September 30, 2024 | 9 am PT / 12 pm ET

IEN hosted a virtual conversation for endowment decision-makers to share ideas, best practices, and questions related to engaging stakeholders around conflict-related calls for divestment. 

Participation ws designed for CIOs, investment staff, trustees, investment committee members and administrators. The conversation was be confidential and under the Chatham House Rule, ensuring a safe space for peers to openly share their thoughts and questions. 

The conversation was seeded by 2-3 endowment leaders sharing their experiences and perspectives, followed by an open conversation including space for questions, resources sharing, and examples of effective approaches. 

Recognizing that issues related to conflict -- particularly the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- are complex and can generate strong emotional responses from multiple perspectives, the conversation was be guided by a set of ground rules. By registering for this conversation, participants agreed to adhere to the principles of respect, confidentiality, open-mindedness, and constructive dialogue.  

Shareholder engagement and its real-world impacts will be the focus of our upcoming webinar on October 12 with the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative. Register to join IEN and researchers Julian Kölbel and Florian Heeb to review the results of a new working paper that sought to answer the question: does engagement with corporations on climate policy deliver tangible results?

In this week’s news, the Kathleen Simpson of TRFF explores 5 ways to redefine philanthropy’s role in the fight against climate change, Ivy League money managers confront renewed demands over Israel, and we review key takeaways for institutional investors following UNCF UNITE.

We’ve extended the deadline to confirm participation in the Endowment Impact Benchmark for 2024! Learn more about the EIB’s first pilot cohort experience, or respond to this email if you're interested in learning more about framework and participation.

In this week’s news, ICCR releases its report on the 2024 proxy voting season, Oberlin College expands its impact investment platform, and the hbcu social impact leaders program is expanding to attract more black students to social impact investing. 

Mission, Impact, and Compliance Monitoring for Investment Policy Statements | Acansa

Speaker

Mary Cahill, CEO & CIO at Acansa Investment Management Group, Former CIO of Emory University 

 September's Investment Governance Initiative Call will feature perspectives from Mary Cahill, former CIO of Emory University and CEO & CIO at Acansa.

Acansa Investment Management Group is a firm that provides outsourced chief investment officer and integrated investment services to nonprofit endowments, foundations, and institutions. The call will dive into the intricacies of investment policy statements: what should be included, what metrics should be used to monitor compliance and effective execution, how to address mission and impact objectives, and why all of this is so important.

An institutional investment process begins with the Investment Policy Statement (IPS) – the critical document that provides the framework for managing the assets and details significant components that guide the process.  After stating the purpose of the fund(s), the IPS should address the return and risk objectives along with the time frame for measurements.  These metrics should be as specific as possible:  absolute or real (net of inflation) return targets, volatility measures, downside risks).  Liquidity constraints need to be included in order to inform the asset allocation policy along with risk and return.

Some organizations have additional objectives to align the funds with their mission/impact goals and these goals should be outlined in the IPS.  Such objectives would specify mission/impact related priorities, targets for risk and return (which may be the same as previously stated), metrics to measure success, and near and long-term target allocations.  Any specific restrictions should also be noted in the IPS. 

The most essential elements for the remainder of the IPS have two necessary components.  First, an Asset Allocation Policy that provides a target percent for each asset class and ranges around each target.  Benchmarks for each class and total fund may also be included.  Second, an outline of the roles and responsibilities for the individuals involved in the decision-making process to ensure good governance.  These individuals (and groups) should include the Board, the Investment Committee, the CFO and/or CIO, and the OCIO.

Documenting these critical factors that have significant impact on results is best practice.  Clarity for the decision makers can lead to effective execution and optimal results.

Participants will learn:

• How institutional investors can integrate mission and impact goals into investment policy statements from their genesis
• Best practices for creating an IPS that addresses critical factors impacting results
• Why allocators need to monitor compliance and effective execution, and which metrics will allow them to do so

Recording

September 12, 2024 | 10 am ET

In a new working paper, MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative researchers Julian Kölbel and Florian Heeb tackled the question of whether engagement with corporations on climate policy delivers tangible results. This webinar will explore the results of that research, presenting results that were based on a field experiment: real engagement requests were sent to a randomly chosen group of companies.

