Gender Lens Investing Working Group

This working group aims to educate and connect college and university endowments as they look to incorporate gender lens investing factors in all levels of the investment process.

• Suzanne Biegel, Catalyst at Large (Chair)
• Casey Clarke, Glenmede
• Andrea Dalton, Revelio
• Olympia DeCastro, Community Investment Management
• Julia Enyart, Glenmede
• Julia Frost, Arjuna Capital
• Julie Gorte, Pax World Funds
• Tracy Gray, California State University, Dominguez Hills
• Lydia Guett, Cambridge Associates
• Lisa Hayles, Boston Common Asset Management
• Meredith Heimburger, Global Endowment Management
• R. Paul Herman, HIP Investor
• Kristin Hull, Nia Global Solutions
• Bill Jarvis, US Trust
• Lawler Kang, League of Allies
• Natasha Lamb, Arjuna Capital
• Laura LaRosa, Glenmede
• Elisa Miller-Out, Chloe Capital
• Donna Morton, Change Finance
• Jameela Pedicini, Perella Weinberg Partners
• Jackie Rotman, Tara Health Foundation
• Jacqui Smith, U.S. Trust
• Jackie VanderBrug, US Trust
• Laura Weeks, Acadian Asset Management

Related resources:

• Gender Lens Investing: A Primer for College and University Endowments (2019)
• Additional Resources on Gender Lens Investing
• To be involved in this work, learn more about our Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Initiative.

Climate Solutions Investment Initiative

Global climate change poses serious and growing threats to the world’s people, ecosystems and economy. To avoid catastrophic climate change impacts and to achieve the Paris Agreement goal of limiting average global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius, the world needs to increase annual clean energy investments by at least $1 trillion per year, and double such investments by 2020 from 2012 levels. Investing in climate solutions can help investors mitigate the systemic risks of climate change, hedge against risks to their carbon intensive investments, and provide opportunities for diversification and strong returns as the world transitions to a low carbon, clean energy economy.

Such investments can include renewable energy, energy efficient technologies, green buildings, green bonds and sustainable infrastructure, across asset classes. The opportunity set of low carbon and clean energy investment products and strategies is growing, as is investor interest in this space. This initiative aims to accelerate the flow of investment capital to climate solutions, and to build leadership among mission- and impact-focused investors who are seeking competitive returns along with positive climate impacts.

Co-Led by Ceres, the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, and the Intentional Endowments Network, the Climate Solutions Investment Initiative (CSII) worked with asset owners to:

• Make affirmative efforts to invest in climate solutions wherever feasible,
• Consider establishing climate-related investment beliefs or policies,
• Consider setting a target of investing a meaningful percentage of their assets in a broad range of climate solutions by 2020,
• Collaborate with other investors in sharing information on such investment opportunities,
• Report within the CSII community on an ongoing basis on their efforts and investments in this space, and
• Work with CSII Co-Leaders on communications opportunities to highlight success stories with the goal of catalyzing increased investment in the sector.

This initiative was premised on participating investors actively seeking qualifying investments, across asset classes, that meet their risk and return criteria. It was designed to allow significant flexibility in terms of how each investor meets the components of the initiative, so it was not overly prescriptive and could work for investors of varying size, culture, governance and decision-making processes. Participants included religious investors and endowments concerned about climate change and seeking to be part of the solution consistent with their fiduciary duty and investment objectives.

Related Resources:

• Investor Portal for CSII Participants (login required)

• The Paris Agreement in the Investment Policy: Sample Language for Integrating the Goals of the Paris Climate Agreement into an IPS

• Investment resources related to SDG 13: Climate Action

Investing in Clean Energy 

Identifying and sharing strategies for colleges and universities to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy through campus operations and their endowments. 

• Chair: Chris O'Brien, Director of Higher Education Programs, Altenex; Lecturer and former Director of Sustainability, American University
• Kevin Brennan, Principal, Equilibrium Capital
• Alex Bernhardt, Head of Responsible Investment, US Mercer
• John Chaimanis, Managing Director, Kendall Sustainable Infrastructrue
• Daniel Dixon, Director, Office of Sustainability, University of Maine
• Amy Farrell, President, Privos Advisory
• Jenny Heeter, Senior Energy Analyst, NREL
• Bracken Hendricks, CEO, Urban Ingenuity 
• Nick Hylla, Executive Director, Midwest Renewable Energy Association
• Ken Locklin, Director, Impax Asset Management
• Michele Madia, Director of Education and Partnerships, Second Nature
• Erik Melang, ‎Senior Managing Director, Clean Energy Advisors
• Mark Orlowski, Executive Director, Sustainable Endowments Institute
• Liesel Schwarz, Sustainability Director, Villanova University 
• Dave Wallace, Managing Director, Investments, Pomona College

 More details on the Clean Energy Working Group page. 

Developing documents and other vehicles to evaluate the business case for ESG integration, designed for audiences of trustees, presidents, CIO's, and CFO's.

• Fred Rogers, Vice President and Treasurer, Carleton College 
• Paul Carey, CFO/Associate VP of Development, Portland State University Foundation  
• Felicia Davis, Managing Director, Building Green Campuses, Clark Atlanta University
• Patrick Norton , Vice President for Finance and Treasurer, Middlebury College
• Morgan Olsen, Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, Arizona State University
• Carl Vance, Chief Investment Officer, Lewis & Clark College
• Patrick Drum, Portfolio Manager, Saturna Capital
• Julie Gorte, Senior Vice President for Sustainable Investing, Pax Global
• Lisa Hayles, Institutional Investment Services, Boston Common Asset Management
• Sonia Kowal, President, Zevin Asset Management
• Tom Kuh, Executive Director, MSCI
• Elizabeth Lewis, Sustainable Investment Lead, World Resource Institute
• Ken Locklin , Director, Impax Asset Management
• Erika Pagel, Portfolio Manager, Brown Advisory
• Tanvi Pradhan, Client Associate, RBC Wealth Management
• Cheryl Smith, Managing Partner, Trillium Asset Management

Developing efficient and effective ways to connect higher education decision makers, who influence endowment investment policies and practices, with their counterparts at other institutions to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and networking that will support intentionally designed endowments.

• Co-Chair: Garrett Ashley, Vice Chancellor, University Relations and Advancement, The California State University
• Co-Chair: David Dinerman, Trustee, Hampshire College
• Don Gould, Trustee, Pitzer College
• George Hanley, Trustee, University of Dayton
• Tom Mitchell, Managing Director, Cambridge Associates
• Chris Davis, Senior Program Director, Investor Programs, CERES
• Mark Orlowski, Executive Director, Sustainable Endowments Institute
• Robert Nava, CEO, SF State University Foundation
• Marcie Smith, Executive Director, Responsible Endowments Coalition
• Nicole Nesbitt, Institutional Relationship Manager, Brown Advisory
• Elizabeth Lewis, Sustainable Investment Lead, World Resource Institute
• Alexis Parcella, Director, Partner Relations, Alternative Investment Group

IEN Funding Strategy 

Developing a business model for the short- and long-term funding for the Intentional Endowments Network (IEN).

• Chair: Alex Lamb, Partner, Commonwealth Impact Partners; and Trustee, Monserrat College of Art 
• Patrick Norton, Vice President for Finance and Treasurer, Middlebury College
• Sheri Tonn, Former CFO, Pacific Lutheran University
• Paul Hilton, Partner, Trillium Asset Management
• Julie Gorte, Senior Vice President for Sustainable Investing, Pax Global