rights under a P-Note against the issuer of the underlying security. In addition, a Fund will incur transaction costs as a result of investment in P-Notes.

**Swap Agreements.** A swap agreement is a financial instrument that typically involves the exchange of cash flows between two parties on specified dates (settlement dates), where the cash flows are based on agreed-upon prices, rates, indices, etc. The nominal amount on which the cash flows are calculated is called the notional amount. Swap agreements are individually negotiated and structured to include exposure to a variety of different types of investments or market factors, such as interest rates, foreign currency rates, mortgage securities, corporate borrowing rates, security prices or inflation rates.

Swap agreements may increase or decrease the overall volatility of the investments of a Fund and its share price. The performance of swap agreements may be affected by a change in the specific interest rate, currency, or other factors that determine the amounts of payments due to and from a Fund. If a swap agreement calls for payments by a Fund, a Fund must be prepared to make such payments when due. In addition, if the counterparty's creditworthiness declined, the value of a swap agreement would be likely to decline, potentially resulting in losses.

Generally, swap agreements have a fixed maturity date that will be agreed upon by the parties. The agreement can be terminated before the maturity date under certain circumstances, such as default by one of the parties or insolvency, among others, and can be transferred by a party only with the prior written consent of the other party. A Fund may be able to eliminate its exposure under a swap agreement either by assignment or by other disposition, or by entering into an offsetting swap agreement with the same party or a similarly creditworthy party. If the counterparty is unable to meet its obligations under the contract, declares bankruptcy, defaults or becomes insolvent, a Fund may not be able to recover the money it expected to receive under the swap agreement. A Fund will not enter into any swap agreement unless the Adviser believes that the counterparty to the transaction is creditworthy.

A swap agreement can be a form of leverage, which can magnify a Fund's gains or losses.

▪ **Equity Swaps** 

In a typical equity swap, one party agrees to pay another party the return on a stock, stock index or basket of stocks in return for a specified interest rate. By entering into an equity index swap, for example, the index receiver can gain exposure to stocks making up the index of securities without actually purchasing those stocks. Equity index swaps involve not only the risk associated with investment in the securities represented in the index, but also the risk that the performance of such securities, including dividends, will not exceed the return on the interest rate that a Fund will be committed to pay.

**▪** **Total Return Swaps** 

Total return swaps are contracts in which one party agrees to make payments of the total return from a reference instrument—which may be a single asset, a pool of assets or an index of assets—during a specified period, in return for payments equal to a fixed or floating rate of interest or the total return from another underlying reference instrument. The total return includes appreciation or depreciation on the underlying asset, plus any interest or dividend payments. Payments under the swap are based upon an agreed upon principal amount but, since the principal amount is not exchanged, it represents neither an asset nor a liability to either counterparty, and is referred to as notional. Total return swaps are marked to market daily using different sources, including quotations from counterparties, pricing services, brokers or market makers. The unrealized appreciation or depreciation related to the change in the valuation of the notional amount of the swap is combined with the amount due to a Fund at termination or settlement. The primary risks associated with total return swaps are credit risks (if the counterparty fails to meet its obligations) and market risk (if there is no liquid market for the swap or unfavorable changes occur to the underlying reference instrument).

▪ **Interest Rate Swaps** 

Interest rate swaps are financial instruments that involve the exchange of one type of interest rate for another type of interest rate cash flow on specified dates in the future. Some of the different types of interest rate swaps are "fixed-for-floating rate swaps," "termed basis swaps" and "index amortizing swaps." Fixed-for-floating rate swaps involve the exchange of fixed interest rate cash flows for floating rate cash flows. Termed basis swaps entail cash flows to both parties based on floating interest rates, where the interest rate indices are different. Index amortizing swaps are typically fixed-for-floating rate swaps where the notional amount changes if certain conditions are met.

As with a traditional investment in a debt security, a Fund could lose money by investing in an interest rate swap if interest rates change adversely. For example, if a Fund enters into a swap where it agrees to exchange a floating rate of interest for a fixed rate of interest, a Fund may have to pay more money than it receives. Similarly, if a Fund enters into a swap where it agrees to exchange a fixed rate of interest for a floating rate of interest, a Fund may receive less money than it has agreed to pay.

▪ **Currency Swaps** 

A currency swap is an agreement between two parties in which one party agrees to make interest rate payments in one currency and the other promises to make interest rate payments in another currency. A Fund may enter into a currency swap when it has one currency and desires a different currency. Typically, the interest rates that determine the currency swap payments are fixed, although occasionally one or both parties may pay a floating rate of interest. Unlike an interest rate swap, however, the principal amounts are exchanged at the beginning of the agreement and returned at the end of the agreement. Changes in foreign exchange rates and changes in interest rates, as described above, may negatively affect currency swaps.

▪ **Inflation Swaps** 

Inflation swaps are fixed-maturity, over-the-counter derivatives where one party pays a fixed rate in exchange for payments tied to an inflation index, such as the Consumer Price Index. The fixed rate, which is set by the parties at the initiation of the swap, is often referred to as the "breakeven inflation" rate and generally represents the current difference between treasury yields and Treasury Inflation Protected Securities yields of similar maturities at the initiation of the swap agreement. Inflation swaps are typically designated as "zero coupon," where all cash flows are exchanged at maturity. The value of an inflation swap is expected to fluctuate in response to changes in the relationship between nominal interest rates and the rate of inflation. An inflation swap can lose value if the realized rate of inflation over the life of the swap is less than the fixed market implied inflation rate (the breakeven inflation rate) the investor agreed to pay at the initiation of the swap.

▪ **Credit Default Swaps** 

A credit default swap is an agreement between a "buyer" and a "seller" for credit protection. The credit default swap agreement may have as reference obligations one or more securities that are not then held by a Fund. The protection buyer is generally obligated to pay the protection seller an upfront payment and/or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the agreement until a credit event on a reference obligation has occurred. If no default occurs, the seller would keep the stream of payments and would have no payment obligations. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the full notional amount (the "par value") of the swap.

▪ **Caps, Collars and Floors** 

Caps and floors have an effect similar to buying or writing options. In a typical cap or floor agreement, one party agrees to make payments only under specified circumstances, usually in return for payment of a fee by the other party. For example, the buyer of an interest rate cap obtains the right to receive payments to the extent that a specified interest rate exceeds an agreed-upon level. The seller of an interest rate floor is obligated to make payments to the extent that a specified interest rate falls below an agreed-upon level. An interest rate collar combines elements of buying a cap and selling a floor.

**Risks of Derivatives:**

While transactions in derivatives may reduce certain risks, these transactions themselves entail certain other risks. For example, unanticipated changes in interest rates, securities prices or currency exchange rates may result in a poorer overall performance of a Fund than if it had not entered into any derivatives transactions. Derivatives may magnify a Fund's gains or losses, causing it to make or lose substantially more than it invested.

When used for hedging purposes, increases in the value of the securities a Fund holds or intends to acquire should offset any losses incurred with a derivative. Purchasing derivatives for purposes other than hedging could expose a Fund to greater risks.

Use of derivatives involves transaction costs, which may be significant, and may also increase the amount of taxable income to shareholders.

**Correlation of Prices.** A Fund's ability to hedge its securities through derivatives depends on the degree to which price movements in the underlying index or instrument correlate with price movements in the relevant securities. In the case of poor correlation, the price of the securities a Fund is hedging may not move in the same amount, or even in the same direction as the hedging instrument. The Adviser will try to minimize this risk by investing in only those contracts whose behavior it expects to correlate with the behavior of the portfolio securities it is trying to hedge. However, if the Adviser's prediction of interest and currency rates, market value, volatility or other economic factors is incorrect, a Fund may lose money, or may not make as much money as it expected.

Derivative prices can diverge from the prices of their underlying instruments, even if the characteristics of the underlying instruments are very similar to the derivative. Listed below are some of the factors that may cause such a divergence:

▪ Current
 and anticipated short-term interest rates, changes in volatility of the underlying instrument,
 and the time remaining until expiration of the contract;

▪ A
 difference between the derivatives and securities markets, including different levels of
 demand, how the instruments are traded, the imposition of daily price fluctuation limits
 or discontinued trading of an instrument; and

▪ Differences
 between the derivatives, such as different margin requirements, different liquidity of such
 markets and the participation of speculators in such markets.

Derivatives based upon a narrower index of securities, such as those of a particular industry group, may present greater risk than derivatives based on a broad market index. Since narrower indices are made up of a smaller number of securities, they are more susceptible to rapid and extreme price fluctuations because of changes in the value of those securities.

While currency futures and options values are expected to correlate with exchange rates, they may not reflect other factors that affect the value of the investments of a Fund. A currency hedge, for example, should protect a yen-denominated security from a decline in the yen, but will not protect a Fund against a price decline resulting from deterioration in the issuer's creditworthiness. Because the value of a Fund's foreign-denominated investments changes in response to many factors other than exchange rates, it may not be possible to match the amount of currency options and futures to the value of a Fund's investments precisely over time.

**Lack of Liquidity.** Before a futures contract or option is exercised or expires, a Fund can terminate it only by entering into a closing purchase or sale transaction. Moreover, a Fund may close out a futures contract only on the exchange the contract was initially traded. Although a Fund intends to purchase options and futures only where there appears to be an active market, there is no guarantee that such a liquid market will exist. If there is no secondary market for the contract, or the market is illiquid, a Fund may not be able to close out its position. In an illiquid market, a Fund may:

▪ Have
 to sell securities to meet its daily margin requirements at a time when it is disadvantageous
 to do so;

▪ Have
 to purchase or sell the instrument underlying the contract;

▪ Not
 be able to hedge its investments; and/or

▪ Not
 be able to realize profits or limit its losses.

Derivatives may become illiquid (i.e., difficult to sell at a desired time and price) under a variety of market conditions. For example:

▪ An
 exchange may suspend or limit trading in a particular derivative instrument, an entire category
 of derivatives or all derivatives, which sometimes occurs because of increased market volatility;

▪ Unusual
 or unforeseen circumstances may interrupt normal operations of an exchange;

▪ The
 facilities of the exchange may not be adequate to handle current trading volume;

▪ Equipment
 failures, government intervention, insolvency of a brokerage firm or clearing house or other
 occurrences may disrupt normal trading activity; or

▪ Investors
 may lose interest in a particular derivative or category of derivatives.

**Management Risk.** Successful use of derivatives by a Fund is subject to the ability of the Adviser to forecast stock market and interest rate trends. If the Adviser incorrectly predicts stock market and interest rate trends, a Fund may lose money by investing in derivatives. For example, if a Fund were to write a call option based on the Adviser's expectation that the price of the underlying security would fall, but the price were to rise instead, a Fund could be required to sell the security upon exercise at a price below the current market price. Similarly, if a Fund were to write a put option based on the Adviser's expectation that the price of the underlying security would rise, but the price were to fall instead, a Fund could be required to purchase the security upon exercise at a price higher than the current market price.

**Pricing Risk.** At times, market conditions might make it hard to value some investments. For example, if a Fund has valued its securities too high, shareholders may end up paying too much for Fund shares when they buy into a Fund. If a Fund underestimates its price, shareholders may not receive the full market value for their Fund shares when they sell.

**Margin.** Because of the low margin deposits required upon the opening of a derivative position, such transactions involve an extremely high degree of leverage. Consequently, a relatively small price movement in a derivative may result in an immediate and substantial loss (as well as gain) to a Fund and it may lose more than it originally invested in the derivative.

If the price of a futures contract changes adversely, a Fund may have to sell securities at a time when it is disadvantageous to do so to meet its minimum daily margin requirement. A Fund may lose its margin deposits if a broker-dealer with whom it has an open futures contract or related option becomes insolvent or declares bankruptcy.

**Volatility and Leverage.** A Fund's use of derivatives may have a leveraging effect. Leverage generally magnifies the effect of any increase or decrease in value of an underlying asset and results in increased volatility, which means a Fund will have the potential for greater gains, as well as the potential for greater losses, than if a Fund does not use derivative instruments that have a leveraging effect. The prices of derivatives are volatile (i.e., they may change rapidly, substantially and unpredictably) and are influenced by a variety of factors, including:

▪ Actual
 and anticipated changes in interest rates;

▪ Fiscal
 and monetary policies; and

▪ National
 and international political events.

Most exchanges limit the amount by which the price of a derivative can change during a single trading day. Daily trading limits establish the maximum amount that the price of a derivative may vary from the settlement price of that derivative at the end of trading on the previous day. Once the price of a derivative reaches that value, a Fund may not trade that derivative at a price beyond that limit. The daily limit governs only price movements during a given day and does not limit potential gains or losses. Derivative prices have occasionally moved to the daily limit for several consecutive trading days, preventing prompt liquidation of the derivative.

**Government Regulation.** The regulation of derivatives markets in the U.S. is a rapidly changing area of law and is subject to modification by government and judicial action. For example, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, signed into law in 2010, granted significant new authority to the SEC and the CFTC to impose comprehensive regulations on the over-the-counter and cleared derivatives markets. These regulations include, but are not limited to, mandatory clearing of certain derivatives and requirements relating to disclosure, margin and trade reporting. The law and regulations may negatively impact a Fund by increasing transaction and/or regulatory compliance costs, limiting the availability of certain derivatives or otherwise adversely affecting the value or performance of the derivatives a Fund trades.

In addition, the SEC adopted the Derivatives Rule on October 28, 2020. Since its compliance date of August 19, 2022, the Derivatives Rule has replaced prior SEC and staff guidance with an updated, comprehensive framework for registered funds' use of derivatives. See "Derivatives – Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act" above for additional information on the requirements imposed on registered funds by the Derivatives Rule. Complying with the Derivatives Rule may increase the cost of a Fund's investments and cost of doing business, which could adversely affect investors. Other potentially adverse regulatory obligations can develop suddenly and without notice.

**<u>Illiquid Investments</u>**

Illiquid investments are investments that a Fund reasonably expects cannot be sold or disposed of in current market conditions in seven calendar days or less without the sale or disposition significantly changing the market value of the investment. Because of their illiquid nature, illiquid investments must be priced at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, subject to Board oversight. Despite such good faith efforts to determine fair value prices, a Fund's illiquid investments are subject to the risk that the investment's fair value price may differ from the actual price which a Fund may ultimately realize upon its sale or disposition. Difficulty in selling illiquid investments may result in a loss or may be costly to a Fund. Under the oversight of the Board, the Adviser determines the liquidity of a Fund's investments. A Fund may not acquire an illiquid investment if, immediately after the acquisition, a Fund would have invested more than 15% of its net assets in illiquid investments that are assets.

**<u>Securities Lending</u>**

A Fund may lend portfolio securities to brokers, dealers and other financial organizations that meet capital and other credit requirements or other criteria established by the Board. These loans, if and when made, may not exceed 33 1/3% of the total asset value of a Fund (including the loan collateral). A Fund will not lend portfolio securities to the Adviser or its affiliates unless permissible under the 1940 Act and the rules and promulgations thereunder. Loans of portfolio securities will be fully collateralized by cash, letters of credit or U.S. government securities, and the collateral will be maintained in an amount equal to at least 100% of the current market value of the loaned securities by marking to market daily. Any gain or loss in the market price of the securities loaned that might occur during the term of the loan would be for the account of a Fund.

A Fund may pay a part of the interest earned from the investment of collateral, or other fee, to an unaffiliated third party for acting as a Fund's securities lending agent, but will bear all of any losses from the investment of collateral.

By lending its securities, a Fund may increase its income by receiving payments from the borrower that reflect the amount of any interest or any dividends payable on the loaned securities as well as by either investing cash collateral received from the borrower in short-term instruments or obtaining a fee from the borrower when U.S. government securities or letters of credit are used as collateral. Investing cash collateral subjects a Fund to market risk. A Fund remains obligated to return all collateral to the borrower under the terms of its securities lending arrangements, even if the value of investments made with the collateral decline. Accordingly, if the value of a security in which the cash collateral has been invested declines, the loss would be borne by a Fund, and the Fund may be required to liquidate other investments in order to return collateral to the borrower at the end of the loan. A Fund will adhere to the following conditions whenever its portfolio securities are loaned: (i) the Fund must receive at least 100% cash collateral or equivalent securities of the type discussed above from the borrower; (ii) the borrower must increase such collateral whenever the market value of the securities rises above the level of such collateral; (iii) the Fund must be able to terminate the loan on demand; (iv) the Fund must receive reasonable interest on the loan, as well as any dividends, interest or other distributions on the loaned securities and any increase in market value; (v) the Fund may pay only reasonable fees in connection with the loan (which fees may include fees payable to the lending agent, the borrower, the Fund's administrator and the custodian); and (vi) voting rights on the loaned securities may pass to the borrower, provided, however, that if a material event adversely affecting the investment occurs, the Fund must terminate the loan and regain the right to vote the securities. In such instances, the Adviser will vote the securities in accordance with its proxy voting policies and procedures. The Board has adopted procedures reasonably designed to ensure that the foregoing criteria will be met. Loan agreements involve certain risks in the event of default or insolvency of the borrower, including possible delays or restrictions upon a Fund's ability to recover the loaned securities or dispose of the collateral for the loan, which could give rise to loss because of adverse market action, expenses and/or delays in connection with the disposition of the underlying securities.

**<u>Restricted Securities</u>**

A Fund may purchase restricted securities. Restricted securities are securities that may not be sold freely to the public absent registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "1933 Act") or an exemption from registration. This generally includes securities that are unregistered that can be sold to qualified institutional buyers in accordance with Rule 144A under the 1933 Act or securities that are exempt from registration under the 1933 Act, such as commercial paper. Institutional markets for restricted securities have developed as a result of the promulgation of Rule 144A under the 1933 Act, which provides a "safe harbor" from 1933 Act registration requirements for qualifying sales to institutional investors. When Rule 144A restricted securities present an attractive investment opportunity and meet other selection criteria, a Fund may make such investments whether or not such investments are "illiquid" depending on the market that exists for the particular security. The Board has delegated the responsibility for determining the liquidity of Rule 144A restricted securities that a Fund may invest in to the Adviser.

**<u>Short Sales</u>**

A Fund may engage in short sales that are either "uncovered" or "against the box." A short sale is "against the box" if at all times during which the short position is open, a Fund owns at least an equal amount of the securities or securities convertible into, or exchangeable without further consideration for, securities of the same issue as the securities that are sold short. A short sale against the box is a taxable transaction to a Fund with respect to the securities that are sold short.

Uncovered short sales are transactions under which a Fund sells a security it does not own. To complete such a transaction, a Fund must borrow the security to make delivery to the buyer. A Fund then is obligated to replace the security borrowed by purchasing the security at the market price at the time of the replacement. The price at such time may be more or less than the price at which the security was sold by a Fund. Until the security is replaced, a Fund is required to pay the lender amounts equal to any dividends or interest that accrue during the period of the loan. To borrow the security, a Fund also may be required to pay a premium, which would increase the cost of the security sold. The proceeds of the short sale will be retained by the broker, to the extent necessary to meet margin requirements, until the short position is closed out.

**<u>When-Issued, Delayed–Delivery and Forward-Delivery Transactions</u>**

A when-issued security is one whose terms are available and for which a market exists, but which has not been issued. In a forward-delivery transaction, a Fund contracts to purchase securities for a fixed price at a future date beyond customary settlement time. "Delayed-delivery" refers to securities transactions on the secondary market where settlement occurs in the future. In each of these transactions, the parties fix the payment obligation and the interest rate that they will receive on the securities at the time the parties enter the commitment; however, they do not pay money or deliver securities until a later date. Typically, no income accrues on securities a Fund has committed to purchase before the securities are delivered. A Fund will only enter into these types of transactions with the intention of actually acquiring the securities, but may sell them before the settlement date.

A Fund may use when-issued, delayed-delivery and forward-delivery transactions to secure what it considers an advantageous price and yield at the time of purchase. When a Fund engages in when-issued, delayed-delivery or forward-delivery transactions, it relies on the other party to consummate the sale. If the other party fails to complete the sale, a Fund may miss the opportunity to obtain the security at a favorable price or yield.

When purchasing a security on a when-issued, delayed-delivery, or forward-delivery basis, a Fund assumes the rights and risks of ownership of the security, including the risk of price and yield changes. At the time of settlement, the market value of the security may be more or less than the purchase price. The yield available in the market when the delivery takes place also may be higher than those obtained in the transaction itself. Because a Fund does not pay for the security until the delivery date, these risks are in addition to the risks associated with its other investments.

The Derivatives Rule permits a Fund to enter into when-issued or delayed delivery basis securities notwithstanding the limitation on the issuance of senior securities in Section 18 of the 1940 Act, provided that a Fund intends to physically settle the transaction and the transaction will settle within 35 days of its trade date. If a when-issued or delayed delivery basis security entered into by a Fund does not satisfy those requirements, the Fund would need to comply with the Derivatives Rule with respect to its when issued or delayed delivery transactions, which are considered derivatives transactions under the Derivatives Rule. See "Derivatives – Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act" above.

**<u>Special Risks of Cyber-attacks</u>**

As with any entity that conducts business through electronic means in the modern marketplace, the Funds, and their service providers, may be susceptible to operational and information security risks resulting from cyber-attacks. Cyber-attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, the unauthorized monitoring, release, misuse, loss, destruction or corruption of confidential information, unauthorized access to relevant systems, compromises to networks or devices that the Funds and their service providers use to service the Funds' operations, ransomware, operational disruption or failures in the physical infrastructure or operating systems that support the Funds and their service providers, or various other forms of cyber security breaches. Cyber-attacks affecting the Funds or the Adviser, the Funds' distributor, custodian, or any other of the Funds' intermediaries or service providers may adversely impact the Funds and their shareholders, potentially resulting in, among other things, financial losses or the inability of Fund shareholders to transact business. For instance, cyber-attacks may interfere with the processing of shareholder transactions, impact a Fund's ability to calculate its net asset value, cause the release of private shareholder information or confidential business information, impede trading, subject a Fund to regulatory fines or financial losses and/or cause reputational damage. A Fund may also incur additional costs for cyber security risk management purposes designed to mitigate or prevent the risk of cyber-attacks. Such costs may be ongoing because threats of cyber-attacks are constantly evolving as cyber attackers become more sophisticated and their techniques become more complex. Similar types of cyber security risks are also present for issuers of securities in which a Fund may invest, which could result in material adverse consequences for such issuers and may cause a Fund's investments in such companies to lose value. There can be no assurance that a Fund, the Funds' service providers, or the issuers of the securities in which the Funds invest will not suffer losses relating to cyber-attacks or other information security breaches in the future.

**<u>General Market Risk</u>**

Some countries and regions in which the Fund invest have experienced war (including Russia's military invasion of Ukraine), terrorism, social unrest, government defaults, government shutdowns, economic uncertainty, sanctions or the threat of sanctions, natural and environmental disasters, the spread of infectious illness, widespread disease or other public health issues such as pandemics and epidemics (including those caused by COVID-19), and/or systemic market dislocations (including due to events outside of such countries or regions). Such events have led, and in the future may lead, to increased short-term market volatility and may have adverse long-term effects on the U.S. and world economies and markets generally. Whether or not a Fund invests in securities of issuers located in countries impacted by such events, these and other events could negatively affect the value and liquidity of the Fund's investments due to the interconnected nature of the global economy and capital markets, which in turn could negatively impact the Fund's performance and cause losses on your investment in the Fund.

**INVESTMENT LIMITATIONS**

**Fundamental Policies**

The following investment limitations are fundamental, which means that a Fund cannot change them without approval by the vote of a majority of the outstanding shares of the Fund. The phrase "majority of the outstanding shares" means the vote of (i) 67% or more of a Fund's shares present at a meeting, if more than 50% of the outstanding shares of a Fund are present or represented by proxy, or (ii) more than 50% of a Fund's outstanding shares, whichever is less.

1. The Funds may
 not purchase securities of an issuer that would cause such Fund to fail to satisfy the diversification
 requirement for a diversified management company under the 1940 Act, the rules or regulations
 thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended
 or interpreted from time to time.

2. The Funds may not
 concentrate investments in a particular industry or group of industries, as concentration
 is defined under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom,
 as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time, except
 that the Funds may invest without limitation in securities issued or guaranteed by the U.S.
 government, its agencies or instrumentalities and repurchase agreements involving such securities
 or tax-exempt obligations of state or municipal governments and their political subdivisions.

3. The Funds may borrow money or issue
senior securities (as defined under the 1940 Act), except as prohibited under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any
exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

4. The Funds may make
 loans, except as prohibited under the 1940 Act, the rules and regulations thereunder or any
 exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations may be amended or interpreted
 from time to time.

