RSF’s Kelley Buhles participates in a discussion hosted by Impact Entrepreneur to examine the role of Donor Advised Funds (DAF) in impact investing. The webinar explores what the best practice is or should be for DAFs to fulfill their promise of well over $100 billion (and fast-growing) in alignment and making positive impact with the […]
RSF Rate Changes: The Interconnectedness of Economic Relationships
Each quarter the RSF Pricing Committee comes together to determine the rate of return for our Social Investment Fund investors, the interest rate for our borrowers, and the rate that RSF earns as an intermediary and financial partner. For the first quarter of 2020, the RSF Pricing Committee determined that the rate charged to borrowers […]
A New Year’s Greeting: Looking Back and Looking Forward
Dear Friends, While it is hard to believe that 2019 has come to a close, there is something magically rounded about decade numbers like 2020, so welcome to the new year, and know that we are most grateful that you are with us. Before we get too far into 2020, we would like to share […]
With Root Capital, RSF Doubles Down on Impact—and Impact Measurement
After Bertha Nzabanita lost her husband in the 1994 Rwandan genocide, she was left with a dilapidated house, a young son to raise, and one field of coffee plants. Her options were limited—until she joined the Musasa coffee cooperative. The co-op guaranteed her a fair price for her coffee cherries (as unroasted berries are called) […]
Research from Trillium and Impact-Cubed Declares It’s Time to Divest from Guns
While Americans are clearly fed up with gun violence and a political solution remains out of reach, there exists a potentially important avenue for progress that is within reach – finance. The retirement assets of millions of Americans continue to be invested in gun companies, largely through passive pension funds and mutual funds that track […]
The Alchemy of Gift
What might an analysis of gift streams tell us about the development of human consciousness in the 21st century in the United States? The experience of giving and receiving makes it clear that gifting has profound meaning in and through human connections; these connections constitute culture. Thus, the health of culture would be an indicator […]
Global Whole Being Fund and Help Refugees / Choose Love
RSF’s Raquel Iglesias speaks with Josie Naughton from Help Refugees/Choose Love, and Negar Tayyar from Global Whole Being Fund about working together to support “people on the move.” Raquel Iglesias: Could each of you tell me about yourself, and what has led you to your current work? Josie Naughton: I’m the CEO of two organizations […]
Transforming Your Relationship to Money – Interconnectedness is the New Currency with Deb Nelson
Deb Nelson, our Vice President of Client & Community Engagement, is featured on Carley Hauck’s Live Well Awake podcast. In their conversation, Carley and Deb explore the ways money can be used to heal the world around us, and touch on topics ranging from economic justice & women’s rights to hiking amidst redwood forests. Click […]
RSF-Purpose Initiative Responds to Demand for Mission-First Business Models
RSF Social Finance and Purpose collaborate to make alternative structures accessible for businesses that want to grow without sacrificing purpose; publish their first report SAN FRANCISCO, October 22, 2019 — A grassroots global movement is emerging behind mission-first business models rooted in stakeholder governance—rather than shareholder control—and RSF Social Finance and the Purpose Foundation are […]
Statement of Jonas Kron, SVP, Trillium Asset Management on SEC Open Meeting Regarding Shareholder Proposal Process 11/5/2019
November 5th, 2019—For over 70 years, the shareholder proposal rule has served main street investors, companies, and the public well. It has promoted and supported a marketplace of ideas that has harnessed the innovations and perspectives of small investors to the benefit of companies, workers, communities, the environment, and our economy. It has also served […]
Trillium Celebrates 20 Years of Fossil Fuel Free Investing
Trillium is among the oldest investment advisory firms exclusively focused on environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing with over 35 years of experience. Environmental responsibility has been, and remains, a key focus at Trillium. Trillium’s Global Equity strategy, one of the Firm’s three Fossil Fuel Free investment strategies, has begun celebrating its 20th anniversary year. […]
Trillium Recognized as 2019 B Corporation Best for the World Overall Honoree
Trillium Asset Management and 236 companies worldwide, were recognized by B Lab on its seventh annual ‘Best for the World Overall’ Honoree list, the highest B Lab designation, for generating positive social and environmental impact through business practices and performance. Every year, B Lab, a non-profit organization helping companies manage corporate social responsibility, recognizes businesses that […]
Trillium’s Elizabeth Levy Featured in Video: How Top Asset Managers Stay Ahead of the Pack
