By Johnny Price, Senior Director, Kiva Zip In the conventional finance model, a central institution, such as Bank of America, provides capital and decides which borrowers qualify for loans. In the peer-to-peer model, individual people brought together by the power of the Internet, in an aggregate known as “the crowd,” provide the capital and make […]
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RSF Prime: Six Years Later, Here’s How It’s Going
By John Bloom Can you imagine your bank inviting you to come and talk about your interest rate? I usually open RSF Social Finance’s quarterly pricing meetings with this question. So far, no one has said yes. That’s understandable. When we decided in late 2009 to abandon LIBOR (a move that turned out to be […]
The Currency of Self
by John Bloom Technically, money is meant to be nothing more than a holder of assigned value and to serve as a means for facilitating the exchange of goods and services. However, money is also a complicated social reality, and it is encrusted with layers of perception, values, assumptions, and behaviors. For example, we say […]
Trillium Successfully Withdraws Board Diversity Proposal at Stifel Financial
MAY 16, 2016: Trillium Asset Management is pleased to announce that it has successfully withdrawn its Board Diversity shareholder proposal at Stifel Financial (NYSE: SF) following the company’s agreement to institutionalize a commitment to board diversity inclusive of gender, race and national origin. At the time of our dialogue with management in April, the Board […]
Information for Discovery Communications Shareholders Regarding Our Board Diversity Proposal
May 13, 2016: Trillium Asset Management has published a letter to shareholders of Discovery Communications (NASDAQ:DISCA) urging them to vote in favor of our Board Diversity proposal. The proposal is co-led by Calvert Investments, Mercy Investment Services and Trillium Asset Management, and appears as item #3 on the company’s 2016 proxy card*. Shareholders will vote […]
If Not Wall Street, Then Where?
Following the conversation Don Shaffer started in 2015 about RSF’s decision to seek alternatives to Wall Street, this webinar focuses on different approaches to aligning money with mission and values. Funds, firms, and advisors are now using the term impact investing but definitions and intentions are inconsistent. It can be overwhelming, even for financial professionals. […]
An Increase in Demand Means Higher Rates for Investors
In April, alongside the release of our new prospectus, Calvert Foundation raised the interest rates on our Community Investment Note®. Previous Rates New Rates- as of April 2016 3 Year 05/15/2019 5 Year 05/17/2021 10 Year 05/15/2026 15 Year 05/15/2031 We have already received a lot of questions about this change: Did this have anything […]
$100 Million Impact Investment Collaboration to Benefit Chicago
The Chicago Community Trust, MacArthur and Calvert Foundation announce Benefit Chicago, an innovative collaboration that aims to mobilize $100 million in impact investments for nonprofits and social enterprises in Chicago. This significant infusion of much-needed capital will provide low-interest loans and other investments to accelerate the efforts of local social sector organizations working to address […]
Democratic Finance for Affordable Space in NYC
New York City is the quintessential melting pot. People from all over the world come to the city in search of culture, cuisine, art and opportunity. Yet for many New Yorkers, their ability to stay in the city they’ve helped create has been compromised in recent years by soaring real estate prices. Between 2000 and […]
Investors Worth $3.6Tr Support Joint U.S. and Canadian Announcement on Limiting Methane Emissions from the Oil and Gas Industry
Doubling of support comes as nations gather in New York City to sign the Paris Climate Agreement APRIL 21, 2016 // BOSTON, MA: As attention turns to the Paris Agreement signing ceremony on Friday, leading global investors representing $3.6 trillion in assets under management released a statement of support today for U.S. and Canadian efforts […]
Information for Citigroup Shareholders Regarding our Gender Pay Disparity Shareholder Proposal
APRIL 18, 2016: Trillium Asset Management has published a letter to shareholders of Citigroup (NYSE: C) urging them to vote in favor of our Gender Pay Disparity proposal, which appears as item #6 on the company’s 2016 proxy card. The financial services sector is routinely found to have one of the widest gaps in pay […]
RSF Spring Quarterly: Is Digital Money Transparent?