5. The Funds may purchase
 or sell commodities or real estate, except as prohibited under the 1940 Act, the rules and
 regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations
 may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

6. The Funds may underwrite
 securities issued by other persons, except as prohibited under the 1940 Act, the rules and
 regulations thereunder or any exemption therefrom, as such statute, rules or regulations
 may be amended or interpreted from time to time.

The following descriptions of certain provisions of the 1940 Act may assist investors in understanding the above policies and restrictions:

<u>Diversification</u>. Under the 1940 Act and the rules, regulations and interpretations thereunder, a "diversified company," as to 75% of its total assets, may not purchase securities of any issuer (other than obligations of, or guaranteed by, the U.S. government or its agencies, or instrumentalities or securities of other investment companies) if, as a result, more than 5% of its total assets would be invested in the securities of such issuer, or more than 10% of the issuer's voting securities would be held by the fund.

<u>Concentration</u>. The 1940 Act requires that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy regarding concentration. The SEC has defined concentration as investing 25% or more of an investment company's total assets in any particular industry or group of industries, with certain exceptions. For purposes of a Fund's concentration policy, a Fund may classify and re-classify companies in a particular industry and define and re-define industries in any reasonable manner, consistent with SEC and SEC staff guidance. Revenue bonds, or those issued to finance a specific project, are considered for purposes of determining concentration under the Fund's concentration policy.

<u>Borrowing</u>. The 1940 Act presently allows an investment company to borrow from any bank in an amount up to 33 1/3% of its total assets (including the amount borrowed) and to borrow for temporary purposes in an amount not exceeding 5% of the value of its total assets.

<u>Lending</u>. Under the 1940 Act, an investment company may only make loans if expressly permitted by its investment policies.

<u>Senior Securities</u>. Senior securities may include any obligation or instrument issued by a fund evidencing indebtedness. The 1940 Act generally prohibits funds from issuing senior securities, although the 1940 Act does provide allowances for certain borrowings. In addition, Rule 18f-4 under the 1940 Act permits a fund to enter into derivatives transactions, notwithstanding the prohibitions and restrictions on the issuance of senior securities under the 1940 Act, provided that the fund complies with the conditions of Rule 18f-4.

<u>Real Estate and Commodities</u>. The 1940 Act does not directly restrict an investment company's ability to invest in real estate or commodities, but does require that every investment company have a fundamental investment policy governing such investments.

<u>Underwriting</u>. Under the 1940 Act, underwriting securities involves an investment company purchasing securities directly from an issuer for the purpose of selling (distributing) them or participating in any such activity either directly or indirectly. Under the 1940 Act, a diversified fund may not make any commitment as underwriter, if immediately thereafter the amount of its outstanding underwriting commitments, plus the value of its investments in securities of issuers (other than investment companies) of which it owns more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities, exceeds 25% of the value of its total assets.

Except with respect to the Funds' policy concerning borrowing, if a percentage restriction is adhered to at the time of an investment, a later increase or decrease in percentage resulting from changes in values or assets will not constitute a violation of such restriction. With respect to the limitation on borrowing, in the event that a subsequent change in net assets or other circumstances cause a Fund to exceed its limitation, the Fund will take steps to bring the aggregate amount of borrowing back within the limitations within three days thereafter (not including Sundays and holidays).

**EXCHANGE LISTING AND TRADING**

A discussion of exchange listing and trading matters associated with an investment in a Fund is contained in the Prospectus. The discussion below supplements, and should be read in conjunction with, the Prospectus.

The shares of the Funds are approved for listing and trading on the Exchange. Each Fund's shares trade on the Exchange at prices that may differ to some degree from its NAV. There can be no assurance that the requirements of the Exchange necessary to maintain the listing of shares of the Funds will continue to be met.

The Exchange may consider the suspension of trading in, and may initiate delisting proceedings of, the shares of a Fund under any of the following circumstances: (i) if the Exchange becomes aware that the Fund is no longer eligible to operate in reliance on Rule 6c-11 under the 1940 Act; (ii) if the Fund no longer complies with the applicable listing requirements set forth in the Exchange's rules; (iii) if, following the initial twelve-month period after commencement of trading on the Exchange of the Fund, there are fewer than 50 beneficial holders of the Fund; or (iv) if such other event shall occur or condition exists which, in the opinion of the Exchange, makes further dealings on the Exchange inadvisable. The Exchange will remove the Shares from listing and trading upon termination of the Fund.

The Trust reserves the right to adjust the share price of a Fund in the future to maintain convenient trading ranges for investors. Any adjustments would be accomplished through stock splits or reverse stock splits, which would have no effect on the net assets of a Fund.

As in the case of other publicly traded securities, brokers' commissions on transactions will be based on negotiated commission rates at customary levels.

The base and trading currencies of the Funds is the U.S. dollar. The base currency is the currency in which each Fund's NAV per share is calculated and the trading currency is the currency in which shares of a Fund are listed and traded on the Exchange.

**THE ADVISER AND SUB-ADVISER**

**Investment Adviser**

**General.** Brown Advisory LLC, serves as the investment adviser to the Funds. The Adviser's principal place of business is 901 South Bond Street, Suite 400, Baltimore, Maryland 21231. The Adviser is a wholly owned subsidiary of Brown Advisory Management, LLC, a Maryland limited liability company. Brown Advisory Management, LLC is controlled by Brown Advisory Incorporated, a holding company incorporated under the laws of Maryland in 1998. As of December 31, 2024, the Adviser had approximately $121.9 billion in assets under management.

The Adviser makes investment decisions for the Funds and continuously reviews, supervises and administers each Fund's investment program. In addition, the Adviser oversees the Sub-Adviser to ensure the Sub-Adviser's compliance with the investment policies and guidelines of the Funds. The Board oversees the Adviser and establishes policies that the Adviser must follow in their management activities.

**Advisory Agreement.** The Trust and the Adviser have entered into an investment advisory agreement (the "Advisory Agreement") with respect to the Funds. Under the Advisory Agreement, the Adviser oversees the day-to-day operations of the Funds, subject to the oversight of the Board. The Adviser also arranges for transfer agency, custody, fund administration, distribution and all other services necessary for the Funds to operate. Further, the Adviser continuously reviews, supervises, and administers the Funds' investment program. In particular, the Adviser provides investment and operational oversight of the Sub-Adviser.

After the initial two-year term, the continuance of the Advisory Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually: (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Funds; and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Advisory Agreement or "interested persons" of any party thereto, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Trustees or by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Funds on at least 30 days' written notice to the Adviser, or, by the Adviser, on not more than 60 days' nor less than 30 days' written notice to the Trust. As used in the Advisory Agreement, the terms "majority of the outstanding voting securities," "interested persons" and "assignment" have the same meaning as such terms in the 1940 Act.

**Advisory Fees Paid to the Adviser.** For its services to the Funds, the Adviser is entitled to a fee, which is calculated daily and paid monthly, at the following annual rates based on the average daily net assets of each Fund:

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Fund** | **Advisory Fee** |
| Brown Advisory Sustainable Value ETF | 0.67% |
| Brown Advisory Sustainable Growth ETF | 0.58% |

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The Adviser has contractually agreed to waive fees and/or to reimburse expenses to the extent necessary to keep total annual Fund operating expenses (excluding any interest, taxes, brokerage commissions and other costs and expenses relating to the securities that are purchased and sold by the Fund, any class-specific expenses (including distribution and service (12b-1) fees and shareholder servicing fees), dividend and interest expenses on securities sold short, acquired fund fees and expenses, fees and expenses incurred in connection with tax reclaim recovery services, other expenditures which are capitalized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, expenses incurred in connection with any merger or reorganization, and non-routine expenses) (collectively, "excluded expenses")) from exceeding the levels set forth below as a percentage of the average daily net assets of each Fund until January 31, 2027 (the "contractual expense limit").

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Fund** | **Contractual Expense Limit** |
| Brown Advisory Sustainable Value ETF | 0.71% |
| Brown Advisory Sustainable Growth ETF | 0.61% |

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In addition, the Adviser may receive from a Fund the difference between the total annual Fund operating expenses (not including excluded expenses) and the contractual expense limit to recoup all or a portion of its prior fee waivers or expense reimbursements made during the rolling three-year period preceding the date of the recoupment if at any point total annual Fund operating expenses (not including excluded expenses) are below the contractual expense limit (i) at the time of the fee waiver and/or expense reimbursement and (ii) at the time of the recoupment. The agreement may be terminated: (i) by the Board, for any reason at any time; or (ii) by the Adviser, upon sixty (60) days' prior written notice to the Trust, effective as of the close of business on January 31, 2027.

**Sub-Adviser**

**General.** Vident Asset Management, a Delaware limited liability company serves as the sub-adviser to the Funds. The Sub-Adviser's principal place of business is located at 1125 Sanctuary Pkwy., Suite 515, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009. The Sub-Adviser is owned by Vident Capital Holdings, LLC, which is controlled by MM VAM, LLC. MM VAM, LLC is owned by Casey Crawford. As of March 31, 2025, the Sub-Adviser had approximately $13.92 billion in assets under management.

**Sub-Advisory Agreement.** The Adviser and the Sub-Adviser have entered into an investment sub-advisory agreement with respect to the Funds (the "Sub-Advisory Agreement"). Pursuant to the Sub-Advisory Agreement, the Sub-Adviser is responsible for trading portfolio securities on behalf of the Funds, including selecting broker-dealers to execute purchase and sale transactions as instructed by the Adviser or in connection with any rebalancing or reconstitution of a Fund's portfolio, pre- and post-trade compliance, and monitoring of Fund trading activity, subject to the oversight of the Adviser and the Board.

After the initial two-year term, the continuance of the Sub-Advisory Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually: (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Funds and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not parties to the Sub-Advisory Agreement or "interested persons" of any party thereto, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Sub-Advisory Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment or in the event of the termination of the Advisory Agreement, and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board.

**Sub-Advisory Fee**. For its services to each Fund, the Sub-Adviser is entitled to a fee from the Adviser, which fee is calculated daily and paid monthly, at an annual rate of 0.05% based on the average daily net assets of the Fund for assets up to $250 million, 0.04% based on the average daily net assets of the Fund when assets exceed $250 million, and 0.01% based on the average daily net assets of the Fund when assets exceed $1 billion, subject to a minimum annual fee of $30,000.

**THE PORTFOLIO MANAGERS**

This section includes information about the Funds' portfolio managers, including information about other accounts they manage, the dollar range of Fund shares they own and how they are compensated.

**Compensation.**

**Brown Advisory LLC**

Each portfolio manager of the Adviser receives a compensation package that includes various components, including a base salary and variable incentive bonus. A portfolio manager who is also a member of the Adviser's management team maintains a significant equity interest in Brown Advisory Group Holdings LLC. The incentive bonus is subjective. It takes into consideration a number of factors including but not limited to performance, client satisfaction and service and the profitability of the Adviser's business. When evaluating the performance of the Funds' portfolio manager, the Adviser compares the pre-tax performance of the portfolio manager's accounts to a relative broad-based market index over a trailing 1, 3, and 5 year time period. Accounts managed in the below referenced styles are typically compared to the following indices:

Sustainable Growth Fund Russell 1000® Growth Index <br> Sustainable Value Fund Russell 1000® Value Index

**Vident Asset Management**

The Sub-Adviser's portfolio managers receive a fixed base salary and discretionary bonus that are not tied to the performance of the Funds.

**Fund Shares Owned by the Portfolio Managers.** Because the Funds are new, as of the date of this SAI, the portfolio managers did not beneficially own shares of the Funds.

**Other Accounts.** In addition to the Funds, the portfolio managers may also be responsible for the day-to-day management of certain other accounts, as indicated by the following table. None of the accounts for which the portfolio managers are responsible are subject to a performance-based advisory fee. The information below is provided as of December 31, 2024.

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| | | | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name** | **Registered**<br> **Investment Companies**  | **Registered**<br> **Investment Companies**  | **Other Pooled**<br> **Investment Vehicles** | **Other Pooled**<br> **Investment Vehicles** | **Other Accounts** | **Other Accounts** |
| | **Number <br> of Accounts** | **Total Assets <br> (in millions)** | **Number <br> of Accounts** | **Total Assets**<br> **(in millions)** | **Number <br> of Accounts** | **Total Assets<br> (in millions)** |
| **Brown Advisory LLC** | | | | | | |
| Michael Poggi, CFA | 1 | $124 | 1 | $33 | 0 | $0 |
| Karina Funk, CFA | 1 | $9773 | 2 | $5778 | 343 | $6582 |
| David Powell, CFA | 1 | $9773 | 2 | $5778 | 341 | $6582 |
| **Vident Asset Management** |  |  |  |  |  |  |
| Rafael Zayas, CFA | 43 | $6301 | 14 | $2081 | 0 | $0 |
| Austin Wen, CFA | 43 | $5809 | 14 | $2081 | 0 | $0 |
| Devin Ryder, CFA | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 | 0 | $0 |

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**Conflicts of Interest.**

**Brown Advisory LLC**

Actual or apparent conflicts of interest may arise when a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities with respect to the Funds and other accounts. More specifically, portfolio managers who manage other accounts may experience the following potential conflicts: The management of multiple accounts may result in a portfolio manager devoting unequal time and attention to the management of each account. Investment decisions for client accounts are also made consistent with a client's individual investment objective and needs. Accordingly, there may be circumstances when purchases or sales of securities for one or more client accounts will have an adverse effect on other clients. The Adviser may seek to manage such competing interests by: (1) having a portfolio manager focus on a particular investment discipline; (2) utilizing a quantitative model in managing accounts; and/or (3) reviewing performance differences between similarly managed accounts on a periodic basis to ensure that any such differences are attributable to differences in investment guidelines and timing of cash flows. The Adviser also maintains a Code of Ethics to establish standards and procedures for the detection and prevention of activities by which persons having knowledge of the investments and investment intentions of the Funds may abuse their fiduciary duties to the Funds.

If a portfolio manager identifies a limited investment opportunity that may be suitable for more than one client, the Funds may not be able to take full advantage of that opportunity due to an allocation of filled purchase or sale orders across all eligible accounts. To deal with these situations, the Adviser has adopted procedures for allocating portfolio transactions across multiple accounts and conducting trades on a soft dollar basis, if applicable.

With respect to securities transactions for clients, the Adviser determines which broker to use to execute each order. However, the Adviser may direct securities transactions to a particular broker/dealer for various reasons including receipt of research or participation interests in initial public offerings that may or may not benefit the Funds. To deal with these situations, the Adviser has adopted procedures to help ensure best execution of all client transactions.

Finally, the appearance of a conflict of interest may arise where the Adviser has an incentive, such as a performance-based management fee, which relates to the management of one but not all accounts for which a portfolio manager has day-to-day management responsibilities.

**Vident Asset Management**

A portfolio manager's management of "other accounts" may give rise to potential conflicts of interest in connection with the portfolio manager's management of the Funds' investments, on the one hand, and the investments of the other accounts, on the other. The other accounts may have the same investment objectives as a Fund. Therefore, a potential conflict of interest may arise as a result of the identical investment objectives, whereby a portfolio manager could favor one account over another. Another potential conflict could include a portfolio manager's knowledge about the size, timing and possible market impact of Fund trades, whereby a portfolio manager could use this information to the advantage of other accounts and to the disadvantage of the Funds. However, the Sub-Adviser has established policies and procedures to ensure that the purchase and sale of securities among all accounts the Sub-Adviser manages are fairly and equitably allocated.

Conflicts may also arise because portfolio decisions regarding the Funds may benefit other accounts managed by the Sub-Adviser or its affiliates. For example, the sale of a long position or establishment of a short position by a fund sub-advised by the Sub-Adviser may impair the price of the same security sold short by (and therefore benefit) one or more other funds sub-advised by the Sub-Adviser, and the purchase of a security or covering of a short position in a security by a Fund may increase the price of the same security held by (and therefore benefit) one or more other funds sub-advised by the Sub-Adviser.

Conflicts may also arise when selecting other funds sub-advised by the Sub-Adviser as investments for a Fund because (i) the fees paid by the Adviser to the Sub-Adviser for sub-advising certain other funds may be higher than the fees paid by the Funds or another fund and (ii) the fees received by the Sub-Adviser and its affiliates as index provider may be higher for some funds than for another fund.

**THE ADMINISTRATOR**

**General.** SEI Investments Global Funds Services (the "Administrator"), a Delaware statutory trust, has its principal business offices at One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. SEI Investments Management Corporation ("SIMC"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments Company ("SEI Investments"), is the owner of all beneficial interest in the Administrator. SEI Investments and its subsidiaries and affiliates, including the Administrator, are leading providers of funds evaluation services, trust accounting systems, and brokerage and information services to financial institutions, institutional investors, and money managers. The Administrator and its affiliates also serve as administrator or sub-administrator to other funds.

**Administration Agreement with the Trust.** The Trust and the Administrator have entered into an amended and restated administration agreement dated November 16, 2018, as amended (the "Administration Agreement"). Under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator provides the Trust with administrative services, including regulatory reporting and all necessary office space, equipment, personnel and facilities.

The Administration Agreement provides that the Administrator shall not be liable for any error of judgment or mistake of law or for any loss suffered by the Trust in connection with the matters to which the Administration Agreement relates, except a loss resulting from willful misfeasance, bad faith or gross negligence on the part of the Administrator in the performance of its duties or from reckless disregard by it of its duties and obligations thereunder.

**Administration Fees Paid to the Administrator.** For its services under the Administration Agreement, the Administrator is paid a fee, which varies based on the average daily net assets of the Funds, subject to certain minimums.

**THE DISTRIBUTOR**

The Trust and SEI Investments Distribution Co. (the "Distributor"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of SEI Investments, and an affiliate of the Administrator, are parties to a distribution agreement dated February 12, 2014, as amended (the "Distribution Agreement"), whereby the Distributor acts as a principal underwriter for the Trust's shares and distributes the shares of the Funds. Shares of the Funds are continuously offered for sale by the Distributor only in Creation Units. The Distributor will not distribute shares of the Funds in amounts less than a Creation Unit. The principal business address of the Distributor is One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456.

Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor, as agent for the Trust, will solicit orders for the purchase of shares of the Funds, provided that any subscriptions and orders will not be binding on the Trust until accepted by the Trust. The Distributor will deliver prospectuses and, upon request, Statements of Additional Information, to persons purchasing Creation Units and will maintain records of orders placed with it. The Distributor is a broker-dealer registered under the Exchange Act and a member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA").

The Distributor also may enter into agreements with securities dealers ("Soliciting Dealers") who will solicit purchases of Creation Units of shares of the Funds. Such Soliciting Dealers also may be Authorized Participants (as discussed in "Procedures for Creation of Creation Units" below) or DTC participants (as defined below).

The continuance of the Distribution Agreement must be specifically approved at least annually (i) by the vote of the Trustees or by a vote of the majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust and (ii) by the vote of a majority of the Trustees who are not "interested persons" of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the operations of the Distribution Agreement or any related agreement, cast in person at a meeting called for the purpose of voting on such approval. The Distribution Agreement will terminate automatically in the event of its assignment (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act), and is terminable at any time without penalty by the Board or by a majority of the outstanding voting securities of the Trust, or by the Distributor, upon not less than 60 days' written notice to the other party.

The Distributor also may provide trade order processing services pursuant to a services agreement.

**PAYMENTS TO FINANCIAL INTERMEDIARIES**

**Distribution Plan.** The Trust has adopted a Distribution Plan applicable to the Funds in accordance with the provisions of Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act, which regulates circumstances under which an investment company may directly or indirectly bear expenses relating to the distribution of its shares. Continuance of the Plan must be approved annually by a majority of the Trustees and by a majority of the Trustees who are not interested persons (as defined in the 1940 Act) of the Trust and have no direct or indirect financial interest in the Plan or in any agreements related to the Plan ("Qualified Trustees"). The Plan requires that quarterly written reports of amounts spent under the Plan and the purposes of such expenditures be furnished to and reviewed by the Trustees. The Plan may not be amended to increase materially the amount that may be spent thereunder without approval by a majority of the outstanding shares of the Funds. All material amendments of the Plan will require approval by a majority of the Trustees and of the Qualified Trustees.

The Plan provides a method of paying for distribution and shareholder services, which may help the Funds grow or maintain asset levels to provide operational efficiencies and economies of scale, provided by the Distributor or other financial intermediaries that enter into agreements with the Distributor. The Funds may make payments to financial intermediaries, such as banks, savings and loan associations, insurance companies, investment counselors, broker-dealers, fund "supermarkets" and the Distributor's affiliates and subsidiaries, as compensation for services, reimbursement of expenses incurred in connection with distribution assistance or provision of shareholder services. The Distributor may, at its discretion, retain a portion of such payments to compensate itself for distribution services and distribution related expenses such as the costs of preparation, printing, mailing or otherwise disseminating sales literature, advertising, and prospectuses (other than those furnished to current shareholders of the Funds), promotional and incentive programs, and such other marketing expenses that the Distributor may incur.

Under the Plan, the Distributor or financial intermediaries may receive up to 0.25% of the average daily net assets of Fund shares as compensation for distribution and shareholder services. The Plan is characterized as a compensation plan since the distribution fee will be paid to the Distributor without regard to the distribution or shareholder service expenses incurred by the Distributor or the amount of payments made to financial intermediaries. The Trust intends to operate the Plan in accordance with its terms and with FINRA rules concerning sales charges.

No Rule 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Funds, and there are no plans to impose these fees. Because Rule 12b-1 fees are paid out of the Funds' assets, and over time, these fees increase the cost of your investment and they may cost you more than certain other types of sales charges.

**Payments by the Adviser.** The Adviser and/or its affiliates, in their discretion, may make payments from their own resources and not from Fund assets to affiliated or unaffiliated brokers, dealers, banks (including bank trust departments), trust companies, registered investment advisers, financial planners, retirement plan administrators, insurance companies, and any other institution having a service, administration, or any similar arrangement with the Funds, its service providers or their respective affiliates, as incentives to help market and promote the Funds and/or in recognition of their distribution, marketing, administrative services, and/or processing support.

These additional payments may be made to financial intermediaries that sell Fund shares or provide services to the Funds, the Distributor or shareholders of the Funds through the financial intermediary's retail distribution channel and/or fund supermarkets. Payments may also be made through the financial intermediary's retirement, qualified tuition, fee-based advisory, wrap fee bank trust, or insurance (*e.g.*, individual or group annuity) programs. These payments may include, but are not limited to, placing the Funds in a financial intermediary's retail distribution channel or on a preferred or recommended fund list; providing business or shareholder financial planning assistance; educating financial intermediary personnel about the Funds; providing access to sales and management representatives of the financial intermediary; promoting sales of Fund shares; providing marketing and educational support; maintaining share balances and/or for sub-accounting, administrative or shareholder transaction processing services. A financial intermediary may perform the services itself or may arrange with a third party to perform the services.

The Adviser and/or its affiliates also may make payments from their own resources to financial intermediaries for costs associated with the purchase of products or services used in connection with sales and marketing, participation in and/or presentation at conferences or seminars, sales or training programs, client and investor entertainment and other sponsored events. The costs and expenses associated with these efforts may include travel, lodging, sponsorship at educational seminars and conferences, entertainment and meals to the extent permitted by law.

Revenue sharing payments may be negotiated based on a variety of factors, including the level of sales, the amount of Fund assets attributable to investments in the Funds by financial intermediaries' customers, a flat fee or other measures as determined from time to time by the Adviser and/or its affiliates. A significant purpose of these payments is to increase the sales of Fund shares, which in turn may benefit the Adviser through increased fees as Fund assets grow.

Investors should understand that some financial intermediaries may also charge their clients fees in connection with purchases of shares or the provision of shareholder services.

**THE TRANSFER AGENT**

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 40 Water Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109 serves as the transfer agent of the Funds.

**THE CUSTODIAN**

Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., 40 Water Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109 acts as the custodian of the Funds. The Custodian holds cash, securities and other assets of the Funds as required by the 1940 Act.

**INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM**

Cohen & Company Ltd., 1835 Market Street, Suite 310, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103 serves as independent registered public accounting firm for the Funds.

**LEGAL COUNSEL**

Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, 2222 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-3007, serves as legal counsel to the Trust.

**SECURITIES LENDING**

Because the Funds are new, as of the date of this SAI, the Funds have not engaged in securities lending activities.

**TRUSTEES AND OFFICERS OF THE TRUST**

**Board Responsibilities.** The management and affairs of the Trust and its series, including the Funds described in this SAI, are overseen by the Trustees. The Board has approved contracts, as described above, under which certain companies provide essential management services to the Trust.

