SEDF uses investment capital to support the rights and opportunities of marginalized people and communities, often in ways and places that entail significant financial risk. We look to catalyze positive social and economic change, by acting in alignment with allies and partners, reinforced by the strengths and capacities of the Open Society Foundations.
The Spencer Foundation has a long-standing commitment to support research on the improvement of education and on the well-being of children and families. We seek to further our mission impact by aligning our investment objectives with the Foundation’s commitments and values. To this end, we use reasonable efforts to reduce or avoid holdings in sectors or investments that harm children. Additionally, our investment portfolio considers our responsibility to contribute to greater equity and diversity in our society, and the overall health and well-being of the planet, our institutions, families, and communities. We seek to work with organizations who reflect and demonstrate our values.
Spring Point Partners champions community-driven change and promotes justice by investing in transformational leaders, networks and solutions. Rooted in Philadelphia, we’re a social impact organization that takes a collaborative approach to creating positive change within communities. With equity and social justice as our guideposts, we partner with individuals and institutions to support transformative impact. We do this through grant-making, impact investing and professional and organizational development.
The Steelcase Foundation collaborates and connects resources with people and movements that advance, advocate for, and accelerate us toward a more just and liberated community. We seek to align our investment strategy to amplify our efforts to increase access to quality, public education and cultivate communities that create conditions for children to thrive. Our values-aligned investment strategy will seek to uphold our mission, vision, and guiding principles to enact change through the corpus of our endowment, balancing long-term value with opportunities that further our support of the communities and causes we serve.
What do we mean by sustainability? We define sustainability as positive longevity, and sustainable development as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. In order to tackle the challenge of sustainable development, both developed and developing countries will have to shift from a resource-intensive, consumption-driven, debt-dependent model of development and growth towards a more sustainable one. This means using natural and financial resources wisely and in a way that promotes long-term economic, social and personal wellbeing. How do we apply this idea to investment? We take a bottom-up, company-focused approach to sustainable investment. We look for good quality companies (management, franchise and financials) that are well positioned to meet the challenge of sustainable development and contribute towards achieving it in the countries in which they operate, be they developed or developing. We have a strong conviction that such companies face fewer risks and are better placed to deliver positive long term returns to shareholders. The investment objective of our sustainability funds is to generate attractive long-term, risk-adjusted returns for our clients by investing in companies involved in sustainable goods and services, responsible finance and required infrastructure. We are not passive investors. We recognise there is no such thing as a perfect company and believe positive engagement plays an important part in improving shareholder value and protecting the value of our client portfolios over the long-term. We engage actively with company management on a wide range of issues including alignment of interests, governance, reputation, strategy and other environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues. What do we not mean by sustainable investment? We do not screen in clean tech or green-themed companies, nor do we screen out particular sectors and companies on moral or ethical grounds. Although we do not do any formal negative screening, we are unlikely to invest in companies operating in high risk sectors such as gambling and tobacco because their long-term sustainability positioning is poor.
Strada supports programs, policies and organizations that strengthen connections between postsecondary education and opportunity in the U.S., with a focus on helping people who face the greatest challenges. We advance this mission through research, grantmaking, social impact investments, public policy solutions, and Strada-supported nonprofit organizations.
The world sees the San Francisco Bay Area as the center of innovation and Hawai‘i as a land of paradise. But too many members of our communities, especially people of color and individuals from low-income backgrounds, face systemic barriers and are left out of opportunities in their own backyards. We recognize that the challenges communities face are interconnected and urgent, and we are committed to doing our part. That is why the Stupski Foundation is collaborating with community partners over the next 10 years to invest all of our assets and make the greatest possible change in our communities today.
Sunwealth® is a clean energy investment firm on a mission. We invest in a better energy future by financing and managing solar projects that benefit a broad range of communities through clean power, carbon reduction, cost savings and job creation. We partner with skilled local solar installers, community organizations and local businesses, and investors to change who benefits from renewable energy by changing the way we invest in it.
