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 […]
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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 […]
Trillium’s Approach to Shareholder Engagement
OCTOBER 2015: Trillium Asset Management and our clients know that every company, no matter how sustainable, still has environmental and social impacts. Sometimes those impacts are material to the company’s finances and shareholders. They also can be more closely related to the well being of ecosystems, communities, consumers, employees or other stakeholders. In every situation, […]
Trillium’s Fall 2015 Newsletter is Available for Download
October 2015: The Fall 2015 issue of Trillium’s newsletter Investing For a Better World is now available for download. Articles include: Matt Patsky’s Column: Thinking Capital℠ Goddard College: A Story of Sustainability and Divestment White House Clean Energy Investment Summit Jackson W. Robinson Joins Trillium Trillium Launches New SRI Mutual Fund Global Divest Invest Initiative is […]
2015 Impact Report Launches
Last week a number of us were in San Francisco at the Social Capital Markets conference. It’s an annual gathering of impact investors, wealth advisors, foundations, social entrepreneurs and everyone in between. As always, the panels and plenary speeches were wide-ranging, touching healthcare, storytelling, healthy foods, impact evaluation, conservation, gender equality, and so on. Listening […]
Summary of Trillium’s 2015 Shareholder Proposals Available for Download
SEPTEMBER 14, 2015: During the 2015 proxy season, Trillium Asset Management filed more than two dozen shareholder proposals with publicly traded U.S. companies and engaged with scores more through direct outreach, sign-on letters and in-person meetings. Our corporate engagement addressed a wide range of issues including climate change, board diversity, workplace discrimination, political and lobbying […]
Trillium’s Perspective on Recent Market Volatility
August 25, 2015: We are writing to share our thinking on the past two weeks’ stock and bond market activity, and there have been some wild swings in both stock and bond prices. As always, we want to base our decisions on an analysis of the future: How might changes in economic growth and policy, […]
List of Trillium’s 2014-2015 Proxy Votes Available for Download
JULY 22, 2015: Each year, companies seek votes from shareholders on items that are pending on their annual proxy ballots, ranging from the approval of boards of directors to shareholder proposals on social and environmental issues like those we file every year. At Trillium, we take that voting very seriously. You can download a list […]
Trillium’s 2015 UN Principles for Responsible Investment Report is Available
JULY 13, 2015: Trillium Asset Management is a signatory of the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) Initiative, which is an international network of investors working together to put the Principles for Responsible Investment into practice. Its goal is to understand the implications of sustainability for investors and support signatories to incorporate these issues […]
Investors Applaud General Mills’ Improved Policies to Protect Bees from Pesticides
JULY 8, 2015: Following engagement with investors and advocates, General Mills has become the first major packaged foods company to improve policies to protect bees and other pollinators from the impacts of pesticides. A shareholder resolution filed by investor advocacy non-profit As You Sow and Clean Yield Asset Management was withdrawn after the company agreed […]
Investors Worth $1.5 Trillion Support White House’s Methane Emissions Reduction Plan
BOSTON, MA // JULY 1, 2015: As recent data show methane emissions rising from the oil and gas industry, and the White House moves forward with rules to reduce this pollution, leading investors representing $1.5 trillion in assets under management released a statement of support today for a strong federal standard. “As widely diversified, long-term […]
Trillium Testifies in Support of California Pension Coal Divestment Bill
JUNE 25, 2015: On Wednesday, Trillium Asset Management testified in support of CA SB 185, a bill which would require bill California’s state pension funds, Calpers and CalSTRS, to divest investments in companies that generate 50% or more of their revenue from coal mining. Jodi Neuman, who represented Trillium at the hearing, testified: “Our employee-owned […]
Trillium Participating in White House Clean Energy Summit
June 16, 2015: Trillium Asset Management is pleased to announce that our firm has been invited to participate in today’s White House Clean Energy Summit. Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to deliver remarks highlighting more than $4 billion of independent commitments by major foundations, institutional investors, and other long-term investors to fund climate change […]
Ours To Own Turns One
This month, we’re celebrating the one year birthday of the Ours To Own campaign, our investment initiative with a vision to activate broad and diverse networks of local residents to drive significant investment in their own communities. Last June, we launched the first two cities – the Twin Cities and Denver – and we have […]
Investors, Major Brands Call for Stronger Standards from Palm Oil Certification Group
Group urges RSPO to strengthen protections for forests, human rights JUNE 1, 2015 // BOSTON, MA: Institutional investors, including Trillium Asset Management, representing over $5 trillion in assets have joined together with some of the world’s largest and most recognizable consumer brands, including PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble, to call on the Roundtable on Sustainable […]
Sustainable Investing Advocate, Geeta Aiyer Wins Joan Bavaria Award
MAY 13, 2015 // SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Geeta Aiyer, sustainable investing entrepreneur and Founder and President of Boston Common Asset Management, has been awarded the seventh-annual Joan Bavaria Award for Building Sustainability into the Capital Markets. The announcement was made at the Ceres Conference, which is running today and tomorrow in San Francisco. Nearly three […]
Portfolio 21’s Merger with Trillium
By The Portfolio 21 Investment Team Both founded in 1982, Trillium and Portfolio 21 have been in the Sustainable and Responsible Investing (SRI) field for decades. With the growing recognition and popularity of Sustainable and Responsible Investing (SRI), the merger comes at a very natural time. Trillium’s domestic equity expertise, marketing and distribution capability and […]
Shareholders Press PepsiCo to Take Action to Protect Bees and Other Pollinators
May 5, 2015: Shareholders of PepsiCo* (“Pepsi”), concerned about the sharp declines in the number of bees and other important pollinators, are urging the Company to assess the financial risks it faces due to the decline of critical pollinators across its supply chains. The investors will gather at Pepsi’s annual meeting on May 6th, to […]
Save Organic Citrus!
We are in the peak of citrus season here in California and while we’re all blissfully enjoying juicy doses of Vitamin C, you may not realize that the organic orange you’re biting into is on the verge of dying off from a disease called Citrus Greening. Jessica Shade, the Director of Science Programs at The […]
Trillium Honored as B Corp ‘Best for the World’ in 2015
APRIL 14, 2015: Today, Trillium Asset Management was among 120 companies worldwide that were recognized for creating the most positive overall social and environmental impact by the nonprofit B Lab with the release of the fourth annual ‘B Corp Best for the World’ list. The ‘B Corp Best for the World’ list honors businesses that […]
10 do’s and don’ts of gender lens investing
by Najada Kumbuli, Sr. Investments Officer on March 09, 2015 International Women’s Day 2014. Photo courtesy of Flickr user IAEA Imagebank. When Calvert Foundation launched our women’s initiative, WIN-WIN, three years ago on International Women’s Day, we approached it as a pilot initiative. Given that WIN-WIN was the only gender lens investment vehicle available to everyday investors […]
Join the WIN-WIN Investment Movement
Today we’re in New York at the Cookstoves Future Summit, a global gathering hosted by the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves. The event marks the opening of our second round of fundraising for the Women Investing in Women Initiative (WIN-WIN), which will spur global development and distribution of cookstoves and other clean energy products. During […]