Like most funds, the day-to-day business of the Trust, including the management of risk, is performed by third party service providers, such as the Adviser, the Distributor and the Administrator. The Trustees are responsible for overseeing the Trust's service providers and, thus, have oversight responsibility with respect to risk management performed by those service providers. Risk management seeks to identify and address risks, i.e., events or circumstances that could have material adverse effects on the business, operations, shareholder services, investment performance or reputation of the funds. The funds and their service providers employ a variety of processes, procedures and controls to identify various possible events or circumstances, to lessen the probability of their occurrence and/or to mitigate the effects of such events or circumstances if they do occur. Each service provider is responsible for one or more discrete aspects of the Trust's business (e.g., the Adviser is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Funds' portfolio investments) and, consequently, for managing the risks associated with that business. The Board has emphasized to the Funds' service providers the importance of maintaining vigorous risk management.

The Trustees' role in risk oversight begins before the inception of a fund, at which time certain of the fund's service providers present the Board with information concerning the investment objectives, strategies and risks of the fund as well as proposed investment limitations for the fund. Additionally, the fund's adviser provides the Board with an overview of, among other things, its investment philosophy, brokerage practices and compliance infrastructure. Thereafter, the Board continues its oversight function as various personnel, including the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer, as well as personnel of the adviser and other service providers, such as the fund's independent accountants, make periodic reports to the Audit Committee or to the Board with respect to various aspects of risk management. The Board and the Audit Committee oversee efforts by management and service providers to manage risks to which the funds may be exposed.

The Board is responsible for overseeing the nature, extent and quality of the services provided to the funds by the adviser and receives information about those services at its regular meetings. In addition, on an annual basis, in connection with its consideration of whether to renew the advisory agreement with the adviser, the Board meets with the adviser to review such services. Among other things, the Board regularly considers the adviser's adherence to the funds' investment restrictions and compliance with various fund policies and procedures and with applicable securities regulations. The Board also reviews information about the funds' investments, including, for example, reports on the adviser's use of derivatives in managing the funds, if any, as well as reports on the funds' investments in other investment companies, if any.

The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer reports regularly to the Board to review and discuss compliance issues and fund and adviser risk assessments. At least annually, the Trust's Chief Compliance Officer provides the Board with a report reviewing the adequacy and effectiveness of the Trust's policies and procedures and those of its service providers, including the adviser. The report addresses the operation of the policies and procedures of the Trust and each service provider since the date of the last report; any material changes to the policies and procedures since the date of the last report; any recommendations for material changes to the policies and procedures; and any material compliance matters since the date of the last report.

The Board receives reports from the funds' service providers regarding operational risks and risks related to the valuation and liquidity of portfolio securities. The Adviser makes regular reports to the Board concerning investments for which market quotations are not readily available. Annually, the independent registered public accounting firm reviews with the Audit Committee its audit of the funds' financial statements, focusing on major areas of risk encountered by the funds and noting any significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in the funds' internal controls. Additionally, in connection with its oversight function, the Board oversees fund management's implementation of disclosure controls and procedures, which are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Trust in its periodic reports with the SEC are recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the required time periods. The Board also oversees the Trust's internal controls over financial reporting, which comprise policies and procedures designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of the Trust's financial reporting and the preparation of the Trust's financial statements.

From their review of these reports and discussions with the adviser, the Chief Compliance Officer, the independent registered public accounting firm and other service providers, the Board and the Audit Committee learn in detail about the material risks of the funds, thereby facilitating a dialogue about how management and service providers identify and mitigate those risks.

The Board recognizes that not all risks that may affect the funds can be identified and/or quantified, that it may not be practical or cost-effective to eliminate or mitigate certain risks, that it may be necessary to bear certain risks (such as investment-related risks) to achieve the funds' goals, and that the processes, procedures and controls employed to address certain risks may be limited in their effectiveness. Moreover, reports received by the Trustees as to risk management matters are typically summaries of the relevant information. Most of the funds' investment management and business affairs are carried out by or through the funds' advisers and other service providers, each of which has an independent interest in risk management but whose policies and the methods by which one or more risk management functions are carried out may differ from the funds' and each other's in the setting of priorities, the resources available or the effectiveness of relevant controls. As a result of the foregoing and other factors, the Board's ability to monitor and manage risk, as a practical matter, is subject to limitations.

**Members of the Board.** There are six members of the Board, five of whom are not interested persons of the Trust, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act ("independent Trustees"). Mr. Doran, an interested person of the Trust, serves as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Hunt, an independent Trustee, serves as the lead independent Trustee. The Trust has determined its leadership structure is appropriate given the specific characteristics and circumstances of the Trust. The Trust made this determination in consideration of, among other things, the fact that the independent Trustees constitute more than three-quarters of the Board, the fact that the chairperson of each Committee of the Board is an independent Trustee, the amount of assets under management in the Trust, and the number of funds (and classes of shares) overseen by the Board. The Board also believes that its leadership structure facilitates the orderly and efficient flow of information to the independent Trustees from fund management.

The Board has two standing committees: the Audit Committee and the Governance Committee. The Audit Committee and the Governance Committee are chaired by an independent Trustee and composed of all of the independent Trustees. In addition, the Board has a lead independent Trustee.

In his role as lead independent Trustee, Mr. Hunt, among other things: (i) presides over Board meetings in the absence of the Chairman of the Board; (ii) presides over executive sessions of the independent Trustees; (iii) along with the Chairman of the Board, oversees the development of agendas for Board meetings; (iv) facilitates communication between the independent Trustees and management, and among the independent Trustees; (v) serves as a key point person for dealings between the independent Trustees and management; and (vi) has such other responsibilities as the Board or independent Trustees determine from time to time.

Set forth below are the names, years of birth, position with the Trust and length of time served, and the principal occupations and other directorships held during at least the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as a Trustee. There is no stated term of office for the Trustees. Nevertheless, an independent Trustee must retire from the Board as of the end of the calendar year in which such independent Trustee first attains the age of seventy-five years; provided, however, that, an independent Trustee may continue to serve for one or more additional one calendar year terms after attaining the age of seventy-five years (each calendar year a "Waiver Term") if, and only if, prior to the beginning of such Waiver Term: (1) the Governance Committee (a) meets to review the performance of the independent Trustee; (b) finds that the continued service of such independent Trustee is in the best interests of the Trust; and (c) unanimously approves excepting the independent Trustee from the general retirement policy set out above; and (2) a majority of the Trustees approves excepting the independent Trustee from the general retirement policy set out above. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each Trustee is SEI Investments Company, One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name and Year of Birth** | **Principal Occupations**<br> **in the Past 5 Years** | **Other Directorships Held in the Past 5 Years** |
|  **<u>Interested Trustee</u>** |  **<u>Interested Trustee</u>** |  **<u>Interested Trustee</u>** |
| William M. Doran<br> (Born: 1940)<br> Chairman of the Board of Trustees<sup>1</sup><br> (since 2014) | Self-Employed Consultant since 2003. Partner at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP (law firm) from 1976 to 2003. Counsel to the Trust, SEI Investments, SIMC, the Administrator and the Distributor. Secretary of SEI Investments since 1978. | Current Directorships: Trustee of Gallery Trust, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Master Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Tender Fund, Symmetry Panoramic Trust, SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust, Adviser Managed Trust, New Covenant Funds, SEI Catholic Values Trust and SEI Exchange Traded Funds. Director of SEI Investments, SEI Investments (Europe), Limited, SEI Investments—Global Funds Services, Limited, SEI Investments Global, Limited, SEI Investments (Asia), Limited, SEI Global Nominee Ltd., SEI Investments – Unit Trust Management (UK) Limited and SEI Investments Co. Director of the Distributor.<br>Former Directorships: Trustee of The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund, The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II, Bishop Street Funds, The KP Funds and Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund (closed-end investment company) to 2018. Trustee of Schroder Global Series Trust to 2021. Trustee of Schroder Series Trust to 2022. |

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name and Year of Birth** | **Position with Trust and Length of Time Served** | **Principal Occupations**<br> **in the Past 5 Years** | **Other Directorships Held in the Past 5 Years** |
| **<u>Independent Trustees</u>** | **<u>Independent Trustees</u>** | **<u>Independent Trustees</u>** | **<u>Independent Trustees</u>** |
| Jon C. Hunt<br> (Born: 1951) | Trustee and Lead Independent Trustee<br> (since 2014) | Retired since 2013. Consultant to Management, Convergent Capital Management, LLC ("CCM") from 2012 to 2013. Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer, CCM from 1998 to 2012. | Current Directorships: Trustee of City National Rochdale Funds, Gallery Trust, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Master Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Tender Fund and Symmetry Panoramic Trust. Director of Chiron Capital Allocation Fund Ltd., FS Alternatives Fund (Cayman), FS Managed Futures Fund (Cayman), FS Real Asset Fund (Cayman) and Legal & General Commodity Strategy Fund Offshore Ltd.<br>Former Directorships: Trustee of Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund (closed-end investment company) to 2018. Trustee of Schroder Global Series Trust to 2021. Trustee of Schroder Series Trust to 2022. |
| Thomas P. Lemke<br> (Born: 1954) | Trustee<br> (since 2014) | Retired since 2013. Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Legg Mason, Inc. from 2005 to 2013. | Current Directorships: Trustee of Gallery Trust, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Master Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Tender Fund, Symmetry Panoramic Trust and J.P. Morgan Funds (171 Portfolios). Director of Chiron Capital Allocation Fund Ltd., FS Alternatives Fund (Cayman), FS Managed Futures Fund (Cayman), FS Real Asset Fund (Cayman) and Legal & General Commodity Strategy Fund Offshore Ltd.<br>Former Directorships: Trustee of Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund (closed-end investment company) to 2018. Trustee of Schroder Global Series Trust to 2021. Trustee of Schroder Series Trust to 2022. |

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| | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name and Year of Birth** | **Position with Trust and Length of Time Served** | **Principal Occupations**<br> **in the Past 5 Years** | **Other Directorships Held in the Past 5 Years** |
| Nichelle Maynard-Elliott<br> (Born: 1968) | Trustee<br> (since 2021) | Independent Director since 2018. Executive Director, M&A at Praxair Inc. from 2011-2019. | Current Directorships: Trustee of Gallery Trust, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Master Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Tender Fund and Symmetry Panoramic Trust. Director of Chiron Capital Allocation Fund Ltd., FS Alternatives Fund (Cayman), FS Managed Futures Fund (Cayman), FS Real Asset Fund (Cayman), Legal & General Commodity Strategy Fund Offshore Ltd., Element Solutions Inc., Xerox Holdings Corporation and Lucid Group, Inc.<br>Former Directorships: Trustee of Schroder Global Series Trust to 2021. Trustee of Schroder Series Trust to 2022. |
| Jay C. Nadel<br> (Born: 1958) | Trustee<br> (since 2016) | Self-Employed Consultant since 2004. Executive Vice President, Bank of New York Broker Dealer from 2002 to 2004. Partner/Managing Director, Weiss Peck & Greer/Robeco from 1986 to 2001. | Current Directorships: Chairman of the Board of Trustees of City National Rochdale Funds. Trustee of Gallery Trust, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Master Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Tender Fund and Symmetry Panoramic Trust. Director of Chiron Capital Allocation Fund Ltd., FS Alternatives Fund (Cayman), FS Managed Futures Fund (Cayman), FS Real Asset Fund (Cayman) and Legal & General Commodity Strategy Fund Offshore Ltd.<br>Former Directorships: Trustee of Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund (closed-end investment company) to 2018. Trustee of Schroder Global Series Trust to 2021. Trustee of Schroder Series Trust to 2022. |
| Randall S. Yanker<br> (Born: 1960) | Trustee<br> (since 2014) | Co-Founder and Senior Partner, Alternative Asset Managers, L.P. since 2004. | Current Directorships: Trustee of Gallery Trust, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Master Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Tender Fund and Symmetry Panoramic Trust. Independent Non-Executive Director of HFA Holdings Limited. Director of Chiron Capital Allocation Fund Ltd., FS Alternatives Fund (Cayman), FS Managed Futures Fund (Cayman), FS Real Asset Fund (Cayman) and Legal & General Commodity Strategy Fund Offshore Ltd.<br>Former Directorships: Trustee of Winton Diversified Opportunities Fund (closed-end investment company) to 2018. Director of Navigator Global Investments Limited to 2020. Trustee of Schroder Global Series Trust to 2021. Trustee of Schroder Series Trust to 2022. |

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<sup>1</sup> Denotes Trustees who may be deemed to be "interested" persons of the Funds as that term is defined in the 1940 Act by virtue of their affiliation with the Distributor and/or its affiliates.

Individual Trustee Qualifications

The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve on the Board because of their ability to review and understand information about the Funds provided to them by management, to identify and request other information they may deem relevant to the performance of their duties, to question management and other service providers regarding material factors bearing on the management and administration of the Funds, and to exercise their business judgment in a manner that serves the best interests of the Funds' shareholders. The Trust has concluded that each of the Trustees should serve as a Trustee based on their own experience, qualifications, attributes and skills as described below.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Doran should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained serving as a Partner in the Investment Management and Securities Industry Practice of a large law firm, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving on other fund boards.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Hunt should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained in a variety of leadership roles with different investment management institutions, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained as a board member of open-end, closed-end and private funds investing in a broad range of asset classes, including alternative asset classes.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Lemke should serve as Trustee because of the extensive experience he gained in the financial services industry, including experience in various senior management positions with financial services firms and multiple years of service with a regulatory agency, his background in controls, including legal, compliance and risk management, and his service as general counsel for several financial services firms.

The Trust has concluded that Ms. Maynard-Elliott should serve as Trustee because of the experience she gained in a variety of leadership roles at a leading industrial company, the experience she has gained as a board member of several prominent companies, and her legal and financial management expertise.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Nadel should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained in a variety of leadership roles with an audit firm and various financial services firms, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained serving on other fund and operating company boards.

The Trust has concluded that Mr. Yanker should serve as Trustee because of the experience he gained in a variety of leadership roles with the alternative asset management divisions of various financial services firms, his experience in and knowledge of the financial services industry, and the experience he has gained advising institutions on alternative asset management.

In its periodic assessment of the effectiveness of the Board, the Board considers the complementary individual skills and experience of the individual Trustees primarily in the broader context of the Board's overall composition so that the Board, as a body, possesses the appropriate (and appropriately diverse) skills and experience to oversee the business of the funds.

**Board Committees.** The Board has established the following standing committees:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• **Audit Committee.** The Board has a standing Audit Committee that is composed of each of the independent
 Trustees. The Audit Committee operates under a written charter approved by the Board. The
 principal responsibilities of the Audit Committee include: (i) recommending which firm to
 engage as each fund's independent registered public accounting firm and whether to terminate
 this relationship; (ii) reviewing the independent registered public accounting firm's compensation,
 the proposed scope and terms of its engagement, and the firm's independence; (iii) pre-approving
 audit and non-audit services provided by each fund's independent registered public accounting
 firm to the Trust and certain other affiliated entities; (iv) serving as a channel of communication
 between the independent registered public accounting firm and the Trustees; (v) reviewing
 the results of each external audit, including any qualifications in the independent registered
 public accounting firm's opinion, any related management letter, management's responses to
 recommendations made by the independent registered public accounting firm in connection with
 the audit, reports submitted to the Committee by the internal auditing department of the
 Administrator that are material to the Trust as a whole, if any, and management's responses
 to any such reports; (vi) reviewing each fund's audited financial statements and considering
 any significant disputes between the Trust's management and the independent registered public
 accounting firm that arose in connection with the preparation of those financial statements;
 (vii) considering, in consultation with the independent registered public accounting firm
 and the Trust's senior internal accounting executive, if any, the independent registered
 public accounting firms' reports on the adequacy of the Trust's internal financial controls;
 (viii) reviewing, in consultation with each fund's independent registered public accounting
 firm, major changes regarding auditing and accounting principles and practices to be followed
 when preparing each fund's financial statements; and (ix) other audit related matters. Mr.
 Hunt, Mr. Lemke, Ms. Maynard-Elliott, Mr. Nadel and Mr. Yanker currently serve as members
 of the Audit Committee. Mr. Nadel serves as Chair of the Audit Committee. The Audit Committee
 meets periodically, as necessary, and met five (5) times during the most recently completed
 fiscal year.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• **Governance Committee.** The Board has a standing Governance Committee that is composed of each of
 the independent Trustees. The Governance Committee operates under a written charter approved
 by the Board. The principal responsibilities of the Governance Committee include: (i) considering
 and reviewing Board governance and compensation issues; (ii) conducting a self-assessment
 of the Board's operations; (iii) selecting and nominating all persons to serve as independent
 Trustees and considering proposals of and making recommendations for "interested"
 Trustee candidates to the Board; and (iv) reviewing shareholder recommendations for nominations
 to fill vacancies on the Board if such recommendations are submitted in writing and addressed
 to the Committee at the Trust's office. Mr. Hunt, Mr. Lemke, Ms. Maynard-Elliott, Mr. Nadel
 and Mr. Yanker currently serve as members of the Governance Committee. Ms. Maynard-Elliott
 serves as Chair of the Governance Committee. The Governance Committee meets periodically,
 as necessary, and met two (2) times during the most recently completed fiscal year.

**Fund Shares Owned by Board Members.** The following table shows the dollar amount range of each Trustee's "beneficial ownership" of shares of the Funds as of the end of the most recently completed calendar year. Dollar amount ranges disclosed are established by the SEC. "Beneficial ownership" is determined in accordance with Rule 16a-1(a)(2) under the 1934 Act. The Trustees and officers of the Trust own less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Trust.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| <br> **Name**  | **Dollar Range of Fund Shares**<br> **(Fund)<sup>1</sup>** | **Aggregate Dollar Range of Shares**<br> **(All Funds in the Family of Investment Companies)<sup>1,2</sup>** |
| **<u>Interested Trustee</u>** | **<u>Interested Trustee</u>** | **<u>Interested Trustee</u>** |
| William M. Doran |  |  |
| **<u>Independent Trustees</u>** | **<u>Independent Trustees</u>** | **<u>Independent Trustees</u>** |
| Jon C. Hunt |  |  |
| Thomas P. Lemke |  |  |
| Nichelle Maynard-Elliott |  |  |
| Jay C. Nadel |  |  |
| Randall S. Yanker |  |  |

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<sup>1</sup> Valuation date is December 31, 2024.

<sup>2</sup> The Funds and the Brown Advisory Flexible Equity ETF are the only funds in the family of investment companies.

 

**Board Compensation.** The Trust paid the following fees to the Trustees during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024.

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| | | | | |
|:---|:---|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name** | **Aggregate Compensation from the Trust** | **Pension or Retirement Benefits Accrued as Part of Fund Expenses** | **Estimated**<br> **Annual Benefits Upon Retirement** | **Total Compensation from the Trust and Fund Complex<sup>1</sup>** |
| **<u>Interested Trustee</u>** | **<u>Interested Trustee</u>** | **<u>Interested Trustee</u>** | **<u>Interested Trustee</u>** | **<u>Interested Trustee</u>** |
| William M. Doran | $0 | N/A | N/A | &nbsp;&nbsp;$0 for service on one (1) board |
| **<u>Independent Trustees</u>** | **<u>Independent Trustees</u>** | **<u>Independent Trustees</u>** | **<u>Independent Trustees</u>** | **<u>Independent Trustees</u>** |
| Jon C. Hunt | $170482 | N/A | N/A | $170,482 for service on <br> one (1) board |
| Thomas P. Lemke | $170482 | N/A | N/A | $170,482 for service on <br> one (1) board |
| Nichelle Maynard-Elliott | $170482 | N/A | N/A | $170,482 for service on <br> one (1) board |
| Jay C. Nadel | $170482 | N/A | N/A | $170,482 for service on <br> one (1) board |
| Randall S. Yanker | $170482 | N/A | N/A | $170,482 for service on <br> one (1) board |

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<sup>1</sup> All funds in the Fund Complex are series of the Trust.

**Trust Officers.** Set forth below are the names, years of birth, position with the Trust and length of time served, and the principal occupations for the last five years of each of the persons currently serving as executive officers of the Trust. There is no stated term of office for the officers of the Trust. Unless otherwise noted, the business address of each officer is SEI Investments Company, One Freedom Valley Drive, Oaks, Pennsylvania 19456. The Chief Compliance Officer is the only officer who receives compensation from the Trust for his services.

Certain officers of the Trust also serve as officers of one or more funds for which SEI Investments or its affiliates act as investment manager, administrator or distributor.

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name and Year of Birth** | **Position with Trust and Length of Time Served** | **Principal Occupations in Past 5 Years** |
| Michael Beattie <br> (Born: 1965) | President<br> (since 2014) | Managing Director, SEI Investments, since 2021. Director of Client Service, SEI Investments, from 2004 to 2021. |
| James Bernstein<br> (Born: 1962) | Vice President<br> (since 2017)<br>Secretary<br> (since 2020) | Attorney, SEI Investments, since 2017.<br>Prior Positions: Self-employed consultant, 2017. Associate General Counsel & Vice President, Nationwide Funds Group and Nationwide Mutual Insurance Company, from 2002 to 2016. Assistant General Counsel & Vice President, Market Street Funds and Provident Mutual Insurance Company, from 1999 to 2002. |
| John Bourgeois<br> (Born: 1973) | Assistant Treasurer<br> (since 2017) | Fund Accounting Manager, SEI Investments, since 2000. |
| Eric C. Griffith<br> (Born: 1969) | Vice President and Assistant Secretary<br> (since 2020) | Counsel at SEI Investments since 2019. Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, JPMorgan Chase & Co., from 2012 to 2018. |
| Matthew M. Maher<br> (Born: 1975) | Vice President and Assistant Secretary<br> (since 2018) | Counsel at SEI Investments since 2018. Attorney, Blank Rome LLP, from 2015 to 2018. Assistant Counsel & Vice President, Bank of New York Mellon, from 2013 to 2014. Attorney, Dilworth Paxson LLP, from 2006 to 2013. |
| Andrew Metzger<br> (Born: 1980) | Treasurer, Controller and Chief Financial Officer<br> (since 2021) | Director of Fund Accounting, SEI Investments, since 2020. Senior Director, Embark, from 2019 to 2020. Senior Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, from 2002 to 2019. |
| Robert Morrow <br> (Born: 1968) | Vice President<br> (since 2017) | Account Manager, SEI Investments, since 2007. |

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| | | |
|:---|:---|:---|
| **Name and Year of Birth** | **Position with Trust and Length of Time Served** | **Principal Occupations in Past 5 Years** |
| Stephen F. Panner<br> (Born: 1970) | Chief Compliance Officer<br> (since 2022) | Chief Compliance Officer of SEI Asset Allocation Trust, SEI Daily Income Trust, SEI Institutional Investments Trust, SEI Institutional International Trust, SEI Institutional Managed Trust, SEI Tax Exempt Trust, Adviser Managed Trust, New Covenant Funds, SEI Catholic Values Trust, SEI Exchange Traded Funds, SEI Structured Credit Fund LP, The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund, The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund II, The Advisors' Inner Circle Fund III, Bishop Street Funds, Frost Family of Funds, Gallery Trust, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Master Fund, Delaware Wilshire Private Markets Tender Fund and Catholic Responsible Investments Funds since September 2022. Chief Compliance Officer of SEI Alternative Income Fund since May 2023. Chief Compliance Officer of Symmetry Panoramic Trust since December 2023. Fund Compliance Officer of SEI Investments Company from February 2011 to September 2022. Fund Accounting Director and CFO and Controller for the SEI Funds from July 2005 to February 2011. |
| Alexander F. Smith<br> (Born: 1977) | Vice President and Assistant Secretary<br> (since 2020) | Counsel at SEI Investments since 2020. Associate Counsel & Manager, Vanguard, 2012 to 2020. Attorney, Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young, LLP, 2008 to 2012. |
| Bridget E. Sudall<br>(Born: 1980) | Anti-Money Laundering Compliance Officer and Privacy Officer (from 2015 – May 2022; from November 2022 – June 2023; and since April 2024) | Chief Compliance Officer of SEI Operations since 2018. |

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**BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM**

Depository Trust Company ("DTC") acts as securities depositary for the Funds' shares. Shares of the Funds are represented by securities registered in the name of DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., and deposited with, or on behalf of, DTC. Except in limited circumstances set forth below, certificates will not be issued for shares.

