Save the date! Coming out of the 2025 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit, we’re jumping right into the planning process for our 2025 Virtual Spring Forum, May 5-8, and we want your input. Please respond to our Call for Content form by March 12 to ensure we're designing programming that will be meaningful to you. You can also propose speakers, suggest a session topic, or nominate yourself as a speaker.

In this week’s news, SFSU revises a graduation requirement to incorporate climate justice, the 2025 NACUBO-Commonfund Study of Endowments is released, and Fossil Free Funds examines how university retirement plans are funding the destruction of their students’ future.

We were so grateful to be in community with the Network for the 2025 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit earlier this week! Thank you everyone who joined us, and please keep an eye out for an event recap!

In the latest episode of The Future of Finance podcast, Georges Dyer sits down with John Simon, Founding & Managing Partner of Total Impact Capital, to explore the evolving landscape of impact investing and the strategies needed to align financial success with social and environmental responsibility. Listen in!

The recording of last week’s Endowment Impact Benchmark info session, with remarks from The Russell Family Foundation and Alti Tidemann Global, is available. We encourage you to view it to learn about TRFF’s transparency and sustainability reporting, and contact Georges Dyer at [email protected] to learn more about the assessment.

In this week’s news, college presidents weigh responses to Trump’s upheavals, Princeton University President Christopher Eisgruber defends its endowment, DEI and ‘institutional restraint’ in his 2025 annual letter, and a solution to the endowment tax dilemma is proposed in the Chronicle: reform the university.

The Future of Finance Podcast was launched this week! Listen in as host Georges Dyer sits down with The Sierra Club Foundation's Pedro Henriques Da Silva to discuss all things sustainable investing and the role of SCF in shifting capital toward a more regenerative economy. Hear the Future of Finance wherever you get your podcasts, leave us a rating, and subscribe!

The 2025 Endowment Impact Benchmark cohort is actively recruiting. If you are interested in learning more about participation or would like to learn about a past participant’s experience, please complete our interest form or respond to this email directly. 

In this week’s news, the Russell Family Foundation shares some of the philanthropic tools available to help drive transparent climate action, including the Endowment Impact Benchmark, JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon stands firm amid conservative pressure to dismantle DEI initiatives, and Bloomberg pledges to cover U.S. Paris Agreement obligations after Trump exits deal.

The Request for Proposals (RFP) for the IEN Virtual Spring Forum is open! The Spring, Forum, May 5-8, will focus on facilitating peer connections & critical discussions focused on mission aligned, sustainable investing among endowments. Complete the RFP to help us guide the content presented and better serve the needs of the Network.

In this week’s news, Oregon commits to its net zero pledge despite an anti-ESG push, family offices take a ‘systems turn’ in investing, and leaders at Davos Economic Forum vow to ‘stay the course’ on climate action.

There is still time to register for the 2025 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit, and join 350+ of your peers in Washington D.C. February 2 - 4 for networking and collaboration. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about endowment growth and sustainability, mission-aligned investing, and climate action roadmapping. Register today!

In this week’s news, UCSD Foundation repeats as best-performing university endowment in fiscal 2024, California's deadly fires pit climate crisis against an insurance crisis, and Clark University announces its new School of Climate, Environment, and Society. 

The Oakland-based foundation is recognized for its commitment to sustainable and impact investing following a third-party verification process.

The Russell Family Foundation and AlTi Tiedemann Global will join IEN for its Endowment Impact Benchmark info session on January 30th to share their experiences as a Platinum-related participant in 2024. Register to hear their insights and learn more about the Benchmark, and fill out our interest form to receive more information on the assessment. 

As a reminder, there is less than one month to register for the 2025 Summit in Washington D.C., February 2-4, and room rates at the Mayflower Hotel are only guaranteed until January 10th. Register and make your reservation now!

In this week’s news, a professor examines the links between climate justice and the university in a new book, the UMass endowment adopts two sustainable funds for donors, and Commonfund’s investments with diverse managers continue to grow.

The 2025 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit is one month away! Register now to secure your ticket in Washington, D.C. February 2 - 4, with 400 of your peers across the higher education and investment sectors. Details on the venue, hotel accommodations, and logistics can be found on the Summit website.

