We believe in the power of collaborative action in order to build the field of sustainable investing among endowed institutions. Learn more about the organizations with which IEN partners:
The SIILK Network (Sustainable & Impact Investing Learning & Knowledge) is a peer learning network of students, faculty, and staff that are involved in the management and development of student-managed investment funds, as well as the teaching and development of sustainable investing curriculum. SIILK participants connect to share best practices and resources to advance sustainable investing strategies in student-managed funds and curricula.
IEN works closely with Second Nature on a range of activities, most notably in co-hosting the annual Higher Education Climate Leadership Summit. Second Nature is the coordinating body for the Presidents' Climate Leadership Commitments - a network of over 500 colleges and universities committed to achieving climate neutrality in campus operations and implementing comprehensive climate action and/or climate resilience plans.
IEN has joined forces with the HBCU Green Fund to launch an initiative aimed at improving endowment investment decision-making in higher education to better incorporate factors related to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). The central driving force of this initiative is a high-level Working Group of senior leaders from higher education, the investment industry, foundations, and nonprofit partners.
The United Nations-convened Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance is an international group of institutional investors delivering on a bold commitment to transition our investment portfolios to net-zero GHG emissions by 2050. IEN is a Supporting Partner of the Alliance, supporting our Network in making Net Zero Portfolio commitments, and working with the Alliance to help investors implement such commitments.
Confluence Philanthropy’s mission is to transform the practice of investing by aligning capital with its community’s values of sustainability, equity, and justice. Confluence supports and catalyzes a membership network of private, public and community foundations; family offices; individual donors; and their values-aligned investment advisors.
US SIF: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment is the leading voice advancing sustainable investing across all asset classes. Its mission is to rapidly shift investment practices toward sustainability, focusing on long-term investment and the generation of positive social and environmental impacts.
The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) is the global champion of impact investing, dedicated to increasing its scale and effectiveness around the world. By convening impact investors, the GIIN seeks to accelerate the industry's development through focused leadership and collective action.
Toniic is a global community of asset owners seeking deeper positive net impact across the spectrum of capital. Its members consist of more than 400 high net worth individuals, family office, and foundation asset owners who are deepening their impact across the spectrum of capital and personal resources in more than 25 countries around the world.
ASBN develops and advocates solutions for policymakers, business leaders, and investors that support an equitable, regenerative, and just economy that benefits all—people and planet.
The ImPact's purpose is to improve the probability and pace of solving social and environmental problems by increasing the flow of capital to investments that generate measurable impact. It is a global membership community of families committed to aligning their assets with their values.
Mission Investors Exchange is the leading impact investing network for foundations dedicated to deploying capital for social and environmental change. With over 200 members, it provides resources, inspiration, and connections to help its members increase the scale and impact of their impact investing practice.
Ceres is a sustainability nonprofit organization working with the most influential investors and companies to build leadership and drive solutions throughout the economy. Through powerful networks and advocacy, Ceres tackles the world’s biggest sustainability challenges, including climate change, water scarcity and pollution, and inequitable workplaces.
1% for the Planet inspires people to support environmental organizations through annual membership and everyday actions. It advises on giving strategies, certifies donations and we amplifies the impact of its network.
The PRI is the world’s leading proponent of responsible investment. It works to understand the investment implications of environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors and to support its international network of investor signatories in incorporating these factors into their investment and ownership decisions.
Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility pioneered the use of shareholder advocacy to press companies on environmental, social, and governance issues. Leveraging their equity ownership in some of the world’s largest and most powerful companies, ICCR members regularly engage management to identify and mitigate social and environmental risks resulting from corporate operations and policies.
The Impact Capital Managers mission is to accelerate the performance of its members and promote the smart growth of the private capital impact investing marketplace. It does this through its membership association, which today includes 52 funds representing more than $11B in impact-focused capital, and through field-building initiatives and partnerships.
