Call for IEN Members to Sign On to the Belonging Pledge – A Commitment to Advance Racial Equity 

IEN is pleased to partner with Confluence Philanthropy to support the Belonging Pledge.  Please see the details below, and consider making this easy but powerful commitment to put racial equity on the agenda of your next investment committee meeting.  For individuals who attended college or university, please consider sending this opportunity to your alma mater's investment office. 

BACKGROUND: 

The events of spring 2020 will be chronicled as the next milestone in the fight for racial justice and equality.  A global pandemic, resulting in unemployment for 40 million Americans, followed by yet another brutal death at the hands of police officers set off a wave of protests and civil unrest in more than 75 U.S. cities

In response, Confluence Members and partnering investor networks launched a pledge for racial equity called the Belonging Pledge, #2020belongingpledge.

The commitment recognizes that racial equity belongs throughout the investment process, in the investment committee meeting, and, ultimately, in how decisions are made about capital deployment. Achieving racial equity is typically presented as daunting, perhaps even unattainable for some minds. But change is possible with sincere commitment, clear goals, and measurable benchmarks. Most importantly, change must begin with a shift in the prevailing racially homogenous culture and exclusivity that ultimately perpetuates racial bias and inequity within the investment industry and investors’ portfolios.

CALL TO ACTION: 

“We commit to discussing racial equity at our next investment committee meeting. We will move our agenda forward on this. We will share our next steps and results (perhaps privately), so that we can help to identify industry-wide barriers and the technical resources required to advance the practice of investing with a racial equity lens.”

If you would like to sign onto the pledge, please email us at [email protected]. 

SIGNATORIES: 

We encourage endowments and other investors to join over 100 signatories and partners listed below representing $1.88 Trillion in AUM in committing to the pledge and putting racial equity on your investment committee agenda. If you would like to sign on to the pledge, please email us at [email protected].