In addition, the experiment explored the engagement activities of an index provider, an often unexplored mechanism of driving change. The results of the paper, in part, show that there is indeed impact: 21% of companies in the treatment group have committed to setting a climate target, vs. 15% in the control group.

Join this conversation with IEN and the MIT Sloan Sustainability Initiative, in which the authors present the results in detail and discuss their implications.

Participants will:

• Review key takeaways from the research, including that combining investment screens with engagement is a promising driver of tangible impact promising and should be considered more.
• Explore how they might implement a similar field experiment with their own institution, and
• Learn how to use these findings in their communications and thinking around engagement activities

Speaker:

 Julian Kölbel, Assistant Professor for Sustainable Finance, University of St. Gallen

Recording:

Slides

October 23, 2024 | 11 am ET

This webinar with Ethic and As You Sow dispelled prevalent myths surrounding Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) investing. The session focused on clarifying misconceptions that could hinder effective sustainable investing and provided actionable insights to support informed decision-making.

Key myths addressed included:

• ESG is a One-Size-Fits-All Framework: Participants explored how ESG principles can be tailored to reflect the unique values and sustainability goals of institutions, fostering personalized engagement and investment strategies.
• Impact Investing Sacrifices Performance: The webinar examined recent evidence, including findings from a Morgan Stanley report, indicating that responsible investing outperformed traditional investment approaches in the first two quarters of 2024.
• Funds Labeled as ESG Are Truly Sustainable: Attendees understood the implications of the 2023 FCA fund naming rule in the UK, which requires many US mutual funds to clarify their sustainability claims, revealing inconsistencies between labeling and actual practices.
• Impact Investing Should Only Focus on Philanthropy: Participants discovered how Ethic and As You Sow assist institutions in aligning philanthropic initiatives with investment portfolios to maximize overall impact.
• ESG is Political and Partisan: The session highlighted how institutions can personalize their investment strategies based on core values while promoting transparency in corporate practices.
• Sustainability Data Is Inadequate: The evolving landscape of sustainability data was addressed, demonstrating its growing reliability and relevance for institutional investors.

This webinar equipped participants with essential talking points and information needed to effectively communicate the benefits of sustainable investing to colleagues, board members, and investment committees.

Participants:

• Gained a comprehensive understanding of the nuances of ESG investing and how to implement tailored strategies within institutional portfolios.
• Reviewed compelling data that underscores the performance advantages of responsible investing.
• Learned effective strategies for aligning philanthropic efforts with investment decisions, enhancing overall institutional impact.

IEN and experts from Ethic and As You Sow hosted this critical conversation, aimed at fostering a deeper understanding of ESG principles and promoting effective sustainable investing practices within institutions.

Recording

Speakers

Claire Quigley, Lead Relationship Manager, Institutions, ETHIC
Learn more about Claire

 Andy Behar, CEO, As You Sow
Learn more about Andy

Kellen Parker, Director of Sustainability Data & Insights, ETHIC
Learn more about Kellen

August 22, 2024 | 11 am ET

The Leadership Now Project's Corporate Guide to Navigating U.S. Political Risk was recently launched to help investors manage the current political landscape. The Guide, with an updated political risk analysis, provides strategies and tools for institutional investors to navigate U.S. political risks and activities, outlining key priorities and best practices.

This IEN webinar with the Leadership Now Project will further explore the Guide's third and sixth sections. The third section of the guide provides questions that investors can use to engage with their investment managers and the portfolio companies in which they invest, about U.S. political risk, manage their own alignment/misalignment considerations, and evaluate oversight of U.S. political risk. The sixth section, an institutional investor checklist, reviews actions that investors may want to consider when evaluating U.S. political risk.

Participants will learn:

• How institutional investors can engage with companies on its political activities
• What resources are available for institutional investors to assess U.S. political risk and corporate political disclosure
• How U.S. political risks can be translated into business risks that held companies and their investors can act on

Recording:

Layna's Slides

Lauren's Slides

Speakers

 Layna Mosley, Professor, School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University. Learn more about Layna.

