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Dear Bella,
Given the weight of the current moment, the pushback the sustainable and impact investing field is facing, and the many competing priorities pulling at our attention — we remain deeply grateful to have this Network to learn from and unite with on addressing systemic factors in the investment process, which feel more crucial than ever. As the summer months warm, and we witness unfathomable tragedies like the Texas floods and European heatwaves, we’re reflecting on the progress we’ve made together this past spring, and the most important areas of focus for the IEN membership going forward.
Last month we published our Briefing Paper: The Fiduciary Duty Case for Climate Justice, developed in collaboration and consultation with IEN’s Climate Justice Task Force. We also released our Warren Wilson College (WWC) 2024 Shareholder Engagement Briefing Paper, which details WWC’s work to increase financial returns by shifting corporate behavior through shareholder advocacy and proxy voting.
We hosted a successful Virtual Forum, where we engaged in collaborative conversation and heard from experts on topics including system-level investing, responsible technology and AI, and addressing political risks and threats to democracy. Session recordings are available to IEN Members by visiting the Virtual Forum landing page.
We also launched IEN’s Responsible Tech & AI initiative. This exciting new project will focus on education and peer learning for asset owners and managers on the range of material social and environmental risks and opportunities from tech and AI including privacy, child safety, labor rights, IP rights, energy use, water use, mis/disinformation and more.
Finally, save the date and join us for our upcoming Annual Forum, taking place October 27th - 28th at Goucher College in Baltimore, MD.
Thank you for your continued engagement and leadership in this community,
The IEN Team
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Upcoming Events
Please join us for our upcoming IEN events:
Other Events
NAIC Investor Roadshow | July 17, 2025, Virtual
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Intentional Endowments Network is pleased to host our Institutional Investor Roadshow with the National Association of Investment Companies (NAIC), on Thursday, July 17th, 2025, from 11 AM –2 PM EST. You can save your place for July 17th by completing this Interest & Investment Criteria Survey which will be utilized to match you in one-on-one meetings with managers that align with your investment criteria.
UNITE | UNCF, July 20-24, 2025 Atlanta, Georgia
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IEN will be participating in UNITE’s sessions on “Activating Endowments: A Blueprint for HBCU Resilience and Prosperity”
Investing in What Matters: Rethinking Risk, Value and Accountability
| University of Cambridge, Judge School of Business, July 24, 2025, 11am ET
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IEN’s Executive Director, Georges Dyer will join Professor Christopher Marquis, along with speakers Juliann Zimmerman, Co-CEO, Adasina Social Capital, Tara Sabre Collier, Senior Director for Impact Investing, Chemonics, and Jim Casselberry, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Known and Trustee at Morehouse College.
Amplifying Alts Forum | NAIC, October 1-2, 2025 Los Angeles, California
- NAIC's event will focus on showcasing the outstanding performance of diverse alternative investment managers and connect LP and GP decision makers in hundreds of private one-on-one meetings. Registration for LPs/Capital Allocators is complimentary for the conference.
IEN Members can access past webinar recordings through IEN’s member-only archive
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Join us in turning our Virtual Forum into meaningful action!
Monday, October 27 - 28th, 2025
Save the date to connect with higher education leaders, investment professionals, and endowment office representatives who push sustainability and mission-aligned investing.
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Programming will center around topics that the Network focused on this year, including:
- System-Level Investing
- Responsible Tech & AI
- Fiduciary Duty for Climate Justice
- Democracy & Political Risk
- Impact Measurement & Management
Thank You to Our Sponsors: Carbon Cap Management, Impax Asset Management, Metis Global Partners, Terra Alpha Investments
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Briefing Paper: The Fiduciary Duty Case for Climate Justice
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The interconnection between climate impacts and social inequality has been well documented to create compounded portfolio risks for all investors. For institutional investors, addressing the social dimensions of the low-carbon transition is both financially material and legally prudent.
This document outlines key definitions, fiduciary considerations, and investment frameworks related to climate justice, read the report, and join the conversation at our July 30th Fiduciary Duty for Climate Justice Initiative call.
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Responsible Tech & AI
At the Virtual Forum, IEN launched a crucial project to advance responsible technology within the investment community. Through targeted educational programming and facilitated peer learning opportunities, IEN aims to empower asset owners, consultants, OCIOs, and asset managers to drive a more ethical and transparent technology ecosystem.
View the recording of our responsible technology & AI session at the Virtual Forum, featuring speakers:
- Mike Kubzansky, CEO, Omidyar Network
- Chris Jurgens, Senior Director, Programs, Omidyar Network
- Lauren Compere, Managing Director & Head of Stewardship and Engagement, Boston Common Asset Management
- Ananya Mukherjee, Project Manager, Whistlestop Capital
- Hilary Irby, Chief Sustainability Officer and Head of Impact Strategy, Soros Fund Management
For more information on this work or to get involved, fill out this interest form or contact Georges Dyer ar [email protected].