In the latest RSF Quarterly, we do a deep dive into digital money and the fast-growing fintech (short for financial technology) sector. Uphold’s Tim Parsa lays out a case for why blockchain technology may mean an end to banks. Jonny Price, senior director for Kiva Zip, critiques mainstream peer-to-peer lending for its lack of investor […]
Information for JB Hunt Shareholders Regarding our Non-Discrimination Shareholder Proposal
APRIL 13, 2016: Trillium Asset Management has published a letter to shareholders of JB Hunt Transport Services Inc. (NASDAQ: JBHT) urging them to vote in favor of our non-discrimination shareholder proposal which appears as item #3 on the company’s 2016 proxy card. Shareholders will vote on the proposal at the company’s annual meeting, which takes […]
Information for Pepsico Shareholders Regarding our 2016 Shareholder Proposal
APRIL 7, 2016: Trillium Asset Management and The Sustainability Group of Loring, Wolcott & Coolidge, along with Green Century Funds, have published a letter to shareholders of PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) urging them to vote in favor or our Pollinator Protection proposal, which appears as item # 6 on the company’s 2016 proxy card. Shareholders […]
Inside RSF Social Finance
The purpose of this webinar is to provide an orientation to RSF and all that we offer. Topics include the Social Investment Fund, Social Enterprise Lending, philanthropic activities, and how RSF measures impact. The post Inside RSF Social Finance appeared first on RSF Social Finance.
National Partnership Takes Aim at Strengthening Local Food Connections
Last week, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), in conjunction with 15 philanthropic partners that include RSF Social Finance, announced a new initiative aimed at bolstering local food supply chains in ten urban areas. Named Food LINC, the project will focus on increasing customer access to goods produced by farmers and ranchers in their […]
Financing Opportunities in Latin America
Last fall we launched the Inter-American Opportunity Facility (IOF), a $20 million investment partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank designed to reduce poverty and promote economic growth across Latin America. The IOF is the cornerstone of our international portfolio for the Raíces initiative, which is focused on creating opportunities throughout both Latin America and Latino […]
Ours To Own Denver Wins Big at CO Impact Days
Earlier this month, we had the great privilege to participate in the first annual CO Impact Days event in Denver. This three day impact extravaganza trained investors, inspired audiences, and featured local social ventures doing incredible work to make the great state of Colorado a better place. You can read more about CO Impact Days […]
Participate in the Wave of the Future: Invest in India
by S. V. Patel on March 17, 2016 Back in 2015, I was excited to learn in a Calvert Foundation newsletter about the launch of the India Investment Initiative, which would enable Indian Americans to invest to support sustainable, social enterprises in India. With the support of strong partners including MacArthur Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, United States […]
Technology We Can All Use to Empower Women
Last night Women in the World held a rockstar event in DC with Tina Brown featuring conversations with leading women such as Loretta Lynch, US Attorney General, Margaret Brennan, CBS Foreign Affairs Correspondent and Hafsa Abiolacostello, Founder of KIND and Special Advisor to the Governor of Agun State in Nigeria. As these women shared stories […]
Supporting the Growth of Affordable Private Education for Indian Students
by Katharine Tengtio on March 10, 2016 As a part of our India Investment Initiative we have provided a $5 million loan to Varthana, of which $3.125 million is guaranteed by the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). Varthana is helping to grow affordable private schools in India by exclusively providing them with loan captal. These loans finance […]
Trillium Submits Comments to EEOC in Support of Summary Pay Data by Gender, Race and Ethnicity
March 9, 2016: On behalf of our clients, Trillium Asset Management has written to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in support of a proposal to collect summary pay data by gender, race and ethnicity. Our firm is pleased that the Commission is moving forward with this proposal, as gender pay disparity has become a significant […]
Closing the Financing Gap For Mission-Driven Businesses
RSF Social Finance was recently featured in the January/February issue of Conscious Company Magazine. They sat down RSF President & CEO Don Shaffer to discuss shifting the paradigm of the financial industry and what companies typically need to scale successfully. Here is an excerpt from the conversation. Conscious Company Magazine: How did you develop the […]
The Intersectionality of Gender, Development and Access to Clean Energy
In 2014 as a part of our second phase of the Women Investing in Women Initiative (WIN-WIN) we committed to investing $20 million in organizations that work specifically in providing access to clean energy for women. We found that many women struggled with their health, education and economic status as a result of limited access […]