ValuesAdvisor is a nonprofit that works in partnership with high net worth investor affinity groups to accelerate the flow of money to impact. Networks and affinity groups offer ValuesAdvisor as a member benefit, providing investors with easy access to trusted values-aligned professionals, put forward by peers. Together, we aim to build the field of impact investing, bring visibility to leading Advisors in the field, and meet the challenges of our times.
As You Sow is the nation’s non-profit leader in shareholder advocacy. Founded in 1992, we harness shareholder power to create lasting change by protecting human rights, reducing toxic waste, and aligning investments with values. Our mission is to promote environmental and social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, coalition building, and innovative legal strategies.
As You Sow, Broadridge, The Intentional Endowments Network (IEN), and Confluence Philanthropy are partnering to offer this service -- which simplifies proxy voting and empowers endowments and other institutional investors to vote their proxies in line with their ESG mandates, using a time and cost efficient platform with optional customization. As You Vote is a rules-based ESG proxy voting system hosted on Broadridge’s ProxyEdge platform.
The Diverse Asset Managers Initiative (DAMI) is an effort to increase the absolute number of, and assets under management by, diverse-owned asset management firms for institutional investors, with specific focus on public, corporate, faith and labor union pension funds as well as foundation and university endowments.
AASHE is the leading association for the advancement of sustainability in higher education. We serve a full range of higher education faculty, administrators, staff and students who are change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. Established in 2005, AASHE is comprised of over 900 members across 48 U.S. states, 1 U.S. Territory, 9 Canadian provinces and 20 countries.
For more than seven decades, this principle has remained at the heart of UNCF, enabling us to raise more than $5 billion and help more than 500,000 students and counting not just attend college, but thrive, graduate and become leaders.
The Climate+Positive Investing Alliance (C+PIA) cuts through greenwashing and empowers investors to align all portfolio assets with a Climate+Positive planet now, not decades in the future.
NAIC is the largest industry association for diverse-owned alternative investment firms.Through education, advocacy and industry events, NAIC is focused on increasing the flow of capital to high-performing diverse investment managers often underutilized by institutional investors.
The Investor Alliance for Human Rights is a collective action platform for responsible investment that is grounded in respect for people's fundamental rights. We are a membership-based, non-profit initiative focusing on the investor responsibility to respect human rights, corporate engagements that drive responsible business conduct, and standard-setting activities that push for robust business and human rights policies.
For a larger list of other organizations working in the field of sustainable investing and endowment management, visit the Organizations in Our Field page of our Resource Library.
IEN's Funders
We are tremendously grateful for the following funders -- past and present -- for providing grants to the Crane Institute of Sustainability in support of the Intentional Endowments Network and for their partnership in advancing our mission to help endowed institutions address climate risk and support a thriving, just, and sustainable society through mission-align investing.
Claudia and Peter Kinder Charitable Fund
ClimateWorks is a global platform for philanthropy to innovate and scale high-impact climate solutions that benefit people and the planet.
Since 1925, the mission of the Denver Foundation has been to inspire people and mobilize resources to strengthen communities. It works with donors, nonprofits and community leaders to make a positive difference around education, economic opportunity, basic needs, and local leadership. catalyze market growth.
For over eight decades the Ford Foundation has pursued a mission to reduce poverty and injustice, strengthen democratic values, promote international cooperation, and advance human achievement.
The goal of the Generation Foundation is to mobilize key participants in the global economy to strengthen the business case for and accelerate the transition to sustainable capitalism.
For over twenty years the Litterman Foundation has generously supported initiatives in health, higher education, social and human services, food banks, conservation, and more.
Created in 1940, this family foundation is committed to advancing social change that contributes to a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world.
The Sorenson Impact Foundation was created to advance the flow of capital into innovative, scalable solutions to the world’s most pressing needs.
The TPF is a donor collaborative aimed at supporting the growth of the impact investing field through strategic grantmaking.
Founded by Henry A. Wallace, the 33rd Vice President of the United States, the Fund is part of a growing movement to align investing with the promotion of human rights, democracy, public health, and sustainable planet.