The Responsible Tech & AI Initiative is generously supported by: Omidyar Network
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Fiduciary Duty for Climate Justice
The fiduciary duty case for climate justice is compelling: climate risks represent both a systemic investment threat and a legal obligation for fiduciaries who must protect long-term value creation specifically for their beneficiaries, none of whom are immune to the effects of climate change, and some of whom are already very negatively affected.
This Initiative connects, builds off of, and compliments IEN’s Net Zero Endowments, Investment Governance, and Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives.
Join us for the next call for this initiative – July 30th, 2025 @ 1:30 ET.
To learn more about this initiative, please contact Bella Alvarez at [email protected].
The FD4CJ Initiative is generously supported by: Sierra Club Foundation, Prime Buchholz, The Russell Family Foundation, Breckinridge Capital Advisors, Terra Alpha Investments
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Endowment Impact Benchmark
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The Endowment Impact Benchmark (EIB) is a sustainable and impact investing assessment, rating and benchmarking framework for endowments and foundations (E&Fs).
ICYMI – earlier this year we released a report summarizing the results of the 2023 and 2024 EIB pilot IEN ran with fifteen participants.
At our Virtual Forum, the McConnell Foundation (a platinum-rated EIB participant from 2024), shared their experience with the assessment process (view the session recording).
Are you interested in benchmarking your sustainable and impact investing progress against that of their peers, and receiving high value recommendations from BlueMark, the leading impact investing verification provider, on improving your sustainable investing policies?
IEN welcomes new participants in the EIB in 2025. To learn more or sign up to participate, fill out the interest form, or contact Nicole Torrico at [email protected].
The EIB is generously supported by: ClimateWorks Foundation
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The Future of Finance Podcast
Recent episodes of the Future of Finance have centered around systemic impact, greenwashing, sustainable options in retirement plans, and more. Preview some of the most recent episodes below, and don’t forget to subscribe to receive notifications when new episodes are live!
Interested in being on the show? Have ideas on great guests? Ready to support this work as a sponsor of the Future of Finance Podcast? Contact Bella Alvarez at [email protected] .
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Recapping Our Virtual Forum
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Our 2025 Virtual Forum engaged network Members on a range of topics, including: System-Level Investing, Fiduciary Duty, Climate Risk & Opportunity, Democracy & Political Risk, Impact Measurement & Management, and Responsible Tech & AI.
Attendees had the opportunity to connect more intimately in collaborative conversations between sessions, discussing key takeaways and action planning with peers. Interactive sessions allowed for Q&A, much of which is captured in the recorded sessions. IEN Members can now view the recordings of the sessions across the four days of the event.
Thank you to our sponsors, community partners, and supporters for their contributions to the Virtual Forum and IEN’s work more broadly.
The Virtual Forum was generously supported by: Carbon Cap Management, Impax Asset Management, Metis Global Partners, Terra Alpha Investments, Schroders.
The Virtual Forum was also supported by our community partners: NAIC, ICCR, UNCF, Second Nature, AASHE, Croatan Institute.
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Below are some recent resources from the Intentional Endowments Network and other organizations. To see more reports, articles, videos, and other resources by topic, visit the resource page on our website.
Resources from the Field:
Other News:
Read coverage of recent announcements by endowments and other asset owners about their progress:
University Reaches Major Milestone in Fight to Protect Its Endowment: 'Not Impact Performance If Done Prudently' | The Cool Down
- A recent news release announced that Canada's University of Guelph has completed its divestment from companies holding fossil fuel reserves in its endowment portfolio. In April 2020, the university committed to the divestment in fossil fuels, becoming one of the first Canadian universities to make this decision.
NAU Foundation Investments Overview | Northern Arizona University Foundation
- The NAU Foundation’s overview of its current investment strategy includes an ESG section, highlighting recent efforts undertaken including a presentation by IEN to its investment committee. Collaboration with the NAU’s Office of Sustainability on portfolio benchmarking study, and an adjustment to its IPS that affirms “The Committee will also evaluate and take into consideration Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) risks consistent with the values and mission of the university.”
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IEN Fellowship Program Updates
We’re grateful for the support of our 10th Anniversary Gala donors, who allow us to continue our Fellowship program and support the next generation of sustainability professionals.
We’re also delighted to share the personal experiences of three recent IEN Fellows – Aviva Gornick, Leticia Carvalho, and Timothy Anderson. We are so grateful for their experience, enthusiasm, and passionate approach to our work. You can view their testimonials here, and learn more about this summer’s intern cohort below.
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Tim Anderson is a rising senior at Boston College studying Economics and Environmental Studies. He is a student leader for Boston College's Big Brother Big Sisters program and the Christian Life Community. He’s excited to join the IEN team to contribute to their sustainable investing projects and work in a space that combines sustainability and economic strategy.
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Haakon Oyen is a rising sophomore at the University of St. Andrews obtaining a degree in economics and sustainable development. He’s excited to contribute towards IEN’s cause towards sustainable investing. Learn more about Haakon.
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