In this week’s news, the Sorenson Global Impact Leaders 2024 Annual Survey Report is released, York's endowment fund outperforms sustainability benchmarks, and the Maryland pension fund plans to add a climate advisory panel. 

January 30, 2024 | 2 pm ET

This virtual information session will provide insights into the assessment, results, and benefits of the Endowment Impact Benchmark (EIB) -- an assessment and ratings framework that enables endowments and foundations to earn recognition for their commitment to sustainable and impact investing.

For the last two years, IEN has piloted the EIB with 15 endowments and foundations of varying AUMs. The 2024 Pilot report is forthcoming, and will feature additional information on the process for various types of foundations including family and private foundations. 

Participants will hear from a 2024 Platinum-rated participant, The Russell Family Foundation (TRFF), and its advisor AlTi Global on the assessment process, key takeaways, and its benefits, as well as the ways the assessment aligns with TRFF's current climate and justice priorities. 

Speakers

Participants will also hear high-level information on the outcomes from the two pilot stages and explore the four components of the assessment: Strategy, Management, Governance and Transparency.

IEN is actively recruiting participants for the 2025 EIB cohort. Endowments and foundations interested in participating should fill out our interest form or reach out to Georges Dyer at [email protected].

Recording

IEN Slides

The Russell Family Foundation + AlTi Global Slides

The latest episode of the Beyond Carbon podcast is out! Listen in as Kathleen Simpson of The Russell Family Foundation and Brad Harrison of AlTi Tiedemann Global share the details of the Foundation’s impact strategy. Simpson and Harrison also detail the intersections of impact with mission-driven investing and shareholder engagement, in an episode recorded just days after the U.S. election. Listen now!

Don’t forget to register for the 2025 Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. before early bird registration closes on December 18th! Reserve your spot with over 400 of your peers for in-depth conversations on climate action, campus and endowment sustainability, and building consensus across the institution.

In this week’s news, The SK2 Fund receives a gold rating through IEN’s Endowment Impact Benchmark, Wespath launches fossil fuel-free funds for institutional investors, and the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance calls for mandated Scope 3 emissions disclosures.

Please take a few moments to fill out our end-of-year membership survey to share your insights on the Network and help guide the direction of our work in 2025. We are so grateful for your insights and your continued support of the Intentional Endowments Network. 

Don’t forget to register for our last Climate Solutions Investing Series call with GSSG Solar on December 12th! The GSSG team will discuss the unique challenges faced by island economies as they seek decarbonization efforts and the opportunities this unveils.

In this week’s news, Warren Wilson College receives a $10 million gift, the largest in its history, Biden pushes out over $100 billion in clean energy grants as his term winds down, and Ortec Finance warns of the impact of climate change on pension fund returns worldwide.

Ahead of Giving Tuesday, we’re asking the Network to consider making an end-of-year donation to the Anthony Cortese Fellowship Fund to support the next generation of sustainable investors.

IEN will be closed for Thanksgiving on Thursday, November 27th; we will be back in office on Monday, December 1. 

In this week’s news, nations at COP29 agree to a $300 billion per year climate funding deal, Builders Vision makes a $70 million investment to protect and bolster Bahamian environmental and economic prosperity, and a KPMG study reveals that more than 40% of the largest global companies are integrating ESG performance in executive pay.

The Colorado-based foundation achieved Gold rating through sustainable and impact investing assessment framework, developed by the Intentional Endowments Network.

We are so grateful to everyone who celebrated and reflected with us last Thursday at our 10th Anniversary Gala! Please keep an eye out for an event summary and consider making a donation to the Anthony Cortese Fellowship Fund in honor of our co-founder. 

We also remind the Network to submit climate justice case studies to support the research papers being produced by our Climate Justice Taskforce. The submission form has further details; individuals interested in learning more about the Taskforce can contact Paris Prince and Aicha Ly.

This week’s edition of the Round-Up features a special section dedicated to COP29 coverage. The next edition of the weekly news round-up will be Wednesday, November 27th, ahead of Thanksgiving. 