DTC is a limited-purpose trust company that was created to hold securities of its participants (the "DTC Participants") and to facilitate the clearance and settlement of securities transactions among the DTC Participants in such securities through electronic book-entry changes in accounts of the DTC Participants, thereby eliminating the need for physical movement of securities certificates. DTC Participants include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and certain other organizations, some of whom (and/or their representatives) own DTC. More specifically, DTC is owned by a number of its DTC Participants and by the NYSE and FINRA. Access to the DTC system is also available to others such as banks, brokers, dealers, and trust companies that clear through or maintain a custodial relationship with a DTC Participant, either directly or indirectly (the "Indirect Participants").

Beneficial ownership of shares of the Funds are limited to DTC Participants, Indirect Participants, and persons holding interests through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants. Ownership of beneficial interests in shares of the Funds (owners of such beneficial interests are referred to herein as "Beneficial Owners") are shown on, and the transfer of ownership is effected only through, records maintained by DTC (with respect to DTC Participants) and on the records of DTC Participants (with respect to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners that are not DTC Participants). Beneficial Owners will receive from or through the DTC Participant a written confirmation relating to their purchase of shares of the Funds. The Trust recognizes DTC or its nominee as the record owner of all shares of the Funds for all purposes. Beneficial Owners of shares of the Funds are not entitled to have such shares registered in their names, and will not receive or be entitled to physical delivery of share certificates. Each Beneficial Owner must rely on the procedures of DTC and any DTC Participant and/or Indirect Participant through which such Beneficial Owner holds its interests, to exercise any rights of a holder of shares of the Funds.

Conveyance of all notices, statements, and other communications to Beneficial Owners is effected as follows. DTC will make available to the Trust upon request and for a fee a listing of shares of the Funds held by each DTC Participant. The Trust shall obtain from each such DTC Participant the number of Beneficial Owners holding shares of the Funds, directly or indirectly, through such DTC Participant. The Trust shall provide each such DTC Participant with copies of such notice, statement, or other communication, in such form, number and at such place as such DTC Participant may reasonably request, in order that such notice, statement or communication may be transmitted by such DTC Participant, directly or indirectly, to such Beneficial Owners. In addition, the Trust shall pay to each such DTC Participant a fair and reasonable amount as reimbursement for the expenses attendant to such transmittal, all subject to applicable statutory and regulatory requirements.

Share distributions shall be made to DTC or its nominee, Cede & Co., as the registered holder of all shares of the Funds. DTC or its nominee, upon receipt of any such distributions, shall credit immediately DTC Participants' accounts with payments in amounts proportionate to their respective beneficial interests in the Funds as shown on the records of DTC or its nominee. Payments by DTC Participants to Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners of shares of the Funds held through such DTC Participants will be governed by standing instructions and customary practices, as is now the case with securities held for the accounts of customers in bearer form or registered in a "street name," and will be the responsibility of such DTC Participants.

The Trust has no responsibility or liability for any aspect of the records relating to or notices to Beneficial Owners, or payments made on account of beneficial ownership interests in the Funds' shares, or for maintaining, supervising, or reviewing any records relating to such beneficial ownership interests, or for any other aspect of the relationship between DTC and the DTC Participants or the relationship between such DTC Participants and the Indirect Participants and Beneficial Owners owning through such DTC Participants.

DTC may determine to discontinue providing its service with respect to the Funds at any time by giving reasonable notice to the Funds and discharging its responsibilities with respect thereto under applicable law. Under such circumstances, the Funds shall take action either to find a replacement for DTC to perform its functions at a comparable cost or, if such replacement is unavailable, to issue and deliver printed certificates representing ownership of shares of the Funds, unless the Trust makes other arrangements with respect thereto satisfactory to the Exchange.

**PURCHASE AND REDEMPTION OF SHARES IN CREATION UNITS**

Each Fund issues and redeems its shares on a continuous basis, at NAV, only in a large specified number of shares called a "Creation Unit," either principally in-kind for securities or in cash for the value of such securities. The NAV of a Fund's shares is determined once each business day, as described below under "Determination of Net Asset Value." The Creation Unit size may change. Authorized Participants will be notified of such change.

CUSTOM BASKETS. The basket is generally representative of a Fund's portfolio, and together with a cash balancing amount, is equal to the NAV of the Fund shares comprising the Creation Unit. However, Rule 6c-11 of the 1940 Act permits a Fund to utilize "custom baskets" provided the conditions of the rule are met. Rule 6c-11 defines "custom baskets" to include two categories of baskets. First, a basket containing a non-representative selection of the ETF's portfolio holdings would constitute a custom basket. These types of custom baskets include, but are not limited to, baskets that do not reflect: (i) a pro rata representation of the Fund's portfolio holdings; (ii) a representative sampling of the Fund's portfolio holdings; or (iii) changes due to a rebalancing or reconstitution of the Fund's securities market index, if applicable. Second, if different baskets are used in transactions on the same business day (as defined below), each basket after the initial basket would constitute a custom basket. For example, if a Fund exchanges a basket with either the same or another Authorized Participant that reflects a representative sampling that differs from the initial basket, that basket (and any such subsequent baskets) would be a custom basket. Similarly, if a Fund substitutes cash in lieu of a portion of basket assets for a single Authorized Participant, that basket would be a custom basket.

PURCHASE (CREATION). The Trust issues and sells shares of the Funds only: (i) in Creation Units on a continuous basis through the Distributor, without a sales load (but subject to transaction fees), at their NAV per share next determined after receipt of an order, on any business day, in proper form pursuant to the terms of the Authorized Participant Agreement ("Participant Agreement"); or (ii) pursuant to the Dividend Reinvestment Service (defined below). The Funds will not issue fractional Creation Units. A business day is, generally, any day on which the Exchange is open for business.

FUND DEPOSIT. The consideration for purchase of a Creation Unit of a Fund generally consists of either (i) the in-kind deposit of a designated portfolio of securities (the "Deposit Securities") per each Creation Unit, and the Cash Component (defined below), computed as described below, or (ii) the cash value of the Deposit Securities ("Deposit Cash") and the Cash Component. When accepting purchases of Creation Units for cash, a Fund may incur additional costs associated with the acquisition of Deposit Securities that would otherwise be provided by an in-kind purchaser. These additional costs may be recoverable from the purchaser of Creation Units.

Together, the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the Cash Component constitute the "Fund Deposit," which represents the minimum initial and subsequent investment amount for a Creation Unit of a Fund. The "Cash Component" is an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares of a Fund (per Creation Unit) and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. If the Cash Component is a positive number (*i.e.*, the NAV per Creation Unit exceeds the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such positive amount. If the Cash Component is a negative number (*i.e.*, the NAV per Creation Unit is less than the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable), the Cash Component shall be such negative amount and the creator will be entitled to receive cash in an amount equal to the Cash Component. The Cash Component serves the function of compensating for any differences between the NAV per Creation Unit and the market value of the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable. Computation of the Cash Component excludes any stamp duty or other similar fees and expenses payable upon transfer of beneficial ownership of the Deposit Securities, if applicable, which shall be the sole responsibility of the Authorized Participant (as defined below).

The Funds, through NSCC, make available on each business day, prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m., Eastern time), the list of the names and the required number of shares of each Deposit Security or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, to be included in the current Fund Deposit (based on information at the end of the previous business day) for the Funds. Such Fund Deposit is subject to any applicable adjustments as described below, in order to effect purchases of Creation Units of a Fund until such time as the next-announced composition of the Deposit Securities or the required amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, is made available.

The identity and number of shares of the Deposit Securities or the amount of Deposit Cash, as applicable, required for the Fund Deposit for a Fund changes as rebalancing adjustments and corporate action events are reflected from time to time by the Adviser with a view to the investment objective of the Fund. The composition of the Deposit Securities may also change in response to adjustments to the weighting or composition of the component securities of the index the performance of which the Fund seeks to track, if applicable.

The Trust reserves the right to permit or require the substitution of Deposit Cash to replace any Deposit Security, which shall be added to the Cash Component, including, without limitation, in situations where the Deposit Security: (i) may not be available in sufficient quantity for delivery; (ii) may not be eligible for transfer through the systems of DTC for corporate securities and municipal securities or the Federal Reserve System for U.S. Treasury securities; (iii) may not be eligible for trading by an Authorized Participant (as defined below) or the investor for which it is acting; (iv) would be restricted under the securities laws or where the delivery of the Deposit Security to the Authorized Participant would result in the disposition of the Deposit Security by the Authorized Participant becoming restricted under the securities laws; or (v) in certain other situations (collectively, "custom orders"). The Trust also reserves the right to (i) permit or require the substitution of Deposit Securities in lieu of Deposit Cash; and (ii) include or remove Deposit Securities from the basket in anticipation of or implementation of rebalancing changes in the index the performance of which a Fund seeks to track, if applicable. The adjustments described above will reflect changes, known to the Adviser on the date of announcement to be in effect by the time of delivery of the Fund Deposit, in the composition of the index the performance of which a Fund seeks to track, if applicable, or resulting from certain corporate actions.

CASH PURCHASE METHOD. The Trust may at its discretion permit full or partial cash purchases of Creation Units of a Fund. When full or partial cash purchases of Creation Units are available or specified for a Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind purchases thereof. In the case of a full or partial cash purchase, the Authorized Participant must pay the cash equivalent of the Deposit Securities it would otherwise be required to provide through an in-kind purchase, plus the same Cash Component required to be paid by an in-kind purchaser together with a creation transaction fee and non-standard charges, as may be applicable.

PROCEDURES FOR PURCHASE OF CREATION UNITS. To be eligible to place orders with the Distributor to purchase a Creation Unit of a Fund, an entity must be (i) a "Participating Party", *i.e.*, a broker-dealer or other participant in the clearing process through the Continuous Net Settlement System of the NSCC (the "Clearing Process"), a clearing agency that is registered with the SEC; or (ii) a DTC Participant (see "BOOK ENTRY ONLY SYSTEM"). In addition, each Participating Party or DTC Participant (each, an "Authorized Participant") must execute a Participant Agreement that has been agreed to by the Distributor, and that has been accepted by the Transfer Agent and the Trust, with respect to purchases and redemptions of Creation Units. Each Authorized Participant will agree, pursuant to the terms of a Participant Agreement, on behalf of itself or any investor on whose behalf it will act, to certain conditions, including that it will pay to the Trust, an amount of cash sufficient to pay the Cash Component together with the creation transaction fee and any other applicable fees, taxes, and additional variable charges. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the creation transaction fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the purchase of a Creation Unit, which the creation transaction fee is designed to cover.

All orders to purchase shares directly from a Fund, including custom orders, must be placed for one or more Creation Units in the manner and by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement and/or applicable order form. The date on which an order to purchase Creation Units (or an order to redeem Creation Units, as set forth below) is received and accepted is referred to as the "Order Placement Date."

An Authorized Participant may require an investor to make certain representations or enter into agreements with respect to the order, (*e.g.*, to provide for payments of cash, when required). Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement and that, therefore, orders to purchase shares directly from a Fund in Creation Units have to be placed by the investor's broker through an Authorized Participant that has executed a Participant Agreement. In such cases there may be additional charges to such investor. At any given time, there may be only a limited number of broker-dealers that have executed a Participant Agreement and only a small number of such Authorized Participants may have international capabilities.

On days when the Exchange closes earlier than normal, a Fund may require orders to create Creation Units to be placed earlier in the day. In addition, if a market or markets on which a Fund's investments are primarily traded is closed, a Fund also will generally not accept orders on such day(s). Orders must be transmitted by an Authorized Participant by telephone or other transmission method acceptable to the Distributor pursuant to procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement and in accordance with the AP Handbook or applicable order form. The Distributor will notify the Custodian of such order. The Custodian will then provide such information to the appropriate local sub-custodian(s). Those placing orders through an Authorized Participant should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the purchase order to the Distributor by the applicable cut-off time on such business day. Economic or market disruptions or changes, or telephone or other communication failure may impede the ability to reach the Distributor or an Authorized Participant.

Fund Deposits must be delivered by an Authorized Participant through the Federal Reserve System (for cash and U.S. government securities) or through DTC (for corporate securities), through a subcustody agent (for foreign securities) and/or through such other arrangements allowed by the Trust or its agents. With respect to foreign Deposit Securities, the Custodian shall cause the subcustodian of a Fund to maintain an account into which the Authorized Participant shall deliver, on behalf of itself or the party on whose behalf it is acting, such Deposit Securities (or Deposit Cash for all or a part of such securities, as permitted or required), with any appropriate adjustments as advised by the Trust. Foreign Deposit Securities must be delivered to an account maintained at the applicable local subcustodian. The Fund Deposit transfer must be ordered by the Authorized Participant in a timely fashion so as to ensure the delivery of the requisite number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, to the account of a Fund or its agents by no later than the Settlement Date. The "Settlement Date" for a Fund is generally the second business day after the Order Placement Date. All questions as to the number of Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash to be delivered, as applicable, and the validity, form and eligibility (including time of receipt) for the deposit of any tendered securities or cash, as applicable, will be determined by the Trust, whose determination shall be final and binding. The amount of cash represented by the Cash Component must be transferred directly to the Custodian through the Federal Reserve Bank wire transfer system in a timely manner so as to be received by the Custodian no later than the Settlement Date. If the Cash Component and the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, are not received by the Custodian in a timely manner by the Settlement Date, the creation order may be cancelled and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to a Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. Upon written notice to the Distributor, such canceled order may be resubmitted the following business day using the Fund Deposit as newly constituted to reflect the then current NAV of the Fund.

The order shall be deemed to be received on the business day on which the order is placed provided that the order is placed in proper form prior to the applicable cut-off time and the federal funds in the appropriate amount are deposited by 2:00 p.m., Eastern time, with the Custodian on the Settlement Date. If the order is not placed in proper form as required, or federal funds in the appropriate amount are not received by 2:00 p.m. Eastern time on the Settlement Date, then the order may be deemed to be rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to the applicable Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. A creation request is considered to be in "proper form" if all procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement, AP Handbook, order form, and this SAI are properly followed.

ISSUANCE OF A CREATION UNIT. Except as provided herein, Creation Units will not be issued until the transfer of good title to the Trust of the Deposit Securities or payment of Deposit Cash, as applicable, and the payment of the Cash Component have been completed. When the subcustodian has confirmed to the Custodian that the required Deposit Securities (or the cash value thereof) have been delivered to the account of the relevant subcustodian or subcustodians, the Distributor and the Adviser shall be notified of such delivery, and the Trust will issue and cause the delivery of the Creation Units. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the second business day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor. However, a Fund reserves the right to settle Creation Unit transactions on a basis other than the second business day following the day on which the purchase order is deemed received by the Distributor in order to accommodate foreign market holiday schedules, to account for different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and ex-dividend dates (that is the last day the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security), and in certain other circumstances. The Authorized Participant shall be liable to a Fund for losses, if any, resulting from unsettled orders.

Creation Units may be purchased in advance of receipt by the Trust of all or a portion of the applicable Deposit Securities as described below. In these circumstances, the initial deposit will have a value greater than the NAV of the shares of a Fund on the date the order is placed in proper form since in addition to available Deposit Securities, cash must be deposited in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the Cash Component, plus (ii) an additional amount of cash equal to a percentage of the market value as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the undelivered Deposit Securities (the "Additional Cash Deposit"), which shall be maintained in a separate non-interest bearing collateral account. The Authorized Participant must deposit with the Custodian the Additional Cash Deposit, as applicable, by the time set forth in the Participant Agreement on the Settlement Date. If a Fund or its agents do not receive the Additional Cash Deposit in the appropriate amount, by such time, then the order may be deemed rejected and the Authorized Participant shall be liable to a Fund for losses, if any, resulting therefrom. An additional amount of cash shall be required to be deposited with the Trust, pending delivery of the missing Deposit Securities to the extent necessary to maintain the Additional Cash Deposit with the Trust in an amount at least equal to the applicable percentage, as set forth in the Participant Agreement, of the daily marked to market value of the missing Deposit Securities. The Trust may use such Additional Cash Deposit to buy the missing Deposit Securities at any time. Authorized Participants will be liable to the Trust for all costs, expenses, dividends, income, and taxes associated with missing Deposit Securities, including the costs incurred by the Trust in connection with any such purchases. These costs will be deemed to include the amount by which the actual purchase price of the Deposit Securities exceeds the value of such Deposit Securities on the day the purchase order was deemed received by the Distributor plus the brokerage and related transaction costs associated with such purchases. The Trust will return any unused portion of the Additional Cash Deposit once all of the missing Deposit Securities have been properly received by the Custodian or purchased by the Trust and deposited into the Trust. In addition, a creation transaction fee as set forth below under "Creation Transaction Fee" may be charged and an additional variable charge may also apply. The delivery of Creation Units so created generally will occur no later than the Settlement Date.

ACCEPTANCE OF ORDERS OF CREATION UNITS. The Trust reserves the right to reject an order for Creation Units transmitted to it by the Distributor in respect of a Fund including, without limitation, if (a) the order is not in proper form; (b) the Deposit Securities or Deposit Cash, as applicable, delivered by the Participant are not as disseminated through the facilities of the NSCC for that date by the Custodian; (c) the investor(s), upon obtaining the shares ordered, would own 80% or more of the currently outstanding shares of a Fund; (d) the acceptance of the Fund Deposit would, in the opinion of counsel, be unlawful; (e) the acceptance or receipt of the order for a Creation Unit would, in the opinion of counsel to the Trust, be unlawful; or (f) circumstances outside the control of the Trust, the Custodian, the Transfer Agent and/or the Adviser make it for all practical purposes not feasible to process orders for Creation Units. Examples of such circumstances include acts of God or public service or utility problems such as fires, floods, extreme weather conditions and power outages resulting in telephone, telecopy and computer failures; market conditions or activities causing trading halts; systems failures involving computer or other information systems affecting the Trust, the Distributor, the Custodian, a sub-custodian, the Transfer Agent, DTC, NSCC, Federal Reserve System, or any other participant in the creation process, and other extraordinary events. The Distributor shall notify a prospective creator of a Creation Unit and/or the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of the creator of a Creation Unit of its rejection of the order of such person. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian, any sub-custodian and the Distributor are under no duty, however, to give notification of any defects or irregularities in the delivery of Fund Deposits nor shall either of them incur any liability for the failure to give any such notification. The Trust, the Transfer Agent, the Custodian and the Distributor shall not be liable for the rejection of any purchase order for Creation Units. Given the importance of the ongoing issuance of Creation Units to maintaining a market price that is at or close to the underlying net asset value of a Fund, the Trust does not intend to suspend acceptance of orders for Creation Units.

All questions as to the number of shares of each security in the Deposit Securities and the validity, form, eligibility and acceptance for deposit of any securities to be delivered shall be determined by the Trust, and the Trust's determination shall be final and binding.

CREATION TRANSACTION FEE. A fixed purchase (*i.e.*, creation) transaction fee may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the purchase of Creation Units ("Creation Order Costs"). The standard creation transaction fee for a Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units created in the transaction, is set forth in the table below.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Fund** | **Creation Transaction Fee** |
| Brown Advisory Sustainable Value ETF | $125 |
| Brown Advisory Sustainable Growth ETF | $105 |

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A Fund may adjust the creation transaction fee from time to time. The creation transaction fee may be waived on certain orders if the Custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Creation Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.

In addition, a variable fee may be imposed for cash purchases, non-standard orders, or partial cash purchases of Creation Units. The variable fee is primarily designed to cover non-standard charges, *e.g.*, brokerage, taxes, foreign exchange, execution, market impact, and other costs and expenses, related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. A Fund may determine not to charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of a Fund's shareholders, *e.g.*, for creation orders that facilitate the rebalance of a Fund's portfolio in a more efficient manner than could have been achieved without such order.

Investors who use the services of an Authorized Participant, broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services which may include an amount for the creation transaction fee and non-standard charges. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Deposit Securities to the account of the Trust. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the Transaction Fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the issuance of a Creation Unit, which the Transaction Fee is designed to cover.

RISKS OF PURCHASING CREATION UNITS. There are certain legal risks unique to investors purchasing Creation Units directly from a Fund. Because a Fund's shares may be issued on an ongoing basis, a "distribution" of shares could be occurring at any time. Certain activities that a shareholder performs as a dealer could, depending on the circumstances, result in the shareholder being deemed a participant in the distribution in a manner that could render the shareholder a statutory underwriter and subject to the prospectus delivery and liability provisions of the 1933 Act. For example, a shareholder could be deemed a statutory underwriter if it purchases Creation Units from a Fund, breaks them down into the constituent shares, and sells those shares directly to customers, or if a shareholder chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary-market demand for shares. Whether a person is an underwriter depends upon all of the facts and circumstances pertaining to that person's activities, and the examples mentioned here should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could cause you to be deemed an underwriter.

Dealers who are not "underwriters" but are participating in a distribution (as opposed to engaging in ordinary secondary-market transactions), and thus dealing with a Fund's shares as part of an "unsold allotment" within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the 1933 Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the 1933 Act.

REDEMPTION. Shares of a Fund may be redeemed only in Creation Units at their NAV next determined after receipt of a redemption request in proper form by a Fund through the Transfer Agent and only on a business day. EXCEPT UPON LIQUIDATION OF A FUND, THE TRUST WILL NOT REDEEM SHARES IN AMOUNTS LESS THAN CREATION UNITS. Investors must accumulate enough shares of a Fund in the secondary market to constitute a Creation Unit in order to have such shares redeemed by the Trust. There can be no assurance, however, that there will be sufficient liquidity in the public trading market at any time to permit assembly of a Creation Unit. Investors should expect to incur brokerage and other costs in connection with assembling a sufficient number of shares to constitute a redeemable Creation Unit.

With respect to the Funds, the Custodian, through the NSCC, makes available prior to the opening of business on the Exchange (currently 9:30 a.m. Eastern time) on each business day, the list of the names and share quantities of a Fund's portfolio securities that will be applicable (subject to possible amendment or correction) to redemption requests received in proper form (as defined below) on that day ("Fund Securities"). Fund Securities received on redemption may not be identical to Deposit Securities.

Redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit are paid either in-kind or in cash, or combination thereof, as determined by the Trust. With respect to in-kind redemptions of the Funds, redemption proceeds for a Creation Unit will consist of Fund Securities - as announced by the Custodian on the business day of the request for redemption received in proper form plus cash in an amount equal to the difference between the NAV of the shares of the Fund being redeemed, as next determined after a receipt of a request in proper form, and the value of Fund Securities (the "Cash Redemption Amount"), less any fixed redemption transaction fee as set forth below and any applicable additional variable charge as set forth below. In the event that a Fund's securities have a value greater than the NAV of the shares of a Fund, a compensating cash payment equal to the differential is required to be made by or through an Authorized Participant by the redeeming shareholder. Notwithstanding the foregoing, at the Trust's discretion, an Authorized Participant may receive the corresponding cash value of the securities in lieu of the in-kind securities value representing one or more Fund Securities.

CASH REDEMPTION METHOD. Although the Trust does not ordinarily permit full or partial cash redemptions of Creation Units of a Fund, when full or partial cash redemptions of Creation Units are available or specified for a Fund, they will be effected in essentially the same manner as in-kind redemptions thereof. In the case of full or partial cash redemptions, the Authorized Participant receives the cash equivalent of a Fund Securities it would otherwise receive through an in-kind redemption, plus the same Cash Redemption Amount to be paid to an in-kind redeemer.

REDEMPTION TRANSACTION FEE. A fixed redemption transaction fee may be imposed for the transfer and other transaction costs associated with the redemption of Creation Units ("Redemption Order Costs"). The standard redemption transaction fee for a Fund, regardless of the number of Creation Units redeemed in the transaction, is set forth in the table below.

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| | |
|:---|:---|
| **Fund** | **Redemption Transaction Fee** |
| Brown Advisory Sustainable Value ETF | $125 |
| Brown Advisory Sustainable Growth ETF | $105 |

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A Fund may adjust the redemption transaction fee from time to time. The redemption transaction fee may be waived on certain orders if the Custodian has determined to waive some or all of the Redemption Order Costs associated with the order or another party, such as the Adviser, has agreed to pay such fee.

In addition, a variable fee, payable to the Funds, may be imposed for cash redemptions, non-standard orders, or partial cash redemptions for a Fund. The variable fee is primarily designed to cover non-standard charges, *e.g.*, brokerage, taxes, foreign exchange, execution, market impact, and other costs and expenses, related to the execution of trades resulting from such transaction. In all cases, such fees will be limited in accordance with the requirements of the SEC applicable to management investment companies offering redeemable securities. A Fund may determine not to charge a variable fee on certain orders when the Adviser has determined that doing so is in the best interests of Fund shareholders, *e.g.*, for redemption orders that facilitate the rebalance of a Fund's portfolio in a more tax efficient manner than could be achieved without such order.