In May, we published a story, linked here, celebrating our All Cap Core Strategy’s Envestnet award for Impact SMA of 2019. Think Advisor and Envestnet have since created a video, How Top Asset Managers Stay Ahead of the Pack, showcasing the various category award winners including our very own Elizabeth Levy, Portfolio Manager of the… […]
Trillium’s Ongoing Pressure on Facebook Governance in the News
Jonas Kron, Director of Shareholder Advocacy, spoke on behalf of Trillium and the Park Foundation in support of Item Number 6, a proposal for an independent Facebook board chair. BBC and WSJ covered the preliminary outcomes of the vote. Keep updated here: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-48472408 https://www.wsj.com/articles/more-state-treasurers-back-split-of-facebooks-ceo-and-chairman-roles-11559233188 The post Trillium’s Ongoing Pressure on Facebook Governance in the News appeared first on Trillium […]
Matt Patsky Discusses ESG Integrated Investing on Bloomberg TV
Boston, MA—On Thursday, May 16th, Trillium’s CEO, Matt Patsky, was live from Boston’s Rose Kennedy Greenway participating in the sustainability segment of the Bloomberg Technology Boston Roadshow hosted by Bloomberg’s Carol Massar. Matt discussed various ESG related topics such as the common misconception regarding the integration of financial performance in the ESG investment process, the […]
Trillium’s Paul Hilton Speaks at Yale Student Conference for Corporate Responsibility
New Haven, CT – On April 13th, Trillium’s Paul Hilton spoke at The Student Conference for Corporate Responsibility at Yale University. The conference, hosted by The Intentional Endowments Network and the Yale-Dwight Hall SRI Fund, utilized speaker presentations, panel discussions, and action planning to broaden attendees’ understanding of financial ESG integration and shareholder engagement. Among the […]
Trillium named #44 on the Real Leaders Magazine Top 100 Impact Companies of 2019
Trillium is thrilled to announce that we have been ranked 44th on Real Leaders Magazine Top 100 Impact Companies of 2019. We would also like to congratulate the other 99 companies who stand out as leaders as they grow sustainably and create positive change. This analysis of the top impact companies was a collaborative effort… […]
Working Toward a Regenerative Economy
Integrated Capital Fellows explore how to activate capital to create lasting, positive change while building connection and community. A new clarity is emerging, one that recognizes that the stewardship of money includes a duty to the greater whole. This clarity has engendered an entirely new form of activism, one in which money is used creatively […]
RSF at 35: Reflecting on Our Evolution
In our Spring/Summer 2019 newsletter we take a moment celebrate our 35th anniversary and reflect on how our organization and our community has grown over the years. We visit with a longtime partner, Camphill Communities California, near the Santa Cruz foothills, to learn how they have created a life-sharing community for adults with developmental disabilities […]
Trillium Testifies in Support of Boston City Fossil Fuel Divestment from Pension Funds, Cash Reserves
FEBRUARY 28, 2019: On Thursday, Trillium Asset Management joined a community of divestment, reinvestment, and socially responsible investment representatives to call on Boston city councilors to divest municipal pension funds and cash reserves from environmentally and socially destructive industries such as prisons, immigrant detention centers, and fossil fuels, sharing Trillium’s approach to sustainable and responsible […]
My Experience as an MBA Intern at RSF
Reflecting on my first day as an MBA intern at RSF Social Finance, I can remember how excited I was to spend ten weeks working with and learning from the top social finance professionals in its ranks. As someone with a background in private equity investing prior to business school at Stanford, I closely monitored […]
RSF Prime Increase
On January 1, 2019, RSF Social Finance increased RSF Prime, its base interest rate for borrowers, to 5.50 percent. Other participants in the Social Investment Fund are affected as follows: the investor rate is now 1.25 percent, up from 1.00 percent, and the RSF revenue share will remain at 4.25 percent. RSF Prime is reset […]
These investors are fixing finance to better serve Black entrepreneurs
A few years ago the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston released a study that revealed a city divided: median white wealth was $247,000, compared to median Black wealth of $8. Not long after, Aaron Tanaka and Libbie Cohn walked into the office of a Boston financial firm to pitch the Ujima Project as a solution. The organization […]
A Letter from RSF
Dear Friends, Happy New Year! As we step into 2019, we would like to express our deep gratitude to and for our community of clients and partners—thank you for your ongoing support and inspiration. RSF’s work toward creating a compassionate and regenerative economy has never felt more needed or important. This sense of urgency is […]
On Money, Race, and Power
