Overview

The Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiative was formed through a collaboration between IEN and the HBCU Green Fund, with the aim of enhancing endowment investment decision-making in higher education by incorporating Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion factors. The initiative is composed of senior leaders from various sectors, including higher education, the investment industry, foundations, and non-profit partners who seek to leverage their networks and expertise for cross-sector collaboration to champion diversity in endowment investment decision-making.

This initiative aims to start the education and advocacy process to integrate Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion factors into the investment process of endowments by:

1. Promoting Diversity: We ensure deliberate exclusion or implicit bias based on race, ethnicity, or gender does not occur within university investment offices. Our focus is on enhancing diversity and inclusivity within these offices.

2. Performance Evaluation: We assess the diversity, equity, and inclusion aspects of companies and funds in terms of their boards, management, and staff. Through engagement with these entities, we work towards improving these areas.

3. Diverse-Led Investment Managers: Our goal is to identify and support investment managers from minority backgrounds, thereby fostering diversity and inclusion within the industry.

4. Impactful Investments: We prioritize investments that generate positive outcomes for women, low-income communities, and communities of color, aiming to address economic disparities and promote social equity.

5. Talent Pipeline: We are dedicated to supporting the finance and investment education of diverse students, creating a pipeline of talented individuals who will contribute to the industry's diversity and future success.

Resources

• Investing in Racial Equity: A Primer for University & College Endowments

• DEI Toolkit - NAIC Research & Reports

• Examining the Returns 2023 - Further Evidence of Diverse-Owned Private Equity Firm Outperformance

• Investor Racial Equity Pledge

• Emerging Manager Monthly's Diverse Manager List

• AASHE No Sustainability without Justice Anthology

• Leading with Justice: Net Zero Investing & Conversations on Climate Justice

• Racial Equity Investing

• Gender Lens Investing

• Community Investing

• Social Equity Investing

• Past Racial Equity Webinars 

• Climate Action Pursuit

• Creating Racial Equity Standards for Investing Webinar

• The Ins and Outs of Designing a Racial Equity Portfolio Webinar

• Allocating to Diverse-Owned Asset Managers Webinar

• Webinar: All Investments Affect Racial (In)Justice  

• Webinar: Incorporating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Factors in the Investment Process 

• Find more resources on DEI and reducing inequalities throughout the investment process on this page: Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 10: Reduced Inequalities  

• Path to Inclusive Capitalism: Asset Owners Guide 

Get Involved

Join the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion listserv or post to this group by sending an email to [email protected]. 

Initiative Sponsors