Endowments:
- Commit to discussing social equity at the next investment committee meeting to have conversations necessary to assess how your investments provide solutions to or perpetuate racial, gender, and other forms of inequality.
- Conduct bias training as perceptions of race and gender can inform both business and investment operations through hiring and retention, manager selection and risk assessment
- Diversify the Board and the Investment Committee to bring in new insights, spur new approaches and expand networks - gender, culture and race diversity
- Update your Investment Policy Statement to reflect your diversity and inclusion (D&I) priorities
- Allocate capital to racially diverse consultants and asset management firms to diversify talent and deal flow and improve the investment’s risk and return profile.
- Engage with consultants or ask your asset and investment managers about their approach to internal D&I and how they factor race and social identity into their economic projections.
- Ensure that institutions they bank with provide financial services to help low-income, low-wealth, and other disadvantaged people in their communities or Bank with a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) .
- Engage with companies as a shareholder on issues that relate directly to diversity, equity, and inclusion such as those requesting that companies connect executive pay to diversity and inclusion related outcomes. (see company goals for other engagement focus)
- Offer internships in the Investment Office for underrepresented students to aid in diversifying the financial management and investment field, and/or create a student-managed fund focused on diversity and inclusion of the team as well as investment strategy.
- Develop partnerships with groups that are helping to expand the ability of women and minorities to learn about and participate in financial management and investment.
- Use investor voice to advance public policy that addresses inequality through investor statements, public comments, and collective action, advocate for policies that seek to reform and eliminate systemic racism, wealth, and gender inequality in law and public policy.
- Take a holistic approach to addressing inequality recognizing the intersectionality with climate change and environmental issues, and the many social factors related to inequality (jobs, health, education, food justice, etc.)
Consultants:
- As above, Keep social equity on the agenda; Conduct bias training; Diversify your own organization; Advocate for public policy; Diverse internship programs; Develop partnerships; Bank with CDFIs; Take a holistic approach, recognizing intersectionality.
- Create a Diverse Asset Managers program that includes evaluating your due diligence process to address implicit bias and other barriers that may be limiting the number of diverse managers that are included on recommended lists; has specific annual targets for percentage of recommended managers and provides feedback to managers as to why they were or were not selected.
- Client engagement: Advance learning and action on social equity with your clients
- Market research: Include the impacts of inequality on the economy in your market research.
Investment Managers:
- As above, Keep social equity on the agenda; Conduct bias training; Diversify your own organization; Advocate for public policy; Diverse internship programs; Develop partnerships; Bank with CDFIs; Take a holistic approach, recognizing intersectionality.
- Integrate the impacts of inequality into your investment philosophy across asset classes, sectors, and themes.
- Engage with companies as a shareholder on issues that relate directly to diversity, equity, and inclusion such as those requesting that companies connect executive pay to diversity and inclusion related outcomes. (see company goals for other engagement focus)
Companies:
- Increase the number of women and people of color on Boards, senior management (#s, %)
- Report on and address the racial and gender pay gap (% off parity)
- Tie DEI goals to financial compensation for senior management
- Provide living wages (regional living wage standards)
- Elevate Worker Voice
- Develop and improve Mentorship programs
- Develop and improve Internship programs