Investors who use the services of an Authorized Participant, broker or other such intermediary may be charged a fee for such services, which may include an amount for the redemption transaction fees and non-standard charges. Investors are responsible for the costs of transferring the securities constituting the Fund Securities to the account of the Trust. The non-standard charges are payable to a Fund as it incurs costs in connection with the redemption of Creation Units, the receipt of Fund Securities and the Cash Redemption Amount and other transactions costs. The Adviser may retain all or a portion of the redemption transaction fee to the extent the Adviser bears the expenses that otherwise would be borne by the Trust in connection with the redemption of a Creation Unit, which the redemption transaction fee is designed to cover.

PROCEDURES FOR REDEMPTION OF CREATION UNITS. Orders to redeem Creation Units must be submitted in proper form to the Transfer Agent prior to the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement. A redemption request is considered to be in "proper form" if (i) an Authorized Participant has transferred or caused to be transferred to the Trust's Transfer Agent the Creation Unit(s) being redeemed through the book-entry system of DTC so as to be effective by the time as set forth in the Participant Agreement and (ii) a request in form satisfactory to the Trust is received by the Transfer Agent from the Authorized Participant on behalf of itself or another redeeming investor within the time periods specified in the Participant Agreement. If the Transfer Agent does not receive the investor's shares of a Fund through DTC's facilities by the times and pursuant to the other terms and conditions set forth in the Participant Agreement, the redemption request shall be rejected, unless, to the extent contemplated by the Participant Agreement, collateral is posted in an amount equal to a percentage of the value of the missing shares of that Fund as specified in the Participant Agreement (and marked to market daily).

The Authorized Participant must transmit the request for redemption, in the form required by the Trust, to the Transfer Agent in accordance with procedures set forth in the Participant Agreement. Investors should be aware that their particular broker may not have executed a Participant Agreement, and that, therefore, requests to redeem Creation Units may have to be placed by the investor's broker through an Authorized Participant who has executed a Participant Agreement. Investors making a redemption request should be aware that such request must be in the form specified by such Authorized Participant. Investors making a request to redeem Creation Units should allow sufficient time to permit proper submission of the request by an Authorized Participant and transfer of the shares of a Fund to the Trust's Transfer Agent; such investors should allow for the additional time that may be required to effect redemptions through their banks, brokers or other financial intermediaries if such intermediaries are not Authorized Participants.

ADDITIONAL REDEMPTION PROCEDURES. In connection with taking delivery of shares of Fund Securities upon redemption of Creation Units, a redeeming shareholder or Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such shareholder must maintain appropriate custody arrangements with a qualified broker-dealer, bank or other custody providers in each jurisdiction in which any of a Fund's securities are customarily traded, to which account such Fund Securities will be delivered. Deliveries of redemption proceeds generally will be made within two business days of the trade date. However, due to the schedule of holidays in certain countries, the different treatment among foreign and U.S. markets of dividend record dates and dividend ex-dates (that is the last date the holder of a security can sell the security and still receive dividends payable on the security sold), and in certain other circumstances, the delivery of in-kind redemption proceeds may take longer than two business days after the day on which the redemption request is received in proper form. If neither the redeeming shareholder nor the Authorized Participant acting on behalf of such redeeming shareholder has appropriate arrangements to take delivery of the Fund Securities in the applicable foreign jurisdiction and it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or if it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities in such jurisdiction, the Trust may, in its discretion, exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the redeeming shareholders will be required to receive redemption proceeds in cash.

If it is not possible to make other such arrangements, or it is not possible to effect deliveries of the Fund Securities, the Trust may in its discretion exercise its option to redeem such shares in cash, and the redeeming investor will be required to receive its redemption proceeds in cash. In addition, an investor may request a redemption in cash that a Fund may, in its sole discretion, permit. In either case, the investor will receive a cash payment equal to the NAV of its shares based on the NAV of shares of a Fund next determined after the redemption request is received in proper form (minus a redemption transaction fee and additional charge for requested cash redemptions specified above, to offset the Trust's brokerage and other transaction costs associated with the disposition of Fund Securities). A Fund also may, in its sole discretion, upon request of a shareholder, provide such redeemer a portfolio of securities that differs from the exact composition of the Fund Securities but does not differ in NAV.

Pursuant to the Participant Agreement, an Authorized Participant submitting a redemption request is deemed to make certain representations to the Trust regarding the Authorized Participant's ability to tender for redemption the requisite number of shares of a Fund. The Trust reserves the right to verify these representations at its discretion, but will typically require verification with respect to a redemption request from a Fund in connection with higher levels of redemption activity and/or short interest in a Fund. If the Authorized Participant, upon receipt of a verification request, does not provide sufficient verification of its representations as determined by the Trust, the redemption request will not be considered to have been received in proper form and may be rejected by the Trust.

Redemptions of shares for Fund Securities will be subject to compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws and a Fund (whether or not it otherwise permits cash redemptions) reserves the right to redeem Creation Units for cash to the extent that the Trust could not lawfully deliver specific Fund Securities upon redemptions or could not do so without first registering the Fund Securities under such laws. An Authorized Participant or an investor for which it is acting subject to a legal restriction with respect to a particular security included in the Fund Securities applicable to the redemption of Creation Units may be paid an equivalent amount of cash. The Authorized Participant may request the redeeming investor of the shares of a Fund to complete an order form or to enter into agreements with respect to such matters as compensating cash payment. Further, an Authorized Participant that is not a "qualified institutional buyer," ("QIB") as such term is defined under Rule 144A of the 1933 Act, will not be able to receive Fund Securities that are restricted securities eligible for resale under Rule 144A. An Authorized Participant may be required by the Trust to provide a written confirmation with respect to QIB status in order to receive Fund Securities.

Because the portfolio securities of a Fund may trade on the relevant exchange(s) on days that the Exchange is closed or are otherwise not business days for the Funds, shareholders may not be able to redeem their shares, or to purchase or sell shares on the Exchange, on days when the NAV of a Fund could be significantly affected by events in the relevant foreign markets.

The right of redemption may be suspended or the date of payment postponed with respect to the Funds (1) for any period during which the New York Stock Exchange is closed (other than customary weekend and holiday closings); (2) for any period during which trading on the New York Stock Exchange is suspended or restricted; (3) for any period during which an emergency exists as a result of which disposal of the securities owned by a Fund or determination of the NAV of the shares is not reasonably practicable; or (4) in such other circumstance as is permitted by the SEC.

**DETERMINATION OF NET ASSET VALUE**

**General Policy.** The Funds adhere to Section 2(a)(41), and Rules 2a-4 and 2a-5 thereunder, of the 1940 Act with respect to the valuation of portfolio securities. In general, securities for which market quotations are readily available are valued at current market value, and all other securities are valued at fair value by the Adviser in good faith, and subject to the oversight of the Board. In complying with the 1940 Act, the Trust relies on guidance provided by the SEC and by the SEC staff in various interpretive letters and other guidance.

**Equity Securities.** Securities listed on a securities exchange, market or automated quotation system for which quotations are readily available (except for securities traded on NASDAQ), including securities traded over the counter, are valued at the last quoted sale price on an exchange or market (foreign or domestic) on which they are traded on the valuation date (or at approximately 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time if such exchange is normally open at that time), or, if there is no such reported sale on the valuation date, at the most recent quoted bid price. For securities traded on NASDAQ, the NASDAQ Official Closing Price will be used. If such prices are not available or determined to not represent the fair value of the security as of a Fund's pricing time, the security will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, subject to Board oversight.

**Money Market Securities and other Debt Securities.** If available, money market securities and other debt securities are priced based upon valuations provided by recognized independent, third-party pricing agents. Such values generally reflect the last reported sales price if the security is actively traded. The third-party pricing agents may also value debt securities by employing methodologies that utilize actual market transactions, broker-supplied valuations, or other methodologies designed to identify the market value for such securities. Such methodologies generally consider such factors as security prices, yields, maturities, call features, ratings and developments relating to specific securities in arriving at valuations. Money market securities and other debt securities with remaining maturities of sixty days or less may be valued at their amortized cost, which approximates market value. If such prices are not available or determined to not represent the fair value of the security as of a Fund's pricing time, the security will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, subject to Board oversight.

**Foreign Securities.** The prices for foreign securities are reported in local currency and converted to U.S. dollars using currency exchange rates. Exchange rates are provided daily by recognized independent pricing agents.

**Derivatives and Other Complex Securities.** Exchange traded options on securities and indices purchased by a Fund generally are valued at their last trade price or, if there is no last trade price, the last bid price. Exchange traded options on securities and indices written by a Fund generally are valued at their last trade price or, if there is no last trade price, the last asked price. In the case of options traded in the over-the-counter market, if the OTC option is also an exchange traded option, a Fund will follow the rules regarding the valuation of exchange traded options. If the OTC option is not also an exchange traded option, security will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, subject to Board oversight.

Futures and swaps cleared through a central clearing house ("centrally cleared swaps") are valued at the settlement price established each day by the board of the exchange on which they are traded. The daily settlement prices for financial futures are provided by an independent source. On days when there is excessive volume or market volatility, or the future or centrally cleared swap does not end trading by the time a Fund calculates net asset value, the settlement price may not be available at the time at which a Fund calculates its net asset value. On such days, the best available price (which is typically the last sales price) may be used to value a Fund's futures or centrally cleared swaps position.

Foreign currency forward contracts are valued at the current day's interpolated foreign exchange rate, as calculated using the current day's spot rate, and the thirty, sixty, ninety and one-hundred eighty day forward rates provided by an independent source.

If available, non-centrally cleared swaps, collateralized debt obligations, collateralized loan obligations and bank loans are priced based on valuations provided by an independent third party pricing agent. If a price is not available from an independent third party pricing agent, the security will be valued at fair value as determined in good faith by the Adviser, subject to Board oversight.

**Use of Third-Party Independent Pricing Services.** Pursuant to contracts with the Administrator, prices for most securities held by a Fund with readily available market quotations are provided by third-party independent pricing agents. The valuations for these securities are reviewed by the Administrator. In accordance with the Adviser's Valuation Procedures, the Adviser may also use third-party independent pricing agents (reviewed and approved by the Adviser) to fair value certain securities without readily available market quotations (or where market quotations are unreliable).

**Fair Value Procedures.** Securities for which market prices are not "readily available" or which cannot be valued using the methodologies described above are valued in accordance with Fair Value Procedures established by the Adviser and implemented through the Adviser's Valuation Committee. In establishing a fair value for an investment, the Adviser will use valuation methodologies established by the Adviser and may consider inputs and methodologies provided by, among others, third-party independent pricing agents, independent broker dealers and/or the Adviser's or Sub-Adviser's own personnel (including investment personnel).

Some of the more common reasons that may necessitate a security being valued using Fair Value Procedures include: the security's trading has been halted or suspended; the security has been de-listed from a national exchange; the security's primary trading market is temporarily closed at a time when under normal conditions it would be open; the security has not been traded for an extended period of time; the security's primary pricing source is not able or willing to provide a price; trading of the security is subject to local government-imposed restrictions; or a significant event with respect to a security has occurred after the close of the market or exchange on which the security principally trades and before the time a Fund calculates net asset value. When a security is valued in accordance with the Fair Value Procedures, the Adviser's Valuation Committee will determine the value after taking into consideration relevant information reasonably available to the Committee.

**Fair Valuation of Foreign Securities Based on U.S. Market Movements.** A third party fair valuation vendor provides a fair value for foreign securities held by the Funds based on certain factors and methodologies (involving, generally, tracking valuation correlations between the U.S. market and each foreign security) applied by the fair valuation vendor in the event that there are movements in the U.S. market that exceed a specific threshold that has been established by the Adviser. The Adviser has also established a "confidence interval" that is used to determine the level of correlation between the value of a foreign security and movements in the U.S. market that is required for a particular security to be fair valued when the threshold is exceeded. In the event that the threshold established by the Adviser is exceeded on a specific day, the Adviser values the foreign securities in a Fund's portfolio that exceed the applicable "confidence interval" based upon the fair values provided by the fair valuation vendor. In the event that the Adviser believes that the fair values provided by the fair valuation vendor are not reliable, the Adviser will determine in good faith the fair value of the foreign securities, subject to Board oversight.

**DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS**

The following information supplements and should be read in conjunction with the section in the Prospectus entitled "Dividends, Distributions and Taxes."

<u>General Policies</u>. Dividends from net investment income, if any, are declared and paid annually by the Funds. Distributions of net realized capital gains, if any, generally are declared and paid once a year, but a Fund may make distributions on a more frequent basis to improve index tracking, if applicable, or to comply with the distribution requirements of the Code, in all events in a manner consistent with the provisions of the 1940 Act.

Dividends and other distributions on shares of a Fund are distributed, as described below, on a pro rata basis to Beneficial Owners of such shares. Dividend payments are made through DTC Participants and Indirect Participants to Beneficial Owners then of record with proceeds received from a Fund.

The Funds make additional distributions to the extent necessary (i) to distribute the entire annual taxable income of a Fund, plus any net capital gains and (ii) to avoid the imposition of the excise tax imposed by Section 4982 of the Code. Management of the Trust reserves the right to declare special dividends by a Fund if, in its reasonable discretion, such action is necessary or advisable to preserve a Fund's eligibility for treatment as a RIC or to avoid imposition of income or excise taxes on undistributed income.

<u>Dividend Reinvestment Service</u>. The Trust will not make the DTC book-entry dividend reinvestment service available for use by Beneficial Owners for reinvestment of their cash proceeds, but certain individual broker-dealers may make available the DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by Beneficial Owners of a Fund through DTC Participants for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Investors should contact their brokers to ascertain the availability and description of these services. Beneficial Owners should be aware that each broker may require investors to adhere to specific procedures and timetables in order to participate in the dividend reinvestment service and investors should ascertain from their brokers such necessary details. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares issued by the Trust of a Fund at NAV per share. Distributions reinvested in additional shares of a Fund will nevertheless be taxable to Beneficial Owners acquiring such additional shares to the same extent as if such distributions had been received in cash.

**FEDERAL INCOME TAXES**

The following is a summary of certain U.S. federal income tax considerations generally affecting each Fund and its shareholders that supplements the discussion in the Prospectus. No attempt is made to present a comprehensive explanation of the federal, state, local or foreign tax treatment of the Funds or their shareholders, and the discussion here and in the Prospectus is not intended to be a substitute for careful tax planning. The summary is very general, and does not address investors subject to special rules, such as investors who hold shares through an individual retirement account ("IRA"), 401(k) or other tax-advantaged account.

The following general discussion of certain U.S. federal income tax consequences is based on provisions of the Code and the regulations issued thereunder as in effect on the date of this SAI. New legislation, as well as administrative changes or court decisions, may significantly change the conclusions expressed herein, and may have a retroactive effect with respect to the transactions contemplated herein.

Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an IRA, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when a Fund makes distributions or you sell Shares.

Shareholders are urged to consult their own tax advisers regarding the application of the provisions of tax law described in this SAI in light of the particular tax situations of the shareholders and regarding specific questions as to federal, state, foreign, or local taxes.

<u>Regulated Investment Company Status</u>. Each Fund intends to elect and to qualify each year to be treated as a RIC under the Code. By following such a policy, each Fund expects to eliminate or reduce to a nominal amount the federal taxes to which it may be subject. If a Fund qualifies as a RIC, it will generally not be subject to federal income taxes on the net investment income and net realized capital gains that it timely distributes to its shareholders. The Board reserves the right not to maintain the qualification of a Fund as a RIC if it determines such course of action to be beneficial to shareholders.

In order to qualify as a RIC under the Code, a Fund must distribute annually to its shareholders at least an amount equal to the sum of 90% of the Fund's net investment company taxable income for such year (including, for this purpose, dividends, taxable interest, and the excess of net short-term capital gains over net long-term capital losses, less operating expenses), computed without regard to the dividends paid deduction, and at least 90% of its net tax-exempt interest income for such year, if any (the "Distribution Requirement") and also must meet certain additional requirements. One of these additional requirements for RIC qualification is that a Fund must receive at least 90% of its gross income each taxable year from dividends, interest, payments with respect to certain securities loans, gains from the sale or other disposition of stock, securities or foreign currencies, or other income (including but not limited to gains from options, futures or forward contracts) derived with respect to a Fund's business of investing in such stock, securities, foreign currencies and net income from interests in qualified publicly traded partnerships (the "90% Test"). A second requirement for qualification as a RIC is that a Fund must diversify its holdings so that, at the end of each quarter of the Fund's taxable year: (a) at least 50% of the value of the Fund's total assets is represented by cash and cash items, U.S. government securities, securities of other RICs, and other securities, with these other securities limited, in respect to any one issuer, to an amount not greater than 5% of the value of the Fund's total assets and does not represent more than 10% of the outstanding voting securities of such issuer, including the equity securities of a qualified publicly traded partnership; and (b) not more than 25% of the value of its total assets is invested, including through corporations in which the Fund owns a 20% or more voting stock interest, in the securities (other than U.S. government securities or securities of other RICs) of any one issuer or the securities (other than the securities of another RIC) of two or more issuers that the Fund controls and which are engaged in the same or similar trades or businesses or related trades or businesses, or the securities of one or more qualified publicly traded partnerships (the "Asset Test").

If a Fund fails to satisfy the 90% Test or the Asset Test, the Fund may be eligible for relief provisions if the failures are due to reasonable cause and not willful neglect and if a penalty tax is paid with respect to each failure to satisfy the applicable requirements. Additionally, relief is provided for certain *de minimis* failures of the Asset Test where a Fund corrects the failure within a specified period of time. In order to be eligible for the relief provisions with respect to a failure to meet the Asset Test, a Fund may be required to dispose of certain assets. If these relief provisions are not available to a Fund and it fails to qualify for treatment as a RIC for a taxable year, all of its taxable income would be subject to tax at the regular corporate income tax rate (currently 21%) without any deduction for distributions to shareholders, and its distributions (including capital gains distributions) generally would be taxable to its shareholders as ordinary income dividends to the extent of a Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits, although corporate shareholders could be eligible for the dividends received deduction (subject to certain limitations) and individuals may benefit from the lower tax rates on qualified dividend income. In addition, a Fund could be required to recognize unrealized gains, pay substantial taxes and interest, and make substantial distributions before requalifying as a RIC. If a Fund determines that it will not qualify for treatment as a RIC, the Fund will establish procedures to reflect the anticipated tax liability in the Fund's NAV.

Although the Funds intend to distribute substantially all of their net investment income and may distribute their capital gains for any taxable year, a Fund will be subject to federal income taxation to the extent any such income or gains are not distributed. Each Fund is treated as a separate corporation for federal income tax purposes. A Fund therefore is considered to be a separate entity in determining its treatment under the rules for RICs described herein. Losses in one Fund do not offset gains in another Fund and the requirements (other than certain organization requirements) for qualifying RIC status are determined at the Fund level rather than at the Trust level.

Notwithstanding the Distribution Requirement described above, a Fund will be subject to a nondeductible 4% federal excise tax on undistributed income if it does not distribute to its shareholders in each calendar year an amount at least equal to 98% of its ordinary income for the calendar year and 98.2% of its capital gain net income for the twelve months ended October 31 of such year, subject to an increase for any shortfall in the prior year's distribution. For this purpose, any ordinary income or capital gain net income retained by a Fund and subject to corporate income tax will be considered to have been distributed. Each Fund intends to declare and distribute dividends and distributions in the amounts and at the times necessary to avoid the application of this 4% excise tax but can make no assurances that such tax will be completely eliminated. For example, a Fund may receive delayed or corrected tax reporting statements from its investments that cause the Fund to accrue additional income and gains after the Fund has already made its excise tax distributions for the year. In such a situation, a Fund may incur an excise tax liability resulting from such delayed receipt of such tax information statements. In addition, a Fund may in certain circumstances be required to liquidate Fund investments in order to make sufficient distributions to avoid federal excise tax liability at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so, and liquidation of investments in such circumstances may affect the ability of a Fund to satisfy the requirement for qualification as a RIC.

A Fund may elect to treat part or all of any "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in determining a Fund's taxable income, net capital gain, net short-term capital gain, and earnings and profits. The effect of this election is to treat any such "qualified late year loss" as if it had been incurred in the succeeding taxable year in characterizing Fund distributions for any calendar year. A "qualified late year loss" generally includes net capital loss, net long-term capital loss, or net short-term capital loss incurred after October 31 of the current taxable year (commonly referred to as "post-October losses") and certain other late-year losses.

Capital losses in excess of capital gains ("net capital losses") are not permitted to be deducted against a RIC's net investment income. Instead, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, potentially subject to certain limitations, a RIC may carry net capital losses from any taxable year forward to offset capital gains in future years. A Fund is permitted to carry net capital losses forward indefinitely. To the extent subsequent capital gains are offset by such losses, they will not result in U.S. federal income tax liability to a Fund and may not be distributed as capital gains to shareholders. Generally, a Fund may not carry forward any losses other than net capital losses. The carryover of capital losses may be limited under the general loss limitation rules if a Fund experiences an ownership change as defined in the Code.

<u>Taxation of Shareholders – Distributions</u>. A Fund receives income generally in the form of dividends and interest on investments. This income, plus net short-term capital gains, if any, less expenses incurred in the operation of a Fund, constitutes the Fund's net investment income from which dividends may be paid to you. Any distributions by a Fund from such income will be taxable to you as ordinary income or at the lower capital gains rates that apply to individuals receiving qualified dividend income, whether you take them in cash or in additional shares.

Subject to certain limitations and requirements, dividends reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income will be taxable to non-corporate shareholders at rates of up to 20% (lower rates apply to individuals in lower tax brackets). In general, dividends may be reported by a Fund as qualified dividend income if they are paid from dividends received by the Fund on common and preferred stock of U.S. companies or on stock of certain eligible foreign corporations, provided that certain holding period and other requirements are met by a Fund with respect to the dividend-paying stocks in its portfolio. Subject to certain limitations, eligible foreign corporations include those incorporated in possessions of the United States or in certain countries with comprehensive tax treaties with the United States, and other foreign corporations if the stock with respect to which the dividends are paid is readily tradable on an established securities market in the United States. A dividend will not be treated as qualified dividend income to the extent that: (i) the shareholder has not held the shares on which the dividend was paid for more than 60 days during the 121-day period that begins on the date that is 60 days before the date on which the shares become "ex-dividend" (which is the day on which declared distributions (dividends or capital gains) are deducted from a Fund's assets before it calculates the net asset value) with respect to such dividend, (ii) a Fund has not satisfied similar holding period requirements with respect to the securities it holds that paid the dividends distributed to the shareholder), (iii) the shareholder is under an obligation (whether pursuant to a short sale or otherwise) to make related payments with respect to substantially similar or related property, or (iv) the shareholder elects to treat such dividend as investment income under Section 163(d)(4)(B) of the Code. Therefore, if you lend your shares in a Fund, such as pursuant to a securities lending arrangement, you may lose the ability to treat dividends (paid while the shares are held by the borrower) as qualified dividend income. Distributions that a Fund receives from an underlying fund taxable as a RIC or from a REIT will be treated as qualified dividend income only to the extent so reported underlying fund or REIT. Certain of a Fund's investment strategies may limit its ability to make distributions eligible to be treated as qualified dividend income.

Distributions by a Fund of its net short-term capital gains will be taxable as ordinary income. Capital gains distributions consisting of a Fund's net capital gains will be taxable as long-term capital gains for individual shareholders currently set at a maximum rate of 20% regardless of how long you have held your shares in a Fund. Distributions from capital gains are generally made after applying any available capital loss carryforwards.

In the case of corporate shareholders, a Fund's distributions (other than capital gain distributions) generally qualify for the dividends received deduction to the extent such distributions are so reported and do not exceed the gross amount of qualifying dividends received by a Fund for the year. Generally, and subject to certain limitations (including certain holding period limitations), a dividend will be treated as a qualifying dividend if it has been received from a domestic corporation. Certain of a Fund's investment strategies may limit its ability to make distributions eligible to be eligible for a dividends received deduction.

A Fund's participation in loans of securities may affect the amount, timing, and character of distributions to Fund shareholders. If a Fund participates in a securities lending transaction and receives a payment in lieu of dividends (a "substitute payment") with respect to securities on loan in a securities lending transaction, such income generally will not constitute qualified dividend income and thus dividends attributable to such income will not be eligible for taxation at the rates applicable to qualified dividend income for individual shareholders and will not be eligible for the dividends received deduction for corporate shareholders.