 

 Lauren Caplan, Managing Director & Head of Democracy-Aligned Investing, Leadership Now Project. Learn more about Lauren

October 9, 2024 | 3 pm ET

This webinar provided an overview of an oft-ignored component of ESG: corporate financing of elected officials, the direct effects of that on their legislative behavior, and the resulting effects on the legal environment.

Such financing is mainly conducted with an eye on taxes and regulations. As a result, companies with otherwise good ESG scores may support officials and legislation opposed to environmental, social, and governance issues. Keeping track of this element of corporate influence in the world need not be partisan; legislators supporting sustainability and egalitarianism exist across party lines.

As the voting behavior of these officials is measurable, there is a force multiplier opportunity for intentional investors: just as they incentivize portfolio companies to be sustainable and diverse, they can also incentivize those firms’ portfolio politicians to be as well.

Anti-ESG and anti-sustainability pressure often comes from elected officials funded by companies that asset owners invest in, and therefore have influence with. The state of the regulatory and legal environment is a critical component of successful ESG investing at any time due to the immense power of government to support or oppose certain market behaviors. However, it is especially critical now, when these modes of investing have been thoroughly politicized and threatened by legislation.

IEN and Goods Unite Us, an IEN Member, explored how institutional investors can assess the political activity of the companies in their portfolio and use this data to craft actionable engagement strategies.

Recording

We’re excited for our upcoming learning opportunities and we hope you’ll join us. Register to be part of our Juneteenth conversation scheduled for June 18 at 6 pm ET to explore effective ways to enhance endowments and foundations' efforts toward racial justice. The following week, Aligned Climate Capital will present community solar as an opportunity for direct, high-impact investment in climate solutions during our June Climate Solutions Investing Series call.  Learn more and register today!

In this week’s news, institutional investors affirm their support for CA100+, the University of Pennsylvania releases its May 2024 net zero update, and Second Nature releases its Higher Education Complementarity for Climate Action whitepaper. 

We've had an eventful week with some great news to share! We've launched our Net Zero Endowments Roadmap, a resource for institutional investors keen on making and implementing a net zero commitment in their portfolio. We've also revealed the winners of the 2024 Student Corporate Engagement Challenge. Hampton University and the University of Southern California clinched the top spots in the graduate and undergraduate categories, respectively

In this week’s news, we invite you to join your peers at the Economist Impact's 4th annual Sustainability Week conference, Colorful Capital released a new report on the systemic risks of LGBTQIA+ inequities, NYU appoints a new CIO, and a responsible investment policy helps the United Nations Joint Staff Pension Fund orchestrate a turnaround.

In a new episode of Beyond Carbon, Chris Ito and Georges Dyer sit down with Heather Beatty, Founder of ScopeFourCapital. Beatty shares her journey in sustainable investing, her vision for ScopeFour Capital and the importance of focusing on scalable climate solutions beyond just renewables. Listen!

Please note that our offices will be closed on Monday, May 27 in observance of Memorial Day. 

In this week’s news, Minnesota will use a climate roadmap for state investments, CalPERS says it will vote against all ExxonMobil directors and its CEO, and a legal memo counters claims that considering climate risk violates fiduciary duty.

June 18, 2024 | 6 PM ET

Join us for a thought-provoking webinar, by the Belonging Collaborative, as we delve into the intersection of climate and racial justice. Investors are actively driving change by promoting diversity in asset management and pivotal decision-making positions, but the journey towards true climate and racial justice is far from over; it demands our immediate attention and concerted actions.

This crucial movement, pushing for equitable access to capital, diversity in asset management and decision-making roles within organizations, foundations, and endowments, not only sets the stage for social impact but also for financial success. However, we need to reflect on how our current practices may inadvertently perpetuate harm to BIPOC communities and explore how investment strategies can play a pivotal role in dismantling these destructive patterns and structures.