Trillium Publishes 2016 Proxy Voting Guidelines
March 7, 2016: Each year, companies seek votes from shareholders on items that are pending on their annual proxy ballots. The issues that shareholders can vote on range from the approval of boards of directors to social and environmental issues — including proposals that Trillium and other SRI investors file every year. Regrettably, too many […]
Trillium Reviews Internal Salaries for Possible Gender Pay Gap
MARCH 3, 2016: The financial services sector is routinely found to have one of the widest gaps in pay by gender relative to other parts of the economy. Despite women making up nearly one third of the financial services workforce, on average women earn significantly less than their male colleagues. At Trillium Asset Management (Trillium) […]
Finance Innovation: The Next Frontier in Fair-Trade Supply Chains
Originally published on TriplePundit By Kate Danaher Rising demand for fair-trade products is creating an emerging need for growth in fair-trade supply chains. This is a fantastic opportunity to put more people to work under fair pay and labor standards — but the time and cost involved in scaling these supply chains while maintaining fair-trade […]
The Third Immersion: BALLE-RSF Community Foundation Circle
By Catherine Covington Surrounded by the beautiful rolling hills of Napa County, California, the BALLE-RSF Community Foundation Circle (CFC) gathered at Mayacamas Ranch last November for the third of four gatherings. It has been a year since the initial gathering of the CFC, and so much has happened within the group both personally and professionally. […]
Trillium Successfully Withdraws Workforce Diversity Proposal at Adobe
Expanded website with equal employment opportunity data launched FEBRUARY 12, 2016: Trillium Asset Management is pleased to announce that it has withdrawn its workforce diversity shareholder proposal at Adobe Systems Incorporated. Adobe published an expanded section of its website that includes its annual EEO-1 workforce diversity data and provides meaningful disclosures around its strategies aimed […]
Beyond Wall Street: Transforming the Way We Use Capital
This article originally appeared in The Huffington Post. By Don Shaffer I’ve been talking to a lot of people lately about RSF Social Finance’s decision to walk off Wall Street, and urging others to consider doing the same. The obvious question that comes up is, OK, but where do you go? What are the investment and […]
Shareholders: Citigroup Refuses to Publicly Address Gender Pay Gap Issues
BOSTON, MA // FEB. 10, 2016: The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recently rejected Citigroup’s request for “No-Action” on a Gender Pay Gap shareholder proposal that was filed by Trillium Asset Management (Trillium), a Boston-based investment firm. Investors are requesting that Citigroup (NYSE: C) prepare a report demonstrating that the company does not have […]
Food Waste is an Emerging Sustainable Agriculture Issue
By Allan Pearce, Shareholder Advocate Given the tremendous environmental impact that agricultural and food companies have, food system advocacy has been a mainstay of Trillium’s shareholder activism for decades. Trillium has focused on sustainable agriculture as it directly contributes to, and is impacted by, climate change, through deforestation and the use of fossil fuels to […]
How You Can Help Create a Better World With Your Dollars
It would be an understatement to say that there are many challenges abroad and in our own backyards: homelessness, hunger, deforestation, the list goes on. Most of these challenges we will be unable to influence directly, and many of us here in the U.S. have never experienced those challenges personally. So, for someone who wants […]
Information for Whole Foods Market Shareholders Regarding our 2016 Shareholder Proposal
JANUARY 22, 2016: Trillium Asset Management has published a letter to shareholders of Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFM) urging them to vote in favor or our Food Waste shareholder proposal on the company’s 2016 proxy card. The letter provides an overview of the importance of the issue as well as the four main reasons why […]
2016 RSF Prime Rate Change
On January 1, 2016, RSF Social Finance increased its base interest rate for borrowers to 4.75 percent. Other participants in the Social Investment Fund (SIF) are affected as follows: the investor rate is now 0.50 percent, up from 0.25 percent, and the RSF revenue share will remain at 4.25 percent. The decision to raise investor […]
Trillium’s Q4 2015 Market Commentary & Advocacy Highlights Available for Download
January 20, 2016: Trillium’s Q4 2015 Economic & Market Commentary and Shareholder Advocacy Highlights are now available to download. “2015 was a year of contradictions and noise, along with a highly concentrated and narrowly-focused market. Oil prices dropped throughout the year, with West Texas Intermediate oil ending the quarter at $37 per barrel, down 18% […]
RSF Winter Quarterly: What is the Nature in Art?