Although dividends generally will be treated as distributed when paid, any dividend declared by a Fund in October, November or December and payable to shareholders of record in such a month that is paid during the following January will be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as received by shareholders on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was declared. Under this rule, therefore, a shareholder may be taxed in one year on dividends or distributions actually received in January of the following year.

Any dividend or distribution paid shortly after an investor's purchase of fund shares may have the effect of reducing the aggregate NAV of the shares below the cost of the investment ("buying a dividend"). Such a dividend or distribution would be a return of capital in an economic sense, although taxable as stated in the Prospectus and this SAI. Accordingly, a taxable shareholder may wish to avoid investing in a Fund shortly before a dividend or other distribution. In addition, the Code provides that if a shareholder holds shares of a fund for six months or less and has (or is deemed to have) received a capital gain distribution with respect to such shares, any loss incurred on the sale of such shares will be treated as long-term capital loss to the extent of the capital gain distribution received or deemed to have been received.

If a Fund's distributions exceed its current and accumulated earnings and profits (as calculated for federal income tax purposes), all or a portion of the distributions made in the same taxable year may be treated as a return of capital to shareholders. A return of capital distribution generally will not be taxable but will reduce the shareholder's cost basis and result in a higher capital gain or lower capital loss when the shares on which the distribution was received are sold. After a shareholder's basis in the shares has been reduced to zero, distributions in excess of earnings and profits will be treated as gain from the sale of the shareholder's shares.

A Fund's shareholders will be notified annually by the Fund (or their broker) as to the federal tax status of all distributions made by the Fund. Distributions may be subject to state and local taxes. Shareholders who have not held Fund shares for a full year should be aware that a Fund may report and distribute to a shareholder, as ordinary dividends or capital gain dividends, a percentage of income that is not equal to the percentage of a Fund's ordinary income or net capital gain, respectively, actually earned during the shareholder's period of investment in a Fund.

<u>Sales, Exchanges or Redemptions</u>. A sale or exchange of shares or redemption of Creation Units in a Fund may give rise to a gain or loss. In general, any gain or loss realized upon a taxable disposition of shares by shareholders will be treated as capital gain or loss if the shares are capital assets in the shareholder's hands, and will be long-term capital gain or loss if the shares have been held for more than 12 months, and short-term capital gain or loss if the shares are held for 12 months or less. However, if shares on which a shareholder has received a long-term capital gain distribution are subsequently sold, exchanged, or redeemed and such shares have been held for six months or less, any loss recognized will be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of the long-term capital gain distribution. In addition, the loss realized on a sale or other disposition of shares will be disallowed to the extent a shareholder repurchases (or enters into a contract or option to repurchase) shares within a period of 61 days (beginning 30 days before and ending 30 days after the disposition of the shares). This loss disallowance rule will apply to shares received through the reinvestment of dividends during the 61-day period. In such a case, the basis of the newly purchased shares will be adjusted to reflect the disallowed loss.

An Authorized Participant who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize gain or loss from the exchange. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time of the exchange and the sum of the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered plus the amount of cash paid for such Creation Units. The ability of Authorized Participants to receive a full or partial cash redemption of Creation Units of a Fund may limit the tax efficiency of a Fund. An Authorized Participant who redeems Creation Units will generally recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the sum of the aggregate market value of any securities received plus the amount of any cash received for such Creation Units and the exchanger's basis in the Creation Units. The Internal Revenue Service ("IRS"), however, may assert that an Authorized Participant may not be permitted to currently deduct losses realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units under the rules governing "wash sales" (for an Authorized Participant which does not mark-to-market its holdings) or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position.

Any gain or loss realized upon a creation or redemption of Creation Units will be treated as capital or ordinary gain or loss, depending on the circumstances. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the creation of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the securities exchanged for such Creation Units have been held for more than one year and were held as capital assets in the hands of the exchanging Authorized Participant. Any capital gain or loss realized upon the redemption of Creation Units will generally be treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the shares comprising the Creation Units have been held for more than one year. Otherwise, such capital gains or losses will be treated as short-term capital gains or losses. Any capital loss realized upon a redemption of Creation Units held for six months or less should be treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of any amounts treated as distributions to the applicable Authorized Participant of long-term capital gains with respect to the Creation Units (including any amounts credited to the Authorized Participant as undistributed capital gains).

The Trust, on behalf of the Funds, has the right to reject an order for a purchase of shares of a Fund if the purchaser (or group of purchasers) would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of a Fund and if, pursuant to Section 351 of the Code, a Fund would have a basis in the securities different from the market value of such securities on the date of deposit. The Trust also has the right to require information necessary to determine beneficial share ownership for purposes of the 80% determination. If a Fund does issue Creation Units to a purchaser (or group of purchasers) that would, upon obtaining the shares so ordered, own 80% or more of the outstanding shares of the Fund, the purchaser (or group of purchasers) may not recognize gain or loss upon the exchange of securities for Creation Units.

Authorized Participants purchasing or redeeming Creation Units should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the tax treatment of any creation or redemption transaction and whether the wash sales rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.

<u>Cost Basis Reporting</u>. The cost basis of shares acquired by purchase will generally be based on the amount paid for the shares and then may be subsequently adjusted for other applicable transactions as required by the Code. The difference between the selling price and the cost basis of shares generally determines the amount of the capital gain or loss realized on the sale or exchange of shares. Contact the broker through whom you purchased your shares to obtain information with respect to the available cost basis reporting methods and elections for your account.

<u>Net Investment Income Tax</u>. U.S. individuals with adjusted gross income (subject to certain adjustments) exceeding certain threshold amounts ($250,000 if married and filing jointly or if considered a "surviving spouse" for federal income tax purposes, $125,000 if married filing separately, and $200,000 in other cases) are subject to a 3.8% tax on all or a portion of their "net investment income." This 3.8% tax also applies to all or a portion of the undistributed net investment income of certain shareholders that are estates and trusts. For these purposes, interest, dividends and certain capital gains (including capital gain distributions and capital gains realized on the sale of shares of a Fund or the redemption of Creation Units), among other categories of income, are generally taken into account in computing a shareholder's net investment income.

<u>Taxation of Complex Securities</u>. A Fund may hold certain investments that are subject to complex provisions of the Code (including provisions relating to hedging transactions, straddles, integrated transactions, foreign currency contracts, forward foreign currency contracts, and notional principal contracts) and that, among other things, may affect the Fund's ability to qualify as a RIC, affect the character of gains and losses realized by the Fund (*i.e.*, may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to the Fund and defer losses and, in limited cases, subject the Fund to U.S. federal income tax on income from certain of its foreign securities. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders and may require a Fund to sell securities to mitigate the effect of these rules and prevent disqualification of the Fund as a RIC at a time when the Adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so. Each Fund intends to monitor its transactions, intends to make appropriate tax elections, and intends to make appropriate entries in its books and records in order to mitigate the effect of these rules and preserve its qualification for treatment as a RIC. To the extent a Fund invests in an underlying fund that is taxable as a RIC, the rules applicable to the tax treatment of complex securities will also apply to the underlying funds that also invest in such complex securities and investments.

The Funds are required for federal income tax purposes to mark-to-market and recognize as income for each taxable year its net unrealized gains and losses on certain futures and options contracts that are subject to Section 1256 of the Code ("Section 1256 Contracts") as of the end of the year as well as those actually realized during the year. Gain or loss from Section 1256 Contracts on broad-based indexes required to be marked to market will be 60% long-term and 40% short-term capital gain or loss. Application of this rule may alter the timing and character of distributions to shareholders. A Fund may be required to defer the recognition of losses on Section 1256 Contracts to the extent of any unrecognized gains on offsetting positions held by a Fund. These provisions may also require a Fund to mark-to-market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out), which may cause such Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the distribution requirement and for avoiding the excise tax discussed above. Accordingly, to avoid certain income and excise taxes, a Fund may be required to liquidate its investments at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so.

In general, for purposes of the 90% Test described above, income derived from a partnership will be treated as qualifying income only to the extent such income is attributable to items of income of the partnership that would be qualifying income if realized directly by a Fund. However, 100% of the net income derived from an interest in a "qualified publicly traded partnership" ("QPTP") (generally, a partnership (i) interests in which are traded on an established securities market or are readily tradable on a secondary market or the substantial equivalent thereof, (ii) that derives at least 90% of its income from the passive income sources specified in Section 7704(d) of the Code, and (iii) that generally derives less than 90% of its income from the same sources as described in the 90% Test) will be treated as qualifying income. In addition, although in general the passive loss rules of the Code do not apply to RICs, such rules do apply to a RIC with respect to items attributable to an interest in a QPTP.

The Funds intend to invest in certain MLPs which may be treated as QPTPs. Income from QPTPs is qualifying income for purposes of the 90% Test, but a Fund's investment in one or more of such QPTPs is limited under the Asset Test to no more than 25% of the value of a Fund's assets. The Funds will monitor their investments in such QPTPs in order to ensure compliance with the 90% and Asset Tests.

Investments in QPTPs may require a Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. To generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, a Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio (including when it is not advantageous to do so) that it otherwise would have continued to hold. A Fund's investments in QPTPs may at other times result in the Fund's receipt of nontaxable cash distributions from a QPTP and if the Fund then distributes these nontaxable distributions to Fund shareholders, it could constitute a return of capital to Fund shareholders for federal income tax purposes. Any cash distributions received by a Fund from a QPTP in excess of a Fund's tax basis therein generally will be considered to be gain from the sale or exchange of the Fund's QPTP shares. A Fund's tax basis in its investments in a QPTP generally is equal to the amount the Fund paid for its interests in the QPTP (i) increased by the Fund's allocable share of the QPTP's net income and certain QPTP debt, if any, and (ii) decreased by the Fund's allocable share of the QPTP's net losses and distributions received by the Fund from the QPTP.

MLPs and other partnerships that the Funds may invest in will deliver Schedules K-1 to the Funds to report their share of income, gains, losses, deductions, and credits of the MLP or other partnership. These Schedules K-1 may be delayed and may not be received until after the time that a Fund issues its tax reporting statements. As a result, a Fund may at times find it necessary to reclassify the amount and character of its distributions to you after it issues you your tax reporting statement. When such reclassification is necessary, the Funds (or their administrative agent) will send you a corrected, final Form 1099-DIV to reflect the reclassified information. If you receive a corrected Form 1099-DIV, use the information on this corrected form, and not the information on the previously issued tax reporting statement, in completing your tax returns.

"Qualified publicly traded partnership income" within the meaning of Section 199A(e)(4) of the Code is eligible for a 20% deduction by non-corporate taxpayers. "Qualified publicly traded partnership income" is generally income of a "publicly traded partnership" (within the meaning of Section 7704 of the Code) that is not treated as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes (pursuant to Section 7704(c) of the Code) with respect to such entity's qualified trade or business, but does not include certain investment income. A "publicly traded partnership" for purposes of this deduction is not necessarily the same as a QPTP, as defined above. This deduction, if allowed in full, equates to a maximum effective tax rate of 29.6% (37% top rate applied to income after 20% deduction). RICs, such as the Funds, are not permitted to pass the special character of this income through to their shareholders. Direct investors in entities that generate "qualified publicly traded partnership income" will enjoy the lower rate, but investors in RICs that invest in such entities will not. Unless later extended or made permanent, this 20% deduction will no longer be available for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

A Fund may invest in U.S. REITs. Investments in REIT equity securities may require a Fund to accrue and distribute income not yet received. To generate sufficient cash to make the requisite distributions, a Fund may be required to sell securities in its portfolio (including when it is not advantageous to do so) that it otherwise would have continued to hold. A Fund's investments in REIT equity securities may at other times result in the Fund's receipt of cash in excess of the REIT's earnings; if a Fund distributes these amounts, these distributions could constitute a return of capital to the Fund's shareholders for federal income tax purposes. Dividends paid by a REIT, other than capital gain distributions, will be taxable as ordinary income up to the amount of the REIT's current and accumulated earnings and profits. Capital gain dividends paid by a REIT to a Fund will be treated as long-term capital gains by the Fund and, in turn, may be distributed by the Fund to its shareholders as a capital gain distribution. Dividends received by a Fund from a REIT generally will not constitute qualified dividend income or qualify for the dividends received deduction. If a REIT is operated in a manner such that it fails to qualify as a REIT, an investment in the REIT would become subject to double taxation, meaning the taxable income of the REIT would be subject to federal income tax at the regular corporate rate without any deduction for dividends paid to shareholders and the dividends would be taxable to shareholders as ordinary income (or possibly as qualified dividend income) to the extent of the REIT's current and accumulated earnings and profits.

U.S. REITs in which a Fund invests often do not provide complete and final tax information to a Fund until after the time that the Fund issues a tax reporting statement. As a result, a Fund may at times find it necessary to reclassify the amount and character of its distributions to you after it issues your tax reporting statement. When such reclassification is necessary, the Funds (or their administrative agent) will send you a corrected, final Form 1099-DIV to reflect the reclassified information. If you receive a corrected Form 1099-DIV, use the information on this corrected form, and not the information on the previously issued tax reporting statement, in completing your tax returns.

"Qualified REIT dividends" (i.e., ordinary REIT dividends other than capital gain dividends and portions of REIT dividends designated as qualified dividend income eligible for capital gain tax rates) are eligible for a 20% deduction by non-corporate taxpayers. This deduction, if allowed in full, equates to a maximum effective tax rate of 29.6% (37% top rate applied to income after 20% deduction). Distributions by a Fund to its shareholders that are attributable to qualified REIT dividends received by a Fund and which the Fund properly reports as "Section 199A Dividends," are treated as "qualified REIT dividends" in the hands of non-corporate shareholders. A Section 199A Dividend is treated as a qualified REIT dividend only if the shareholder receiving such dividend holds the dividend-paying RIC shares for at least 46 days of the 91-day period beginning 45 days before the shares become ex-dividend, and is not under an obligation to make related payments with respect to a position in substantially similar or related property. A Fund is permitted to report such part of its dividends as Section 199A Dividends as are eligible, but is not required to do so. Unless later extended or made permanent, this 20% deduction will no longer be available for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.

If a Fund acquires any equity interest in certain foreign investment entities (i) that receive at least 75% of their annual gross income from passive sources (such as interest, dividends, certain rents and royalties, or capital gains) or (ii) where at least 50% of the corporation's assets (computed based on average fair market value) either produce or are held for the production of passive income ("passive foreign investment companies" or "PFICs"), a Fund will generally be subject to one of the following special tax regimes: (i) a Fund may be liable for U.S. federal income tax, and an additional interest charge, on a portion of any "excess distribution" from such foreign entity or any gain from the disposition of such shares, even if the entire distribution or gain is paid out by the Fund as a dividend to its shareholders; (ii) if a Fund were able and elected to treat a PFIC as a "qualified electing fund" or "QEF," the Fund would be required each year to include in income, and distribute to shareholders in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above, the Fund's pro rata share of the ordinary earnings and net capital gains of the PFIC, whether or not such earnings or gains are distributed to the Fund; or (iii) a Fund may be entitled to mark-to-market annually shares of the PFIC, and in such event would be required to distribute to shareholders any such mark-to-market gains in accordance with the distribution requirements set forth above. Amounts included in income each year by a Fund arising from a QEF election, will be "qualifying income" under the 90% Test (as described above) even if not distributed to the Fund, if the Fund derives such income from its business of investing in stock, securities or currencies. The Funds intend to make the appropriate tax elections, if possible, and take any additional steps that are necessary to mitigate the effect of these rules. A Fund may limit and/or manage its holdings in PFICs to limit its tax liability or maximize its return from these investments.

<u>Foreign Taxes</u>. A Fund may be subject to withholding and other taxes imposed by foreign countries, including taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains with respect to any investments in those countries. Any such taxes would, if imposed, reduce the yield on or return from those investments. Tax conventions between certain countries and the U.S. may reduce or eliminate such taxes in some cases. If more than 50% of the value of a Fund's total assets at the close of its taxable year consists of stock or securities of foreign corporations, then the Fund will be eligible to and intends to file an election with the IRS that may enable shareholders, in effect, to receive either the benefit of a foreign tax credit, or a deduction from such taxes, with respect to any foreign and U.S. possessions income taxes paid by the Fund, subject to certain limitations. Pursuant to the election, a Fund will treat those taxes as dividends paid to its shareholders. Each such shareholder will be required to include a proportionate share of those taxes in gross income as income received from a foreign source and must treat the amount so included as if the shareholder had paid the foreign tax directly. The shareholder may then either deduct the taxes deemed paid by him or her in computing his or her taxable income or, alternatively, use the foregoing information in calculating any foreign tax credit they may be entitled to use against the shareholders' federal income tax. If a Fund makes the election, the Funds (or their administrative agent) will report annually to its shareholders the respective amounts per share of a Fund's income from sources within, and taxes paid to, foreign countries and U.S. possessions. If a Fund does not hold sufficient foreign securities to meet the above threshold, then shareholders will not be entitled to claim a credit or further deduction with respect to foreign taxes paid by a Fund.

A shareholder's ability to claim a foreign tax credit or deduction in respect of foreign taxes paid by a Fund may be subject to certain limitations imposed by the Code, which may result in a shareholder not receiving a full credit or deduction (if any) for the amount of such taxes. In particular, shareholders must hold their Fund shares (without protection from risk of loss) on the ex-dividend date and for at least 15 additional days during the 30-day period surrounding the ex-dividend date to be eligible to claim a foreign tax credit with respect to a given dividend. Shareholders who do not itemize on their federal income tax returns may claim a credit (but no deduction) for such foreign taxes. Even if a Fund were eligible to make such an election for a given year, it may determine not to do so. Shareholders that are not subject to U.S. federal income tax, and those who invest in a Fund through tax-advantaged accounts (including those who invest through IRAs or other tax-advantaged retirement plans), generally will receive no benefit from any tax credit or deduction passed through by a Fund.

Under certain circumstances, if a Fund receives a refund of foreign taxes paid in respect of a prior year, the value of Fund shares could be affected or any foreign tax credits or deductions passed through to shareholders in respect of a Fund's foreign taxes for the current year could be reduced.

<u>Certain Foreign Currency Tax Issues</u>. A Fund's transactions in foreign currencies and forward foreign currency contracts will generally be subject to special provisions of the Code that, among other things, may affect the character of gains and losses realized by a Fund (i.e., may affect whether gains or losses are ordinary or capital), accelerate recognition of income to a Fund and defer losses. These rules could therefore affect the character, amount and timing of distributions to shareholders. These provisions also may require a Fund to mark-to-market certain types of positions in its portfolio (i.e., treat them as if they were closed out) which may cause a Fund to recognize income without receiving cash with which to make distributions in amounts necessary to satisfy the Distribution Requirements and for avoiding the excise tax described above. The Funds intend to monitor their transactions, intend to make the appropriate tax elections, and intend to make the appropriate entries in their books and record when they acquire any foreign currency or forward foreign currency contract in order to mitigate the effect of these rules so as to prevent disqualification of a Fund as RICs and minimize the imposition of income and excise taxes. Accordingly, a Fund may be required to liquidate its investments at a time when the investment adviser might not otherwise have chosen to do so.

Under the Code, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in exchange rates which occur between the time a Fund accrues income or other receivables or accrues expenses or other liabilities denominated in a foreign currency and the time such Fund actually collects such income or receivables or pays such expenses or liabilities generally are treated as ordinary income or loss. Similarly, on dispositions of debt securities denominated in a foreign currency and on disposition of certain other instruments, gains or losses attributable to fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency between the date of acquisition of the security or contract and the date of disposition are also treated as ordinary gain or loss. The gains and losses may increase or decrease the amount of a Fund's income to be distributed to its shareholders as ordinary income.

The U.S. Treasury Department has authority to issue regulations that would exclude foreign currency gains from the 90% Test described above if such gains are not directly related to a Fund's business of investing in stock or securities (or options and futures with respect to stock or securities). Accordingly, regulations may be issued in the future that could treat some or all of a Fund's non-U.S. currency gains as non-qualifying income, thereby potentially jeopardizing the Fund's status as a RIC for all years to which the regulations are applicable.

<u>Backup Withholding</u>. A Fund or financial intermediaries, such as brokers, through which a shareholder holds shares) will be required in certain cases to withhold (as "backup withholding") at a 24% withholding rate and remit to the U.S. Treasury such withheld amounts on any distributions paid to any shareholder who: (1) fails to provide a correct taxpayer identification number certified under penalty of perjury; (2) is subject to backup withholding by the IRS for failure to properly report all payments of interest or dividends; (3) fails to provide a certified statement that the shareholder is not subject to backup withholding; or (4) fails to provide a certified statement that the shareholder is a U.S. person (including a U.S. resident alien). Backup withholding is not an additional tax. Any amounts withheld may be credited against the shareholder's U.S. federal income tax liability, provided the appropriate information is furnished to the IRS.

<u>Foreign Shareholders</u>. Any foreign shareholders in the Funds may be subject to U.S. withholding and estate tax and are encouraged to consult their tax advisors prior to investing in the Funds. Foreign shareholders (*i.e.*, nonresident alien individuals and foreign corporations, partnerships, trusts and estates) are generally subject to U.S. withholding tax at the rate of 30% (or a lower tax treaty rate) on distributions derived from taxable ordinary income. A Fund may, under certain circumstances, report all or a portion of a dividend as an "interest-related dividend" or a "short-term capital gain dividend," which would generally be exempt from this 30% U.S. withholding tax, provided certain other requirements are met. Short-term capital gain dividends received by a nonresident alien individual who is present in the U.S. for a period or periods aggregating 183 days or more during the taxable year are not exempt from this 30% withholding tax. Gains realized by foreign shareholders from the sale or other disposition of shares of a Fund generally are not subject to U.S. taxation, unless the recipient is an individual who is physically present in the U.S. for 183 days or more per year. Foreign shareholders who fail to provide an applicable IRS form may be subject to backup withholding on certain payments from a Fund. Backup withholding will not be applied to payments that are subject to the 30% (or lower applicable treaty rate) withholding tax described in this paragraph. Different tax consequences may result if the foreign shareholder is engaged in a trade or business within the United States. In addition, the tax consequences to a foreign shareholder entitled to claim the benefits of a tax treaty may be different than those described above.

Under legislation generally known as "FATCA" (the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act), a U.S. withholding tax at a 30% rate is imposed on dividends for shareholders who own their shares through foreign accounts or foreign intermediaries if certain disclosure requirements related to U.S. accounts or ownership are not satisfied. In general, no such withholding will be required with respect to a U.S. person or non-U.S. person that timely provides the certifications required by a Fund or its agent on a valid IRS Form W-9 or applicable series of IRS Form W-8, respectively. Shareholders potentially subject to withholding include foreign financial institutions ("FFIs"), such as non-U.S. investment funds, and non-financial foreign entities ("NFFEs"). To avoid withholding under FATCA, an FFI generally must enter into an information sharing agreement with the IRS in which it agrees to report certain identifying information (including name, address, and taxpayer identification number) with respect to its U.S. account holders (which, in the case of an entity shareholder, may include its direct and indirect U.S. owners), and an NFFE generally must identify and provide other required information to a Fund or other withholding agent regarding its U.S. owners, if any. Such non-U.S. shareholders also may fall into certain exempt, excepted or deemed compliant categories as established by regulations and other guidance. A non-U.S. shareholder resident or doing business in a country that has entered into an intergovernmental agreement with the U.S. to implement FATCA will be exempt from FATCA withholding provided that the shareholder and the applicable foreign government comply with the terms of the agreement. A Fund will not pay any additional amounts in respect to any amounts withheld.

A beneficial holder of shares who is a foreign person may be subject to foreign, state and local income tax and to the U.S. federal estate tax in addition to the U.S. federal income tax consequences referred to above. If a shareholder is eligible for the benefits of a tax treaty, any effectively connected income or gain will generally be subject to U.S. federal income tax on a net basis only if it is also attributable to a permanent establishment or fixed base maintained by the shareholder in the United States.

A non-U.S. entity that invests in a Fund will need to provide the Fund or its broker with documentation properly certifying the entity's status under FATCA in order to avoid FATCA withholding. Non-U.S. investors in a Fund should consult their tax advisors in this regard.

A Fund's shares held in a tax-qualified retirement account will generally not be subject to federal taxation on income and capital gains distributions from the Fund until a shareholder begins receiving payments from their retirement account. Because each shareholder's tax situation is different, shareholders should consult their tax advisor about the tax implications of an investment in the Funds.