Deb: I have had the good fortune of working with both of you and would love to hear more about the work that you’re doing to build a more equitable economy. Can you tell us about what you do? Deborah: I co-founded the Boston Impact Initiative, a place-based impact investing fund focused on closing the […]
Spirit Rising: Toward a More Just Economy
These Days Whatever you have to say, leave the roots on, let them dangle And the dirt Just to make clear where they come from. —Charles Olson We stand at an important moment in the flow of time, and what matters most now is that those who can, will stand together, not because there […]
Fair Trade Clothing Company Grows Fast and Well
When Kate Fisher and Henry Schwab, the owners of Synergy Organic Clothing, received their first order from Whole Foods Market in 2014, they were thrilled. The husband-and-wife team had sold their organic cotton clothing in their three retail stores and at festival booths nationwide for years, all the while aspiring to a bigger stage. So […]
RSF Collaboratives: Filling a Funding Gap
Before joining RSF Social Finance’s leadership team two years ago, I spent fifteen years leading Social Venture Network, a community of mission-driven entrepreneurs and impact investors. During that time, I got to know hundreds of social entrepreneurs who had launched companies and nonprofits that were tackling some of our most pressing social and environmental challenges. […]
RSF Prime Rate Change
On April 1, 2018, RSF Social Finance increased its RSF Prime base interest rate for borrowers by 0.25% to 5.25%. The other participants in the Social Investment Fund (SIF) are affected as follows: the investor rate is now 1.00%, up from 0.75%, and the RSF revenue share remains at 4.25%. RSF Prime is reset each […]
Financial Activism and RSF’s Integrated Capital Institute
Enrique: What is the Integrated Capital Institute, and who is it for? Akaya: It’s for financial activists who want to leverage capital as a tool for positive social and ecological change. Over the nine-month program, the fellows learn alongside a group of experts in the field who are leveraging different kinds of capital through an […]
Summer as an Intern with RSF Social Finance
As I entered the Presidio in breathtaking San Francisco, I was excited to start my MBA summer internship at RSF Social Finance. Having worked in finance and consulting before Wharton, I was attracted to this role by the opportunity it presented to apply my learnings to support social entrepreneurs and challenge my thinking around traditional […]
Now Accepting Applications for Second Cohort of Integrated Capital Institute
RSF Social Finance has opened the application process for its Integrated Capital Institute. This intensive program will give financial practitioners the tools and strategies they need to help values-driven clients deploy various forms of capital for lasting social and environmental benefit. Fellows will learn about wealth psychology, whole portfolio activation, and RSF’s integrated capital approach: […]
RSF Social Finance Names New CEO
Jasper van Brakel, former head of Weleda North America, will lead the pioneering social enterprise funder in its next phase of innovation RSF Social Finance has named Jasper J. van Brakel, former president and CEO of Weleda North America, its new CEO effective March 19. In addition to offering proven leadership—van Brakel built Weleda’s brand […]
RSF Social Finance Invests More than $1 Million in Women-Led Social Enterprises
RSF’s Women’s Capital Collaborative supports inspirational entrepreneurs who are having a positive impact on women in Africa, Haiti and the U.S. San Francisco, CA (Jan. 18, 2018) – RSF Social Finance has just invested over $900,000 in four women-led enterprises that are creating opportunities for women and girls around the world: Akola Project, Eu’Genia Shea, […]
Hummingbird puts farmers first in transforming a region’s food system
Tom Hunton, a third-generation Oregon farmer, was visiting a local school when he received an unexpected thank-you gift: a bag of muffins baked by fourth-graders. Accompanying the baked goods was a note that said, “Thank you, Mr. Hunton, for making the food that we eat every day.” The muffins were made from organic wheat Hunton […]
#NoRegrets
To create a thriving society, we must invest in soil health. As a young woman growing up in Knoxville, Tennessee, I showed passions many considered “uncharacteristic” of a Southern lady. I was a tomboy who enjoyed sports, science, and math. I wanted to be an engineer like my dad. I left for college in Texas at […]
RSF Social Finance Loans $1.56M to Booming Hudson River Valley Kraut Business
Funding, in part from new Biodynamics Capital Collaborative, launches Hawthorne Valley’s new spinoff and juices biodynamics movement October 25, 2017, Ghent, NY – RSF Social Finance, the leading funder of food hubs in the U.S., has loaned $1.56 million to Whitethorne LLC, a new subsidiary of the nonprofit Hawthorne Valley Association that will expand production […]
Catholic Communities Come Together for Community Investing