As we navigate the complexities of systemic racism, the racial wealth gap, and the disproportionate impacts of climate change on front-and fence-line communities, it becomes imperative to recognize, confront, and address these pressing issues head-on. How can we best identify and tackle these challenges?

During this Juneteenth season conversation, leaders from the Intentional Endowments Network and its esteemed partners will not only explore the above questions but also share ideas on how this network can effectively elevate the standards for endowments and foundations' racial equity efforts. Be part of this conversation that aims to drive tangible change within our current systems and advocates for the necessary transformations where the system falls short.

Recording:

How will the historic Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund impact public markets this year and beyond? Join our next climate solutions series with Sunwealth on May 22 at 1 pm ET to take a deep dive into investing at the intersection of climate and community via greenhouse gas reduction funds. Register now!

We’re excited to share our 2023 Impact Report, which summarizes our activities and achievements over the past year. The report highlights our convenings, resources developed, and the launch of IEN’s new initiative - the Endowment Impact Benchmark (EIB). 

In this week’s news, pension funds in Asia help to catalyze gender-lens investments, the McKnight Foundation explores how attacks on DEI can be countered, and the Financial Times explores the complicated relationship between American endowments and private equity. 

We’re a proud partner of the Impact Investor Global Summit, the leading conference for private market investors aimed at addressing the world's major social and environmental challenges through impact investing. Learn more and Join us Today!

In this week’s news, the SEC delays implementation of its climate disclosure rule, the University of Texas community pushes the school to consider social responsibility when investing, and SBTi announces its intention to extend the use of environmental attribute certificates for abatement purposes on Scope 3 emissions.

Trustees, investment committee members, and endowment representatives in the Boston area are invited to join our in-person Endowment Impact Benchmark workshop next Wednesday, May 15th at Amundi’s offices! Space is limited, so interested members of the Network are encouraged to reach out to a member of our team or respond to this email to RSVP.   

Also, partnership opportunities for the Endowment Impact Benchmark and our 10th Anniversary Gala are now available! Please contact Georges Dyer at [email protected] to become a sponsor.  

In this week’s news, the University of Pittsburgh publishes its most recent endowment ESG report, Schroders recaps a conversation with BlueMark on impact investing standards, and Georges Dyer provides insight into how endowments are structured for Vox.

Earlier this week, Hampton University, the University of Michigan, Central Washington University, and the University of Southern California were announced as the finalists of the 2024 Student Corporate Engagement Challenge. The winning teams will be revealed live on May 14 at 4 p.m. during the finalists’ presentations.  Register to join us for the final presentations and discover who will be the winner of this year's challenge. 

Also, the recording of the April installment of the Climate Solutions Investing Series featuring Terra Alpha Investments is now available for IEN Members to view.

In this week’s news, IDAC and IDiF announce a strategic partnership, University of Chicago alumni want the school's endowment to divest from fossil fuels, and anti-war protesters' calls for divestment at universities put a spotlight on endowments.

IEN is a proud partner of GreenFin 24 in New York City! Join us at the leading sustainable finance conference to learn about the latest ESG trends in finance and investing to accelerate climate strategy. Use the code GF24IEN to register at a 10% discount before rates increase on May 17

In this week’s news, Exxon’s board faces pressure from numerous shareholders, Louisiana State University lets oil firms influence research, and students at US universities file legal complaints over fossil fuel investments. 

We are excited to announce the results of the five-cohort Endowment Impact Benchmark pilot; you can read about the EIB in Chief Investment Officer, and read the results of the pilot on the EIB website. 

If your institution is interested in learning more or participating in the next EIB cohort, please reach out to Georges Dyer ([email protected]) and Nicole Torrico ([email protected]).

IEN Members, don’t forget to register for next week’s Climate Solutions Investing Series conversation with Terra Alpha Investments, who will explore the role of public companies in the energy transition. Register today!

In this week’s news, the HBCU Brilliance Fund is making the case for impact investing in HBCUs, Warren Wilson College engages with Lennar on emissions targets, and NYC pensions reach a climate disclosure deal with several major banks.