<u>Certain Potential Tax Reporting Requirements</u>. Under U.S. Treasury regulations, if a shareholder recognizes a loss of $2 million or more for an individual shareholder or $10 million or more for a corporate shareholder (or certain greater amounts over a combination of years), the shareholder must file with the IRS a disclosure statement on IRS Form 8886. Direct shareholders of portfolio securities are in many cases excepted from this reporting requirement, but under current guidance shareholders of a RIC are not excepted. A shareholder who fails to make the required disclosure to the IRS may be subject to substantial penalties. The fact that a loss is reportable under these regulations does not affect the legal determination of whether the taxpayer's treatment of the loss is proper. Shareholders should consult their tax advisors to determine the applicability of these regulations in light of their individual circumstances.

<u>State Taxes</u>. Depending upon state and local law, distributions by a Fund to its shareholders and the ownership of such shares may be subject to state and local taxes. Rules of state and local taxation of dividend and capital gains distributions from RICs often differ from the rules for federal income taxation described above. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding state and local taxes applicable to an investment in the Funds. It is expected that each Fund will not be liable for any corporate excise, income or franchise tax in Delaware if they qualify as RICs for federal income tax purposes.

Many states grant tax-free status to dividends paid to you from interest earned on direct obligations of the U.S. government, subject in some states to minimum investment requirements that must be met by a Fund. Investment in Ginnie Mae or Fannie Mae securities, banker's acceptances, commercial paper, and repurchase agreements collateralized by U.S. government securities do not generally qualify for such tax-free treatment. The rules on exclusion of this income are different for corporate shareholders. Shareholders are urged to consult their tax advisors regarding state and local taxes applicable to an investment in a Fund.

The foregoing discussion is based on U.S. federal tax laws and regulations which are in effect on the date of this SAI. Such laws and regulations may be changed by legislative or administrative action. Shareholders are advised to consult their tax advisors concerning their specific situations and the application of federal, state, local and foreign taxes.

**FUND TRANSACTIONS**

**Brokerage Transactions.** Generally, equity securities, both listed and over-the-counter, are bought and sold through brokerage transactions for which commissions are payable. Purchases from underwriters will include the underwriting commission or concession, and purchases from dealers serving as market makers will include a dealer's mark-up or reflect a dealer's mark-down. Money market securities and other debt securities are usually bought and sold directly from the issuer or an underwriter or market maker for the securities. Generally, a Fund will not pay brokerage commissions for such purchases. When a debt security is bought from an underwriter, the purchase price will usually include an underwriting commission or concession. The purchase price for securities bought from dealers serving as market makers will similarly include the dealer's mark up or reflect a dealer's mark down. When a Fund executes transactions in the over-the-counter market, it will generally deal with primary market makers unless prices that are more favorable are otherwise obtainable.

In addition, the Adviser or Sub-Adviser may place a combined order for two or more accounts it manages, including the Funds, engaged in the purchase or sale of the same security if, in its judgment, joint execution is in the best interest of each participant and will result in best price and execution. Transactions involving commingled orders are allocated in a manner deemed equitable to each account or fund. Although it is recognized that, in some cases, the joint execution of orders could adversely affect the price or volume of the security that a particular account or a Fund may obtain, it is the opinion of the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser that the advantages of combined orders outweigh the possible disadvantages of combined orders.

**Brokerage Selection.** The Trust does not expect to use one particular broker or dealer, and when one or more brokers is believed capable of providing the best combination of price and execution, the Adviser or Sub-Adviser may select a broker based upon brokerage or research services provided to the Adviser or Sub-Adviser, as applicable. The Adviser or Sub-Adviser, as applicable, may pay a higher commission than otherwise obtainable from other brokers in return for such services only if a good faith determination is made that the commission is reasonable in relation to the services provided.

Section 28(e) of the 1934 Act permits the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, under certain circumstances, to cause a Fund to pay a broker or dealer a commission for effecting a transaction in excess of the amount of commission another broker or dealer would have charged for effecting the transaction in recognition of the value of brokerage and research services provided by the broker or dealer. In addition to agency transactions, the Adviser or Sub-Adviser, as applicable, may receive brokerage and research services in connection with certain riskless principal transactions, in accordance with applicable SEC guidance. Brokerage and research services include: (1) furnishing advice as to the value of securities, the advisability of investing in, purchasing or selling securities, and the availability of securities or purchasers or sellers of securities; (2) furnishing analyses and reports concerning issuers, industries, securities, economic factors and trends, portfolio strategy, and the performance of accounts; and (3) effecting securities transactions and performing functions incidental thereto (such as clearance, settlement, and custody). In the case of research services, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser believe that access to independent investment research is beneficial to its investment decision-making processes and, therefore, to the Funds.

To the extent that research services may be a factor in selecting brokers, such services may be in written form or through direct contact with individuals and may include information as to particular companies and securities as well as market, economic, or institutional areas and information which assists in the valuation and pricing of investments. Examples of research-oriented services for which the Adviser or Sub-Adviser might utilize Fund commissions include research reports and other information on the economy, industries, sectors, groups of securities, individual companies, statistical information, political developments, technical market action, pricing and appraisal services, credit analysis, risk measurement analysis, performance and other analysis. The Adviser and the Sub-Adviser may use research services furnished by brokers in servicing all client accounts and not all services may necessarily be used by the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser, as applicable, in connection with a Fund or any other specific client account that paid commissions to the broker providing such services. Information so received by the Adviser or Sub-Adviser, as applicable, will be in addition to and not in lieu of the services required to be performed by the Adviser under the Advisory Agreement or the Sub-Adviser under the Sub-Advisory Agreement. Any advisory or other fees paid to the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser are not reduced as a result of the receipt of research services.

In some cases the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser may receive a service from a broker that has both a "research" and a "non-research" use. When this occurs, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser, as applicable, make a good faith allocation, under all the circumstances, between the research and non-research uses of the service. The percentage of the service that is used for research purposes may be paid for with client commissions, while the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser, as applicable, will use its own funds to pay for the percentage of the service that is used for non-research purposes. In making this good faith allocation, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser face a potential conflict of interest, but the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser believe that its allocation procedures are reasonably designed to ensure that it appropriately allocates the anticipated use of such services to their research and non-research uses.

From time to time, the Adviser and the Sub-Adviser may purchase new issues of securities for clients, including the Funds, in a fixed price offering. In these situations, the seller may be a member of the selling group that will, in addition to selling securities, provide the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser, as applicable, with research services. FINRA has adopted rules expressly permitting these types of arrangements under certain circumstances. Generally, the seller will provide research "credits" in these situations at a rate that is higher than that which is available for typical secondary market transactions. These arrangements may not fall within the safe harbor of Section 28(e).

**Brokerage with Fund Affiliates.** The Funds may execute brokerage or other agency transactions through registered broker-dealer affiliates of either the Funds or the Adviser or the Sub-Adviser for a commission in conformity with the 1940 Act and rules promulgated by the SEC. The 1940 Act requires that commissions paid to the affiliate by the Funds for exchange transactions not exceed "usual and customary" brokerage commissions. The rules define "usual and customary" commissions to include amounts which are "reasonable and fair compared to the commission, fee or other remuneration received or to be received by other brokers in connection with comparable transactions involving similar securities being purchased or sold on a securities exchange during a comparable period of time." The Trustees, including those who are not "interested persons" of the Funds, have adopted procedures for evaluating the reasonableness of commissions paid to affiliates and review these procedures periodically.

**Securities of "Regular Broker-Dealers."** The Funds are required to identify any securities of their "regular brokers and dealers" (as such term is defined in the 1940 Act) that a Fund held during their most recent fiscal year. Because the Funds are new, as of the date of this SAI, the Funds did not hold any securities of their "regular brokers or dealers."

**Portfolio Turnover Rate.** Portfolio turnover is calculated by dividing the lesser of total purchases or sales of portfolio securities for the fiscal year by the monthly average value of portfolio securities owned during the fiscal year. Excluded from both the numerator and denominator are amounts relating to securities whose maturities at the time of acquisition were one year or less. Instruments excluded from the calculation of portfolio turnover generally would include the futures contracts in which the Funds may invest since such contracts generally have remaining maturities of less than one year. The Funds may at times hold investments in other short-term instruments, such as repurchase agreements, which are excluded for purposes of computing portfolio turnover.

**PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS DISCLOSURE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES**

The Board has adopted a policy regarding the disclosure of information about the Funds' security holdings. The Funds' entire portfolio holdings are publicly disseminated each day the Funds are open for business through financial reporting and news services including publicly available internet websites, as well as through the following website: https://www.brownadvisory.com/etf. In addition, the composition of the in-kind creation basket and the in-kind redemption basket is publicly disseminated daily prior to the opening of the Exchange via the NSCC.

Greater than daily access to information concerning the Funds' portfolio holdings will be permitted (i) to certain personnel of service providers to the Funds involved in portfolio management and providing administrative, operational, risk management, or other support to portfolio management, and (ii) to other personnel of the Funds' service providers who deal directly with, or assist in, functions related to investment management, administration, custody and fund accounting, as may be necessary to conduct business in the ordinary course in a manner consistent with agreements with the Funds, and the terms of the Trust's current registration statement. From time to time, and in the ordinary course of business, such information may also be disclosed (i) to other entities that provide services to the Funds, including pricing information vendors, and third parties that deliver analytical, statistical or consulting services to the Funds and (ii) generally after it has been disseminated to the NSCC.

The Funds will disclose their complete portfolio holdings in public filings with the SEC on a quarterly basis, based on the Funds' fiscal year-end, within 60 days of the end of the quarter, and will provide that information to shareholders, as required by federal securities laws and regulations thereunder.

No person is authorized to disclose any of the Funds' portfolio holdings or other investment positions (whether in writing, by fax, by e-mail, orally, or by other means) except in accordance with this policy. The Trust's Chief Compliance Officer may authorize disclosure of portfolio holdings. The Board reviews the implementation of this policy on a periodic basis.

**DESCRIPTION OF SHARES**

The Declaration of Trust authorizes the issuance of an unlimited number of funds and shares of each fund, each of which represents an equal proportionate interest in that fund with each other share. Shares are entitled upon liquidation to a pro rata share in the net assets of the fund. Shareholders have no preemptive rights. The Declaration of Trust provides that the Trustees may create additional series or classes of shares. All consideration received by the Trust for shares of any additional fund and all assets in which such consideration is invested would belong to that fund and would be subject to the liabilities related thereto. Share certificates representing shares will not be issued. The Funds' shares, when issued, are fully paid and non-assessable.

**LIMITATION OF TRUSTEES' LIABILITY**

The Declaration of Trust provides that a Trustee shall be liable only for his or her own willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee, and shall not be liable for errors of judgment or mistakes of fact or law. The Trustees shall not be responsible or liable in any event for any neglect or wrongdoing of any officer, agent, employee, investment adviser or principal underwriter of the Trust, nor shall any Trustee be responsible for the act or omission of any other Trustee. The Declaration of Trust also provides that the Trust shall indemnify each person who is, or has been, a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of the Trust, and any person who is serving or has served at the Trust's request as a Trustee, officer, employee or agent of another organization in which the Trust has any interest as a shareholder, creditor or otherwise to the extent and in the manner provided in the By-Laws. However, nothing in the Declaration of Trust shall protect or indemnify a Trustee against any liability for his or her willful misfeasance, bad faith, gross negligence or reckless disregard of the duties involved in the conduct of the office of Trustee. Nothing contained in this section attempts to disclaim a Trustee's individual liability in any manner inconsistent with the federal securities laws.

**PROXY VOTING**

The Board has delegated the responsibility for decisions regarding proxy voting for securities held by the Funds to the Adviser. The Adviser will vote such proxies in accordance with its proxy voting policies and procedures, which are included in Appendix B to this SAI.

The Trust is required to disclose annually the Funds' complete proxy voting record during the most recent 12-month period ended June 30 on Form N-PX. This voting record will be available: (i) without charge, upon request, by calling 1-877-876-6383; and (ii) on the SEC's website at http://www.sec.gov.

**CODES OF ETHICS**

The Board, on behalf of the Trust, has adopted a Code of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1 under the 1940 Act. In addition, the Adviser, the Sub-Adviser, the Administrator and the Distributor have adopted Codes of Ethics pursuant to Rule 17j-1. These Codes of Ethics apply to the personal investing activities of trustees, officers and certain employees ("Access Persons"). Rule 17j-1 and the Codes of Ethics are designed to prevent unlawful practices in connection with the purchase or sale of securities by Access Persons. Under each Code of Ethics, Access Persons are permitted to invest in securities, including securities that may be purchased or held by the Funds, but are required to report their personal securities transactions for monitoring purposes. In addition, certain Access Persons are required to obtain approval before investing in initial public offerings or private placements or are prohibited from making such investments. Copies of these Codes of Ethics are on file with the SEC, and are available to the public.

**PRINCIPAL SHAREHOLDERS AND CONTROL PERSONS**

Because the Funds are new, as of the date of this SAI, the Funds did not have any principal shareholders or control persons to report.

**APPENDIX A**

**DESCRIPTION OF RATINGS**

**Description of Ratings**

The following descriptions of securities ratings have been published by Moody's Investors Services, Inc. ("Moody's"), S&P Global Ratings ("S&P"), and Fitch Ratings ("Fitch"), respectively.

**Description of Moody's Global Ratings**

Ratings assigned on Moody's global long-term and short-term rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risks of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. Long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of eleven months or more and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment. Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment.

**Description of Moody's Global Long-Term Ratings**

**Aaa** Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.

**Aa** Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.

**A** Obligations rated A are judged to be upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.

**Baa** Obligations rated Baa are judged to be medium-grade and subject to moderate credit risk and as such may possess certain speculative characteristics.

**Ba** Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.

**B** Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.

**Caa** Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.

**Ca** Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of recovery of principal and interest.

**C** Obligations rated C are the lowest rated and are typically in default, with little prospect for recovery of principal or interest.

*Note*: Moody's appends numerical modifiers 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa. The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category; the modifier 2 indicates a mid-range ranking; and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating category.

**Hybrid Indicator (hyb)**

The hybrid indicator (hyb) is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, insurers, finance companies, and securities firms. By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together with the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.

**Description of Moody's Global Short-Term Ratings**

**P-1** Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-1 have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

**P-2** Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-2 have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.

**P-3** Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Prime-3 have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.

**NP** Issuers (or supporting institutions) rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.

**Description of Moody's U.S. Municipal Short-Term Obligation Ratings**

The Municipal Investment Grade ("MIG") scale is used to rate U.S. municipal cash flow notes, bond anticipation notes and certain other short-term obligations, which typically mature in three years or less.

Moody's U.S. municipal short-term obligation ratings are as follows:

**MIG 1** This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by established cash flows, highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.

**MIG 2** This designation denotes strong credit quality. Margins of protection are ample, although not as large as in the preceding group.

**MIG 3** This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow, and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.

**SG** This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Debt instruments in this category may lack sufficient margins of protection.

**Description of Moody's Demand Obligation Ratings**

In the case of variable rate demand obligations ("VRDOs"), Moody's assigns both a long-term rating and a short-term payment obligation rating. The long-term rating addresses the issuer's ability to meet scheduled principal and interest payments. The short-term payment obligation rating addresses the ability of the issuer or the liquidity provider to meet any purchase price payment obligation resulting from optional tenders ("on demand") and/or mandatory tenders of the VRDO. The short-term payment obligation rating uses the Variable Municipal Investment Grade ("VMIG") scale. Transitions of VMIG ratings with conditional liquidity support differ from transitions of Prime ratings reflecting the risk that external liquidity support will terminate if the issuer's long-term rating drops below investment grade. For VRDOs, Moody's typically assigns a VMIG rating if the frequency of the payment obligation is less than every three years. If the frequency of the payment obligation is less than three years, but the obligation is payable only with remarketing proceeds, the VMIG short-term rating is not assigned and it is denoted as "NR".

Moody's demand obligation ratings are as follows:

**VMIG 1** This designation denotes superior credit quality. Excellent protection is afforded by the superior short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.

**VMIG 2** This designation denotes strong credit quality. Good protection is afforded by the strong short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.

**VMIG 3** This designation denotes acceptable credit quality. Adequate protection is afforded by the satisfactory short-term credit strength of the liquidity provider and structural and legal protections.

**SG** This designation denotes speculative-grade credit quality. Demand features rated in this category may be supported by a liquidity provider that does not have a sufficiently strong short-term rating or may lack the structural or legal protections.

**Description of S&P's Issue Credit Ratings**

An S&P issue credit rating is a forward-looking opinion about the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific financial obligation, a specific class of financial obligations, or a specific financial program (including ratings on medium-term note programs and commercial paper programs). It takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation and takes into account the currency in which the obligation is denominated. The opinion reflects S&P's view of the obligor's capacity and willingness to meet its financial commitments as they come due, and this opinion may assess terms, such as collateral security and subordination, which could affect ultimate payment in the event of default.

Issue credit ratings can be either long-term or short-term. Short-term issue credit ratings are generally assigned to those obligations considered short-term in the relevant market, typically with an original maturity of no more than 365 days. Short-term issue credit ratings are also used to indicate the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to put features on long-term obligations. S&P would typically assign a long-term issue credit rating to an obligation with an original maturity of greater than 365 days. However, the ratings S&P assigns to certain instruments may diverge from these guidelines based on market practices. Medium-term notes are assigned long-term ratings.

Issue credit ratings are based, in varying degrees, on S&P's analysis of the following considerations:

• The likelihood of payment—the capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitments on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;

• The nature and provisions of the financial obligation, and the promise S&P imputes; and

• The protection afforded by, and relative position of, the financial obligation in the event of a bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditors' rights.

An issue rating is an assessment of default risk but may incorporate an assessment of relative seniority or ultimate recovery in the event of default. Junior obligations are typically rated lower than senior obligations, to reflect lower priority in bankruptcy, as noted above. (Such differentiation may apply when an entity has both senior and subordinated obligations, secured and unsecured obligations, or operating company and holding company obligations.)

NR indicates that a rating has not been assigned or is no longer assigned.

**Description of S&P's Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings\***

**AAA** An obligation rated 'AAA' has the highest rating assigned by S&P. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is extremely strong.

**AA** An obligation rated 'AA' differs from the highest-rated obligations only to a small degree. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is very strong.

**A** An obligation rated 'A' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is still strong.

**BBB** An obligation rated 'BBB' exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

**BB; B; CCC; CC; and C** Obligations rated 'BB', 'B', 'CCC', 'CC', and 'C' are regarded as having significant speculative characteristics. 'BB' indicates the least degree of speculation and 'C' the highest. While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be outweighed by large uncertainties or major exposure to adverse conditions.

**BB** An obligation rated 'BB' is less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However, it faces major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions that could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

**B** An obligation rated 'B' is more vulnerable to nonpayment than obligations rated 'BB', but the obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic conditions will likely impair the obligor's capacity or willingness to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

**CCC** An obligation rated 'CCC' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation. In the event of adverse business, financial, or economic conditions, the obligor is not likely to have the capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

**CC** An obligation rated 'CC' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The 'CC' rating is used when a default has not yet occurred but S&P expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of the anticipated time to default.

**C** An obligation rated 'C' is currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment, and the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority or lower ultimate recovery compared with obligations that are rated higher.

**D** An obligation rated 'D' is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within the next five business days in the absence of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or the next 30 calendar days. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring.

\* Ratings from 'AA' to 'CCC' may be modified by the addition of a plus (+) or minus (-) sign to show relative standing within the rating categories.

**Description of S&P's Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings**

**A-1** A short-term obligation rated 'A-1' is rated in the highest category by S&P. The obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is strong. Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on these obligations is extremely strong.

**A-2** A short-term obligation rated 'A-2' is somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation is satisfactory.

**A-3** A short-term obligation rated 'A-3' exhibits adequate protection parameters. However, adverse economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to weaken an obligor's capacity to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

**B** A short-term obligation rated 'B' is regarded as vulnerable and has significant speculative characteristics. The obligor currently has the capacity to meet its financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties that could lead to the obligor's inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitments.

**C** A short-term obligation rated 'C' is currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitments on the obligation.

**D** A short-term obligation rated 'D' is in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments, the 'D' rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P believes that such payments will be made within any stated grace period. However, any stated grace period longer than five business days will be treated as five business days. The 'D' rating also will be used upon the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of a similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions. A rating on an obligation is lowered to 'D' if it is subject to a distressed debt restructuring.

**Description of S&P's Municipal Short-Term Note Ratings**

An S&P U.S. municipal note rating reflects S&P's opinion about the liquidity factors and market access risks unique to the notes. Notes due in three years or less will likely receive a note rating. Notes with an original maturity of more than three years will most likely receive a long-term debt rating. In determining which type of rating, if any, to assign, S&P's analysis will review the following considerations:

• Amortization schedule—the larger the final maturity relative to other maturities, the more likely it will be treated as a note; and

• Source of payment—the more dependent the issue is on the market for its refinancing, the more likely it will be treated as a note.

S&P's municipal short-term note ratings are as follows:

**SP-1** Strong capacity to pay principal and interest. An issue determined to possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is given a plus (+) designation.

**SP-2** Satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic changes over the term of the notes.

**SP-3** Speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.

**D** 'D' is assigned upon failure to pay the note when due, completion of a distressed debt restructuring, or the filing of a bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default on an obligation is a virtual certainty, for example due to automatic stay provisions.

**Description of Fitch's Credit Ratings**

Fitch's credit ratings relating to issuers are forward looking opinions on the relative ability of an entity or obligation to meet financial commitments. Credit ratings relating to securities and obligations of an issuer can include a recovery expectation. Credit ratings are used as indications of the likelihood of repayment in accordance with the terms of the issuance.

Fitch's credit rating scale for issuers and issues is expressed using the categories 'AAA' to 'BBB' (investment grade) and 'BB' to 'D' (speculative grade) with an additional +/- for AA through CCC levels indicating relative differences of probability of default or recovery for issues. The terms "investment grade" and "speculative grade" are market conventions and do not imply any recommendation or endorsement of a specific security for investment purposes. Investment grade categories indicate relatively low to moderate credit risk, while ratings in the speculative grade categories signal either a higher level of credit risk or that a default has already occurred.

Fitch may also disclose issues relating to a rated issuer that are not and have not been rated. Such issues are also denoted as 'NR' on its webpage.

Fitch's credit ratings do not directly address any risk other than credit risk. Credit ratings do not deal with the risk of market value loss due to changes in interest rates, liquidity and/or other market considerations. However, market risk may be considered to the extent that it influences the ability of an issuer to pay or refinance a financial commitment. Ratings nonetheless do not reflect market risk to the extent that they influence the size or other conditionality of the obligation to pay upon a commitment (for example, in the case of payments linked to performance of an index).

Credit ratings are indications of the likelihood of repayment in accordance with the terms of the issuance. In limited cases, Fitch may include additional considerations (i.e. rate to a higher or lower standard than that implied in the obligation's documentation).

**Description of Fitch's Long-Term Corporate Finance Obligations Ratings**

**AAA** Highest credit quality. 'AAA' ratings denote the lowest expectation of credit risk. They are assigned only in cases of exceptionally strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is highly unlikely to be adversely affected by foreseeable events.

**AA** Very high credit quality. 'AA' ratings denote expectations of very low credit risk. They indicate very strong capacity for payment of financial commitments. This capacity is not significantly vulnerable to foreseeable events.

**A** High credit quality. 'A' ratings denote expectations of low credit risk. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered strong. This capacity may, nevertheless, be more vulnerable to adverse business or economic conditions than is the case for higher ratings.

**BBB** Good credit quality. 'BBB' ratings indicate that expectations of credit risk are currently low. The capacity for payment of financial commitments is considered adequate, but adverse business or economic conditions are more likely to impair this capacity.

**BB** Speculative. 'BB' ratings indicate an elevated vulnerability to credit risk, particularly in the event of adverse changes in business or economic conditions over time; however, business or financial alternatives may be available to allow financial commitments to be met.

**B** Highly speculative. 'B' ratings indicate that material credit risk is present.

**CCC** Substantial credit risk. 'CCC' ratings indicate that substantial credit risk is present.

**CC** Very high levels of credit risk. 'CC' ratings indicate very high levels of credit risk.

**C** Exceptionally high levels of credit risk. 'C' ratings indicate exceptionally high levels of credit risk.

Ratings in the categories of 'CCC', 'CC' and 'C' can also relate to obligations or issuers that are in default. In this case, the rating does not opine on default risk but reflects the recovery expectation only.