In this week’s news, CalPERS Reaches $53B in climate solutions investments, Harvard expands its green revolving fund to support campus decarbonization, and HSBC reportedly shelves plans for trading, financing carbon credits.

We’re holding our 10th Anniversary Gala this evening in Boston at the Museum of Science. Thank you to everyone who joined us tonight, and all who supported the last decade of sustainability and growth in the Network.

We encourage you to contribute to the future of IEN and the professionals entering the sustainability space by donating to the Anthony Cortese Fellowship Fund.

This week’s round-up is abbreviated; we will resume the regular round-up next week.

We’re excited to say that our 10th Anniversary Gala has reached capacity! We look forward to joining the Network in exactly one week for this exciting event. If you are not attending but want to show your support for IEN, we invite you to donate to the Anthony Cortese Fellowship Fund and support the next generation of sustainable investors. 

In this week’s news, experts say a Trump return is likely to slow but not stop the US clean-energy boom, CalSTRS joins the Nature Action 100, and institutional investors representing $9.4T have set decarbonization targets.

We are two weeks away from our 10th Anniversary Gala! If you haven’t done so, there is still time left to RSVP to join us at the Museum of Science on November 14th.

The recordings of a number of recent IEN webinars are now available on our website! Members can rewatch conversations on debunking ESG myths, how ESG-conscious firms end up supporting anti-ESG regulations, and a number of Climate Solutions Investing Series calls.

In this week’s news, the NYC Comptroller Lander proposes expanding fossil fuel divestment for pension funds, the Redman family announces the creation of a $100k endowment toward a sustainability school at Arizona State University and Commonfund is soliciting responses to its Higher Education Price Index (HEPI) survey.

We’re now confirming participation in the 2025 Endowment Impact Benchmark (EIB) cohort for endowments and foundations focused on sustainable and mission-aligned investing. Participants will receive tailored feedback, a third-party verified rating, and peer benchmarking. For more information, please fill out this interest form or reply to this email.

Our 10th Anniversary Gala Dinner at the Museum of Science is just a month away! Celebrate a decade of progress and honor co-founder Tony Cortese by registering to attend and donating to the Anthony Cortese Fellowship Fund!

Also, board member Glen MacDonald will moderate a session at the Culture Shifting Summit NYC on October 24-25, 2024, with Accion’s CEO, Micheal Schlein. Register to join Glen!

In this week’s news, Washington State's landmark climate law is at risk in the upcoming election, the Kataly Foundation charts an equitable bond strategy as it looks to spend down its reserves, and Cornell’s endowment returns 8.7% for fiscal 2024.

Our virtual events are continuing this month, including a call next Tuesday on October 15 at 11 am ET. Register to join the University of Illinois’ Geri Melchiorre and Blackrock as they detail how the university’s endowment created an ESG strategy that considered material issues not based on exclusions and using the BSI Intel Framework.

We are also partnering for the Impact & Transition Investor Summit, November 12 - 14 in NYC. Register to join 350+ leading fund managers and allocators focused on transition, impact and sustainable outcomes investing for two-days of networking, insight-sharing and collaboration. IEN Members can receive a 10% discount when registering using the IMPACTNA24_IEN code. 

Please note our offices will be closed on Monday in observance of Indigenous Peoples Day.

In this week’s news, Westfuller and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation sit down for a conversation on investing foundation endowments through a racial equity lens, Brown University rejects a proposal on Israeli divestment, and our own Paris Prince shares reflections from the iDAC Global Summit.

Mark your calendars and register for two exciting events this month! Join us for an engaging session with Goods Unite Us on corporate lobbying impact on investment portfolios, and secure your spot for the October 15th conversation with BlackRock as they dive into their BSI Intel framework.

In addition, we’re gearing up for our 10th Anniversary Gala at the Boston Museum of Science on November 14th! Be sure to RSVP early and explore the many ways to engage and support IEN—from sponsoring the Gala, reserving a premium seating table, to donating to the Anthony Cortese Fellowship Fund.

In this week’s news, we share a profile of our Board Chair Dianne Dillon Ridgley, the AJL Foundation achieves a Platinum rating through the Endowment Impact Benchmark, and Georges Dyer shares more information on the way the EIB is moving the field toward greater transparency.