The Jubilee Assembly is a framework for faith-based investors – including from within the Catholic Church and its many agencies and institutions – to, as Pope Francis says, “renew our commitment to serve the common good with love and with preference for the most poor and vulnerable of our brothers and sisters”. That succinct statement […]
On Money & Biography
Introduction Real conversation is the best way for money and biography to flow together. I hope that this introduction sets in place a foundation for that transformational conversation and encourages engagement in it. I use the word “encourage” because it takes courage and safety to make our money-selves explicit. Money, as it has come to […]
Re-energizing the Bronx
BlocPower Offers Energy Retrofits to Communities That Need Them Most For years, Pastor Leo Curry of Fordham United Methodist Church in the Bronx worried about the cost of heating his church and social hall with two outdated boilers. It was so bad that the monthly bills sometimes soared above $12,000. “It was almost to the […]
Office Supplies & Independent Lives
Armando Bernasconi is CEO at Quality Connections, an RSF borrower that helps individuals with disabilities become independent, productive community members via employment, job training, and practical life learning. Interviewed by Enrique Perez | Marketing Manager Enrique: Who or what sparked your passion for addressing employment barriers in the disabled community? Armando: My mom and dad […]
The Prudent Woman
The world of investing abides by various rules. Some are defined and articulated in formal legislation and regulations, while others are based on customs, common practices, and opinions expressed by jurists in court cases. The expectation of “prudence” in financial management is one such case.¹ This piece is a special collaboration by Leslie Christian and […]
RSF 2016 Annual Report
It is with great delight that we share with you the 2016 Annual Report by RSF Social Finance. Last year was a full one for this organization, and our collection of client stories and financial results showcases just that. We hope the vignettes and visuals inspire you to seek new ways to engage with money and explore […]
Introduction to MFIs Part III: Microfinance Intermediaries
This blog is the third in a series we are doing on microfinance. Before you read this, I suggest you check out Part I: Introduction to Microfinance Institutions and Part II: Introduction to Microfinance Networks. Here in Part III, the last of this series, I talk about microfinance intermediaries through which capital from investors is channeled […]
Three Days in Vermont
Greetings RSF Community! Earlier this spring, Kate and I spent an eventful few days in Vermont, and I wanted to recap some of the highlights of our short, but geographically-intensive trip. Starting in Burlington, we zipped up and down the state by car, stopping to visit some of our borrowers, partners, and a slew of […]
Your Guide to Fossil Fuel Free Investing – Webinar Now Available
Trillium Asset Management, Green Century, and 350.org’s June 1, 2017 webinar, “Make a Clean Break: Your Guide to Fossil Fuel Free Investing” is now available for download. Speakers: Leslie Samuelrich, President – Green Century Capital Management Matthew Patsky, CFA, CEO – Trillium Asset Management Brett Fleishman, Senior Global Analyst – 350.org Vanessa Green, Campaign Director […]
Trillium’s Statement on U.S. Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement
June 1, 2017// Boston, MA – President Trump’s decision to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement is a major setback for the planet and the economy. But our optimism will not be diminished. We are encouraged that renewable sources of energy are growing quickly (solar installed capacity has tripled since 2013) and […]
Investors Urge Texas Lawmakers to Stop the Advancement of Anti-LGBT Legislation
May 26, 2017 (Boston, MA) – Lawmakers in Texas are continuing to prioritize discriminatory legislation that could harm the state’s reputation and business climate as the legislature enters its final weekend of session. Earlier this week, the Texas House amended an education bill to include regulations on access to restrooms in public schools. Lieutenant Governor […]
Trillium’s Sustainability Reporting Shareholder Proposal at Middleby Receives 44.6% Vote
May 17, 2017 // Boston, MA – Shareholders sent a strong message to The Middleby Corporation’s (Middleby) management as 44.6% voted in favor of Trillium’s shareholder proposal, filed on behalf of our clients, on sustainability reporting and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions. Specifically, we requested Middleby shareholders vote in favor of our shareholder proposal which […]
Benefit Chicago Announces Its First Loans
by Katharine Tengtio on May 16, 2017 Sweet Beginnings, a honey-based production company that offers employment to the formerly incarcerated, is one of the first organizations to receive financing from Benefit Chicago. Today Benefit Chicago announces its first beneficiaries. Benefit Chicago is a collaboration between MacArthur Foundation, Chicago Community Trust, and Calvert Foundation to mobilize $100 […]
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