Trillium and fellow Investors & Indigenous Peoples Working Group (IIPWG) members had been collaborating on this issue for years. They collectively engaged with sponsors of the Washington D.C. NFL Football team to drive this change on June 14, 2020. In late June 2020, steered by IIPWG, these engagements culminated in letters to FedEx, Nike, and Pepsi from over 80 investors representing over $620 billion in assets asking the companies to cease their relationships with the team if it continued to use its current name and logo – ultimately driving the decision to change the name. …

The following is a statement from Jonas D. Kron, Trillium’s Chief Advocacy Officer regarding the shareholder proposal filed by Trillium at Bank of America concerning financing Arctic oil and gas development and how the bank will address this significant risk. A similar proposal was filed at JPMorgan Chase in 2019 and played an important role in focusing JPMorgan’s attention on developing an Arctic policy. In March 2020, JPMorgan announced its commitment not to finance oil and gas developments in the Arctic. Bank of America investors have a long list of reasons to be concerned about the reputational risks that Arctic drilling poses. …

We grieve for Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Throughout her life, Justice Ginsburg embodied effort, determination, and passion. Effort, because she persisted, starting law school in 1956 with a one-year-old child, finding a way to balance being a mother and a student when the world taught that a woman’s place was at home with her children. Determination, because she succeeded, in law school, in securing a federal clerkship, in becoming a Supreme Court Justice, and in finding inventive and ingenious ways to bring the Court to understand that the Constitution truly applies to every inhabitant and citizen of the …

As Election Day approaches, Trillium is reflecting on our long-held belief that a strong democracy is linked to a strong economy. When companies actively and enthusiastically support voting and civic engagement it sends a positive message to all company stakeholders and most notably, employees. Unfortunately, voting is not easy in America and often the barrier is a work schedule. This means that some of the largest companies in America can be a help or a hindrance on Election Day. Recognizing the importance of this issue, Trillium has engaged with 20 companies to understand and influence their policies and practices in …

Over eighty years of racist history arrived at an end on July 13, 2020 when the Washington Football Team announced that it would stop using the racist name, Redsk-ns, and its accompanying racist logo. While to many this appeared to be a swift reaction to a burst of attention on social media, this change came after decades of pressure from Native American leaders such as the Oneida Trust of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, supported by investors like Trillium Asset Management. Trillium first became involved in 2009 when we worked with Susan White of the Oneida Trust in what would …

By Cheryl I. Smith, Ph.D., CFA ‍ On July Fourth, we remember these words:  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”  Thirty-five words memorized and recited by American schoolchildren; thirty-five words that birthed the U.S., and which inspired the French Revolution. At the time these words were written, slaves (and women) knew they were not included. In his 1852 oration, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Frederick Douglass forcefully noted: …

We commend the Washington D.C. Football Team for announcing today its review of the team name. We also commend FedEx, Nike, Bank of America, and Pepsi for communicating publicly and to the team the importance of changing its name. This is long overdue and follows years of work by countless individuals. This group of investors, which includes Indigenous peoples, leaders, and their institutions, stands ready to continue the work needed to bring this review to a successful conclusion. This means supporting Indigenous peoples, leaders, and groups that wish to be part of the review process – there must be a …

Boston – July 1, 2020 – Trillium Asset Management (“Trillium”) announced today that on June 30,2020 the firm was successfully acquired by Australian Financial Firm Perpetual Limited (Perpetual)”. Trillium has over $3.8 billion in assets under advisement (as of May 29, 2020) and decades of experience focused exclusively on responsible investing. The firm’s innovative approach led to the creation of numerous organizations, the development of the ESG investment field, and the first generation of investors focused on improved environmental, social, and governance outcomes. Today, the firm is an impact-driven, ESG-focused firm dedicated to aligning values with investment objectives. Trillium’s commitment to …

Trillium Community Investment Program Partner Highlight Q2 2020: Craft 3 While each investment poses unique risks, promissory notes issued by loan funds and non-profit organizations generally pose special risks by their nature. Typically, they involve an uncollateralized and uninsured promise to pay. The issuer’s only obligation is to repay the principal at maturity with interest payable at stated times. The promissory notes are not securities registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission. …