Defaulted obligations typically are not assigned 'RD' or 'D' ratings, but are instead rated in the 'CCC' to 'C' rating categories, depending on their recovery prospects and other relevant characteristics. This approach better aligns obligations that have comparable overall expected loss but varying vulnerability to default and loss.

**Description of Fitch's Short-Term Ratings**

A short-term issuer or obligation rating is based in all cases on the short-term vulnerability to default of the rated entity and relates to the capacity to meet financial obligations in accordance with the documentation governing the relevant obligation. Short-term deposit ratings may be adjusted for loss severity. Short-Term Ratings are assigned to obligations whose initial maturity is viewed as "short term" based on market convention (a long-term rating can also be used to rate an issue with short maturity). Typically, this means up to 13 months for corporate, sovereign, and structured obligations and up to 36 months for obligations in U.S. public finance markets.

Fitch's short-term ratings are as follows:

**F1** Highest short-term credit quality. Indicates the strongest intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments; may have an added "+" to denote any exceptionally strong credit feature.

**F2** Good short-term credit quality. Good intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments.

**F3** Fair short-term credit quality. The intrinsic capacity for timely payment of financial commitments is adequate.

**B** Speculative short-term credit quality. Minimal capacity for timely payment of financial commitments, plus heightened vulnerability to near term adverse changes in financial and economic conditions.

**C** High short-term default risk. Default is a real possibility.

**RD** Restricted default. Indicates an entity that has defaulted on one or more of its financial commitments, although it continues to meet other financial obligations. Typically applicable to entity ratings only.

**D** Default. Indicates a broad-based default event for an entity, or the default of a short-term obligation.

**APPENDIX B – PROXY VOTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES**

**BROWN ADVISORY LLC**

**PROXY VOTING POLICY ON SECURITIES**

Brown Advisory (hereafter 'the firm') considers proxy voting to be an important part of executing our responsibilities to our clients. When clients designate voting authority to the Firm, we seek to vote proxies in line with our fiduciary duty. Overall, the Firm aims to vote in favor of proposals that we believe will maximize shareholder value over time.

This policy contains the considerations and preferences that guide our proxy voting on securities—including differences between our process for institutional strategies and for advisory clients—followed by our general Proxy Voting Guidelines, developed in consultation with Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. (ISS).

This Policy is designed to ensure that the Firm votes proxies in the best interest of clients, so as to promote the long-term economic value of the underlying securities. These votes are informed by the consideration of any material and applicable information.

**Governance and Oversight**

Proxy voting is overseen by a Proxy Voting Committee consisting of colleagues from teams around the Firm including equity research, legal and compliance, sustainable investing, client service and operations. The Proxy Voting Committee is responsible for approving any changes to the Proxy Voting Policy. The Proxy Voting Policy is reviewed on at least an annual basis.

**Proxy Advisory Services**

To facilitate the proxy voting process, the Firm has engaged Institutional Shareholder Services Inc. ("ISS"), an unaffiliated, third-party proxy voting service, to provide proxy research and voting recommendations. In addition, the Firm subscribes to ISS's proxy vote management system, which provides a means to receive and vote proxies, as well as services for record-keeping, auditing, reporting and disclosure regarding votes. However, securities held within institutional equity strategies are voted on a case-by-case basis, meaning, we do not rely exclusively on the proxy policy, and complement our proxy provider's research with our own in-house research to arrive at independent decisions, when needed. The Firm will regularly review our relationship with ISS in order to assess its capacity and competency to provide services to the Firm and to review certain of its significant policies and procedures, including those governing conflicts of interests, error identification and correction and processes to evaluate additional information received during the proxy process.

**Voting Responsibilities**

With respect to securities held in our institutional equity strategies, determining how a vote will be cast begins with our research analysts and, ultimately, rests with the portfolio managers for each Brown Advisory strategy. While we use the recommendations of ISS as a baseline for our voting, especially for routine management proposals, we vote each proposal after consideration on a case-by-case basis.

**Client Specific Guidelines**

From time to time, clients may prefer to elect alternative voting guidelines. In cases where a client desires to elect alternative voting guidelines, the Firm will work with the client and ISS to identify appropriate alternative voting guidelines. Where no appropriate pre-defined alternative guidelines are available, the Firm will endeavor to work with the client to define and set up guidelines to vote proxies on a case-by-case basis. If pre- defined alternative ISS policy guidelines are selected that the Firm has not previously implemented, members of the Firm's proxy voting committee will review the policy and determine whether it may be offered to a broader array of clients as part of the on-boarding process. The Firm may recommend a departure from specific aspects of the selected policy's guidelines when it deems such a departure to be in the client's best interest.

**Institutional Proxy Voting Process**

Proxy voting for equity strategies that are marketed to the Firm's institutional clients is overseen by a Proxy Voting Committee consisting of colleagues from teams around the Firm including equity research, legal and compliance, sustainable investing and operations.

The Committee is responsible for overseeing the proxy voting process. Determining how a vote will be cast begins with the research analysts and, ultimately, rests with the portfolio managers for each Brown Advisory equity investment strategy. While we use the recommendations generated based on the guidelines contained in this document as a baseline for our voting, especially for routine management proposals, we vote each proposal after consideration on a case-by-case basis.

**Advisory Client Proxy Voting Process**

Proxy voting for our Advisory clients (meaning clients for whom we manage customized accounts in a discretionary relationship according to their goals) is facilitated and monitored by our Proxy Voting Operations team. The team is responsible for arrangements with all custodial partners to have accounts set to electronic omnibus ballot distribution to our proxy voting agency, ISS. When omnibus ballot distribution is not supported, individualized account set up and distribution will be arranged.

Unless otherwise agreed with a client, Brown Advisory's Proxy Voting Policy is assigned by default to our Advisory client accounts. This means that decisions made through the execution of the Institutional Proxy Voting process (including votes against policy) will also be reflected in the voting activity for Advisory Clients.

**Impediments to Vote Execution**

In recognition of its fiduciary obligations, the Firm generally endeavors to vote the proxies it receives. However, the Firm may abstain from voting proxies or allow for votes to be executed in line with the policy before full review is completed in certain circumstances. For example, the Firm may determine that abstaining from voting is appropriate if voting is not in the best interest of the client. In addition to abstentions due to material conflicts of interest, situations in which we would not vote proxies might include:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;■ Circumstances
 where the cost of voting the proxy exceeds the expected benefits to the client.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;■ Circumstances
 where there are significant impediments to an efficient voting process, including with respect
 to non-US issuers where the vote requires translations or other burdensome conditions.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;■ Circumstances
 where the vote would not reasonably be expected to have a material effect on the value of
 the client's investment.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;■ Circumstances
 where custodial procedural requirements are overly burdensome.

**Reporting and Transparency**

Brown Advisory publishes proxy voting activity for our internally managed funds on its website and provides reporting to clients as required or requested.

**BROWN ADVISORY PROXY VOTING POLICY ON SECURITIES**

Proxy Voting Principles for Securities Held within our Institutional Strategies

The following principles serve as a foundation of our approach to proxy voting for securities held within our institutionally marketed equity strategies. For these securities, Brown Advisory's equity research team has researched the company and generally is well-informed of any issues that are material to the company's business model and practices. As such, we believe we are in a position to engage with companies on these issues both through proxy voting and other engagement practices.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;■ **Proxy voting is our fiduciary duty.** We hold ourselves responsible for aligning our investment
 decision- making process and our proxy voting, in order to be consistent about what we seek
 from companies we hold in our institutional portfolios. We seek investments that are building
 and protecting long-term shareholder value, and we align all proxy voting activity with this
 goal. Responsible management of sustainability issues may be one input to achieving long-term
 shareholder value, and as such, we may support those shareholder proposals that encourage
 company action on what we believe are material risks or opportunities. However, no goal –
 sustainability-related or otherwise – will supplant the goal of seeking long-term financial
 performance.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;■ **Transparency is essential.** Brown Advisory is committed to providing proxy reporting and standardized
 disclosure of our voting history, as well as publishing N-PX filings as required by law.
 Transparency is an important step in helping our clients evaluate whether we uphold our stated
 principles.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;■ **Bottom-up due diligence should inform voting decisions.** We seek to review each proposal that comes
 up for vote. Our analysts seek to dive below the surface and fully understand the implications
 of especially complex and material proposals. The recommended votes generated based on Brown
 Advisory's proxy voting guidelines are taken into consideration, but do not determine our
 final decisions.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;■ **Proxy voting can be a part of a larger program to encourage better management risks and opportunities that may affect the investment return.** Proxy voting is one way to communicate with companies
 on risks and opportunities that may present a challenge or present an opportunity for a business,
 and in turn its investment returns. To complement our proxy voting process, and sometimes
 as result of it, our investment team might choose to pursue an extended engagement with a
 company as it relates to any information found during the due-diligence process for determining
 the vote.

Institutional Proxy Voting Process

Members of the Firm's equity research team receive weekly notification of all upcoming meetings taking place at companies in their coverage. Fundamental research analysts guide vote recommendations on management proposals, and sustainable investment research analysts guide vote recommendations on shareholder proposals, with both groups working together to think through the relevant issues. Final vote decisions ultimately are made by the portfolio manager.

Proposals may require additional due diligence and benefit from collaborative investigation, and this is determined on a case-by-case basis. Where necessary, our analysts will conduct research on each proposal, which may include information contained in public filings, policy recommendations and management conversations. To enhance our analysis, we may collaborate with our internal and external networks, the resolution filer and/ or associated coalition, ISS analysts about their recommendation, the company itself and relevant industry experts. If our additional due diligence uncovers factual errors, incompleteness or inaccuracies in the information ISS uses to generate a vote recommendation, the Firm will seek to bring this to the attention of ISS.

In cases where the final voting recommendation is in line with our Proxy Voting Policy, the vote is cast automatically. When our recommendation diverges from the Policy the responsible analyst will contact the portfolio managers who own the company and who have final decision-making power to share their rationale. In most cases, the portfolio managers agree with the analyst's recommendation, in rare cases they may overrule. In either case, the final recommendation is provided to Brown Advisory's operations team, which documents the rationale for the vote and ensures vote execution. All votes cast against policy require approval from the Firm's General Counsel or designee.

In the event that portfolio managers of different strategies disagree on the vote recommendation for a company they all own, a split vote may be conducted. In general, this disagreement is due to portfolio managers having unique views on an issue. When a split vote occurs, the Fund and representative accounts associated with each strategy are voted in line with the portfolio manager's instruction. All other shares of the company held by Brown Advisory are split in a manner that is proportionate to the relative number of shares held across each institutional strategy. Split votes must be approved by the Firm's General Counsel or designee.

Advisory Client Voting Process

Proxy voting for our Advisory clients is facilitated and monitored by our Proxy Voting Operations team. The team is responsible for arrangements with all custodial partners to have accounts set to electronic omnibus ballot distribution to our proxy voting agency, ISS. When omnibus ballot distribution is not supported, individualized account set up and distribution will be arranged. Unless otherwise agreed with a client, Brown Advisory's Proxy Voting Policy is assigned by default to our Advisory client accounts.

The following exceptions can apply to standard voting for Advisory clients:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;•  ***Client Directed*** : A client will always retain her or his authority to request verbally and
 confirm in writing their request to:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• Attend
 a meeting and vote

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• Vote
 in line with account owner request

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;• Request
 a take no action or abstention

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;•  ***No Voting*** : A client, during on-boarding, will have the ability to request accounts to
 be set to have voting ballots mailed directly to the account owner's address.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;•  ***Holdings in Funds*** : All holdings owned by our Advisory client base also held in our fund complexes
 are overseen and governed by the voting practices detailed in the Institutional section.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;•  ***Client-specific Guidelines*** : Whereas we have a standard policy default, we have the capability to
 provide our Advisory clients with the option to customize their voting preferences. Should
 a client desire a customized approach, the Brown Advisory client team will work directly
 with the client, Brown Advisory Operations, and ISS to establish and implement client-specific
 guidelines.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;•  ***No ISS Recommendations*** *:* If a client is invested in a company where ISS will not
 be supplying voting recommendations (e.g., privately held companies), the analyst covering
 the company will supply voting recommendations. Should the company not be covered internally,
 the client's portfolio manager will be notified and asked to instruct the vote.

The following voting practices are applied to separately managed portfolios:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;•  ***Brown Advisory institutional strategies held in a separately managed account (SMA)*** : Holdings
 within Brown Advisory SMAs are overseen and governed by the Proxy Voting Committee and follow
 all protocols detailed in the Institutional section.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;•  ***Externally managed strategies held in a SMA*** : Holdings within an externally managed strategy
 held as a SMA are set up with the delegated and/or appointed manager for voting. In other
 terms, Brown Advisory yields voting authority to the appointed manager.

GENERAL POSITIONS

Below is a summary of Brown Advisory's general positions for voting on common proxy questions when Brown Advisory is authorized to vote shares at its discretion rather than by a client's specific guidelines. Given the dynamic and wide-ranging nature of corporate governance issues that may arise, this summary is not intended to be exhaustive.

Management Recommendations

Since the quality and depth of management is a primary factor considered when investing in an issuer, the recommendation of the issuer's management on any issue will be given substantial weight. Furthermore, Brown Advisory runs concentrated equity portfolios which we believe generally results in holding high quality companies that have strong and trustworthy management teams. This quality bias results in our portfolio managers generally supporting management proposals. Although proxies with respect to most issues are voted in line with the recommendation of the issuer's management, the Firm will not blindly vote in favor of management. The Firm will not support proxy proposals or positions that it believes compromise clients' best interests or that the Firm determines may be detrimental to the underlying value of client positions.

Election of Directors

Although proxies will typically be voted for a management-proposed slate of directors, the Firm may vote against (or withhold votes for) such directors if there are compelling corporate governance reasons for doing so. Some of these reasons may include where a director: attends less than 75% of board and relevant committee meetings; is the CEO of a company where a serious restatement occurred after the CEO certified the financial statements; served at a time when a poison pill was adopted without shareholder approval within the prior year; is the CFO of the company; has an interlocking directorship; has a perceived conflict of interest (or the director's immediate family member has a perceived conflict of interest); or serves on an excessive number of boards.

The Firm seeks to support independent boards of directors comprised of members with diverse backgrounds (including gender and race), a breadth and depth of relevant experience (including sustainability), and a track record of positive, long-term performance. We believe that diverse boards, which incorporate a broad range of perspectives, lead to better investment performance. Therefore, we are committed to using our vote to support this principle. The Firm may vote against any boards that do not have the following levels of diversity (i.e. directors who are women or other underrepresented groups):

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;■ For
 boards consisting of six or fewer directors, the Firm may vote against the Nominating Committee
 Chair where the board does not have two diverse directors by 2024.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;■ For
 boards consisting of more than six directors, the Firm may vote against the Nominating Committee
 Chair where the board does not have 30% diverse directors by 2024.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;■ In
 cases where the Nominating Committee Chair is not up for re-election, the Firm may vote against
 other board members including the Chair of the board.

Separation of the roles of Chairperson and CEO is generally supported, but the Firm will not vote against a CEO who serves as chairperson or director on this basis alone. In the absence of an independent chairperson, however, the Firm generally supports the appointment of a lead director with authority to conduct sessions outside the presence of the insider chairperson.

The Firm will typically vote against any inside director seeking appointment to a key committee (audit, compensation, nominating or governance), since the Firm believes that the service of independent directors on such committees best protects and enhances the interests of shareholders. Where insufficient information is provided regarding performance metrics, or where pay is not tied to performance (e.g., where management has excessive discretion to alter performance terms or previously defined targets), the Firm will typically vote against the chair of the compensation committee.

Appointment and Rotation of Auditors

Management recommendations regarding selection of an auditor shall generally be supported, but the Firm will not support the ratification of an auditor when there appears to be a hindrance on auditor independence, intentional accounting irregularity or negligence by the auditor. Some examples include: when an auditing firm has other relationships with the company that may suggest a conflict of interest; when the auditor bears some responsibility for a restatement by the company; when a company has aggressive accounting policies or lack of transparency in financial statements; and when a company changes auditors as a result of disagreement between the company and the auditor regarding accounting principles or disclosure issues. The firm will generally support proposals for voluntary auditor rotation with reasonable frequency and/or rationale.

Changes in State of Incorporation or Capital Structure

Management recommendations about reincorporation are generally supported unless the new jurisdiction in which the issuer is reincorporating has laws that would dilute the rights of shareholders of the issuer. The Firm will generally vote against reincorporation where it believes the financial benefits are minimal and there is a decrease in shareholder rights. Shareholder proposals to change the company's place of incorporation generally will only be supported in exceptional circumstances.

Proposals to increase the number of authorized shares will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Because adequate capital stock is important to the operation of a company, the Firm will generally support the authorization of additional shares, unless the issuer has not disclosed a detailed plan for use of the shares, or where the number of shares far exceeds those needed to accomplish a detailed plan. Additionally, if the issuance of new shares will limit shareholder rights or could excessively dilute the value of outstanding shares, then such proposals will be supported only if they are in the best interest of the client.

Corporate Restructurings, Mergers and Acquisitions

All proposed transactions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis according to their specific merits and drawbacks. Vote recommendations are made based on the review of various factors. Factors that may be considered within the analysis include the reasonableness of the valuation, market response to the announcement of the proposed deal, the fit of the proposed transaction within the company's long-term strategy, management's track record for successful transaction implementation, changes to the governance profile of the company post transaction, and any conflicts of interest that may be present.

Proposals Affecting Shareholder Rights

The Firm generally favors proposals that are likely to promote shareholder rights and/or increase shareholder value. Proposals that seek to limit shareholder rights, such as the creation of dual classes of stock, generally will not be supported.

Anti-takeover Issues

Measures that impede takeovers or entrench management will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, considering the rights of shareholders, since the financial interest of shareholders regarding buyout offers is so substantial.

Although the Firm generally opposes anti-takeover measures because they tend to diminish shareholder rights and reduce management accountability, the Firm generally supports proposals that allow shareholders to vote on whether to implement a "poison pill" plan (shareholder rights plan). In certain circumstances, the Firm may support a limited poison pill to accomplish a particular objective, such as the closing of an important merger, or a pill that contains a reasonable 'qualifying offer' provision. The Firm generally supports anti-greenmail proposals, which prevent companies from buying back company stock at significant premiums from a large shareholder.

Shareholder Action

The Firm generally supports proposals that allow shareholders to call special meetings, with a minimum threshold of shareholders requesting such a meeting. The Firm believes that best practice for a minimum threshold of shareholders required to call a special meeting is generally considered to be between 20-25%, however the Firm assesses this on a company-by-company basis. Proposals that allow shareholders to act by written consent are also generally supported, if there is a threshold of the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize the action at a meeting at which all shareholders entitled to vote were present and voting. The Firm believes that best practice for a minimum threshold of shareholders required to act by written consent is generally considered to be between 20-25%, however the Firm assesses this on a company-by-company basis. In order to assess the appropriateness of special meeting and written consent provisions the Firm would, for example, consider the make-up of the existing investor base/ownership, to determine whether a small number of investors could easily achieve the required threshold, as well as what other mechanisms or governance provisions already exist for shareholders to access management.

Proxy Access

The Firm believes that shareholders should, under reasonable conditions, have the right to nominate directors of a company. The Firm believes that it is generally in the best interest of shareholders for companies to provide shareholders with reasonable opportunity to exercise this right, while also ensuring that short-term investors or investors without substantial investment in the company cannot abuse this right. In general, we believe that the appropriate threshold for proxy access should permit up to 20 shareholders that collectively own 3% or more of the company's outstanding shares for 3 or more years to nominate the greater of 2 directors or 20% of the board's directors, however the Firm assesses this on a case-by-case basis.

Supermajority Vote Requirements

The Firm believes that a simple majority voting requirement is generally the preferred requirement to pass a proposal. Therefore, votes against proposals to establish a supermajority vote requirement are generally in the best interest of shareholders. In circumstances where there is a substantial or dominant shareholder, supermajority voting may be protective of minority shareholder interests therefore proposals instituting these requirements may be appropriate in such circumstances. Shareholder proposals seeking to reduce an existing supermajority voting requirement are generally not supported.

Executive Compensation

Although management recommendations should be given substantial weight, proposals relating to executive compensation plans, including stock option plans and other equity-based compensation, should be examined on a case-by- case basis to ensure that the long-term interests of management and shareholders are properly aligned. This alignment includes assessing whether compensation is tied to both material sustainability and financial KPIs. Share count and voting power dilution should be limited.

The Firm generally favors the grant of restricted stock units (RSUs) to executives, since RSUs are an important component of compensation packages that link executives' compensation with their performance and that of the company. The Firm typically opposes caps on executive stock RSUs, since tying an executive's compensation to the performance of the company provides incentive to maximize share value. The Firm also supports equity grants to directors, which help align the interests of outside directors with those of shareholders, although such awards should not be performance-based, so that directors are not incentivized in the same manner as executives.

Proposals to reprice or exchange RSUs are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, but are generally opposed. The Firm generally will support a repricing only in limited circumstances, such as if the stock decline mirrors the market or industry price decline in terms of timing and magnitude and the exchange is not value destructive to shareholders.

Although matters of executive compensation should generally be left to the board's compensation committee, proposals to limit executive compensation will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The Firm generally supports shareholder proposals to allow shareholders an advisory vote on compensation. Absent a compelling reason, companies should submit say-on-pay votes to shareholders every year, since such votes promote valuable communication between the board and shareholders regarding compensation. Where there is an issue involving egregious or excessive bonuses, equity awards or severance payments (including golden parachutes), the Firm will generally vote against a say-on-pay proposal. The Firm may oppose the election of compensation committee members at companies that do not satisfactorily align executive compensation with the interests of shareholders.

Sustainability-Related Proposals

Brown Advisory seeks to cast all votes prudently and in line with long-term shareholder value, regardless of the topic on which a particular proposal focuses. Shareholder proposals regarding sustainability issues are evaluated in the same manner as all other proposals. We seek to support those proposals that our evaluation shows will likely have a clear and direct positive financial effect on shareholder value and would not impose unnecessary or excessive costs on the issuer. The sustainability-related proposals we support often result in increased reporting and disclosure, which we believe will benefit investors' due diligence. In rare cases where the Firm believes a company has not adequately mitigated significant and material sustainability risks, the Firm may vote against directors.

Non-U.S. Proxy Proposals

For actively recommended issuers domiciled outside the United States, the Firm uses ISS's international proxy voting guidelines, including, in certain circumstances, country-specific guidelines to generate vote recommendations. These proposals are reviewed in the same manner as U.S. proposals, with votes against policy executed when such a vote is deemed to be in line with the promotion of shareholder value.

Conflicts of Interest

A "conflict of interest" means any circumstance when the Firm or one of its affiliates (including officers, directors and employees), or in the case where the Firm serves as investment adviser to a Brown Advisory Fund, when the Fund or the principal underwriter, or one or more of their affiliates (including officers, directors and employees), knowingly does a material amount of business with, receives material compensation from, or sits on the board of, a particular issuer or closely affiliated entity and, therefore, may appear to have a conflict of interest between its own interests and the interests of clients or Fund shareholders in how proxies of that issuer are voted. For example, a perceived conflict of interest may exist if an employee of the Firm serves as a director of an actively recommended issuer, or if the Firm is aware that a client serves as an officer or director of an actively recommended issuer. Conflicts of interest will be resolved in a manner the Firm believes is in the best interest of the client.

The firm should vote proxies relating to such issuers in accordance with the following procedures:

***Routine Matters and Immaterial Conflicts****:* The Firm may vote proxies for routine matters, and for non-routine matters that are considered immaterial conflicts of interest, consistent with this Policy. A conflict of interest will be considered material to the extent that it is determined that such conflict has the potential to influence the Firm's decision-making in voting a proxy. Materiality determinations will be made by the Chief Compliance Officer or designee based upon an assessment of the particular facts and circumstances.

***Material Conflicts and Non-Routine Matters****:* If the firm believes that (a) it has a material conflict and (b) that the issue to be voted upon is non-routine or is not covered by this Policy, then to avoid any potential conflict of interest:

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;■ In
 the case of a Fund, the Firm shall contact the Fund board for a review and determination.

&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;■ In
 the case of all other conflicts or potential conflicts, the Firm may "echo vote"
 such shares, if possible, which means the Firm will vote the shares in the same proportion
 as the vote of all other holders of the issuer's shares; OR in cases when echo voting is
 not possible, the Firm may defer to ISS recommendations, abstain or vote in a manner that
 the Firm, in consultation with the General Counsel, believes to be in the best interest of
 the client.

If the aforementioned options would not address or ameliorate the conflict or potential conflict, then the Firm may abstain from voting.