In the latest RSF Quarterly, we explore the role of nature in education and the arts. Brad Miller, a teacher at High Mowing School, shares with us the life lessons his students gain through their study of biodynamic horticulture. RSF’s John Bloom and Enrique Perez reflect on a sculpture recently gifted to RSF, and contemplate […]
Winter 2016 Issue of Investing For a Better World – Available to Download
The Winter 2016 issue of Trillium’s Investing For a Better World is available to download. Articles include:• Thinking Capital℠: Jack Robinson’s take on COP21 • Food Waste is an Emerging Sustainable Agriculture Issue • Trillium’s Support of EPA’s Proposed Methane Rule • Engaging Chipotle on Minimum Wage Reform • Measuring the Carbon Impact of our […]
Understanding the different actors in impact investing
For the past three years I’ve worked as an investment officer at Calvert Foundation. One of my goals this year is to do more writing about what I do, and I’m starting with a review of The Impact Investor by Cathy Clark, Jed Emerson, and Ben Thornley. The book helped me better understand not only […]
Financing the Farming of the Future
“If you care about the poorest, you care about agriculture.” – Bill Gates According to the World Bank, 78 percent of the world’s poor are rural poor, and many of them are farmers. If you are looking for social returns, there are few better places to invest than in agriculture. Yet, we at the Calvert […]
A look back at 2015
As I write this it’s 67° F in the Washington, DC area, and it doesn’t seem like the right time for a year-end review. But it’s indeed the end of December, and we’re reflecting on the biggest stories from 2015 and previewing what’s to come in 2016. Vested.org re-launches with better user experience Our online […]
Reflections from NC’s Shared Gifting
What is the best way to distribute money amongst a group a non-profits? This is a question that foundations and donors struggle with on a regular basis. Non-profits, the ones on the receiving end of these decisions, don’t often get to take up this question. In an effort to change this common dynamic in philanthropy, […]
Carbon Analysis: Risks and Opportunities in Trillium’s Sustainable Opportunities Strategy
DECEMBER 14, 2015: Trillium Asset Management recently engaged MSCI ESG Research to analyze the carbon-related characteristics of our Sustainable Opportunities Strategy, in comparison to a portfolio replicating a market benchmark. In addition to assessing the carbon footprint of the Strategy as of September 30, 2015, the MSCI analysis also leverages an extensive set of carbon […]
Trillium Engages Chipotle on Minimum Wage Reform
DECEMBER 4, 2015 // BOSTON, MA: Trillium Asset Management, on behalf of our client The Congregational Council of Plymouth Church UCC of Seattle, recently filed a shareholder proposal at Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) urging the Board of Directors to “adopt principles for minimum wage reform, to be published by October 2016”. As public protests […]
Measuring the Carbon Impact of Our Investments
DECEMBER 1, 2015: At Trillium Asset Management, we believe that fiduciary duty requires the integration of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors into the investment process as a way to identify the companies best positioned to deliver strong long-term performance. We integrate climate risk into our investment process because we believe that climate change is […]
The Day of Giving and the Commonwealth
One year ago John Bloom published this blog piece on Giving Tuesday and the nature of gift. We think his words are as relevant as ever today. By John Bloom December 2, 2014—a Day of Giving. I cannot tell you how many e-mail requests I received yesterday. Each made the case for why I should […]
Information Regarding Trillium’s Shareholder Proposal at Oracle
NOVEMBER 9, 2015: Trillium Asset Management, along with Green Century Equity Fund, has co-filed a Shareholder Proposal at Oracle Corporation (NYSE: ORCL) asking that: “senior management, with oversight from the Board of Directors, set company-wide quantitative targets by March 2016 to increase renewable energy sourcing and/or production”. Our proposal is #5 on the Oracle 2015 […]
Trillium Co-Sponsoring BSAS Sustainable Investing Seminar
Boston Security Analysts Society’s 3rd Annual Sustainable Investing Seminar on will be held on Thursday, November 19th NOVEMBER 5, 2015 // BOSTON, MA: On Thursday, November 19th the Boston Security Analysts Society will host its third full-day Sustainable Investing Seminar. “Sustainable Investing” is often used interchangeably with the terms “Mission-based Investing,” “Green Investing,” “Impact Investing,” […]
New White Paper: Integrating Gender into Total Portfolio Activation
NOVEMBER 2, 2015 // BOSTON, MA: A group of investors has released a new white paper, Investing for Positive Impact on Women: Integrating Gender into Total Portfolio Activation. The paper was prepared by Croatan Institute with the guidance and close collaboration of Global Fund for Women, Root Capital, Thirty Percent Coalition, and Trillium Asset Management. […]
US SIF Commends Department of Labor Repeal of 2008 Bulletin
WASHINGTON, D.C. // OCTOBER 22, 2015: The Forum for Sustainable and Responsible Investment commends today’s announcement by Secretary of Labor Tom Perez in New York that the administration is rescinding a 2008 bulletin that discouraged investors from considering environmental and social factors in the companies and funds in which they invest. Through his leadership, Secretary […]